FAQ

Who are you?

My name is Erin M. Evans. I’m writer and sometime-editor living in Seattle.  I wrote the novel The God Catcher and the short story “The Resurrection Agent” from Realms of the Dead. You should read them.

What the heck is slush?

Slush is a name for the unsolicited manuscripts that a publisher receives. These are submissions from writers who haven’t been asked to submit and who aren’t represented by an agent. These submissions are of wildly varying quality and may contain the following: photos, hand drawn maps, prostelityzing, come-ons, and/or actual fiction.

Why would you like that?

From the writing point of view: Because sometimes that’s me in the slush pile.

From the editing point of view: Two reasons, really. One, it can be really hysterical. That sounds mean, but there are really just some approaches to publication that are woefully misguided. Schadenfreudetastically so. And to redirect back to the writer’s reason, that can be a little boost. I mean, I might make mistakes, but I would never ask a reader if he was single in response to a rejection (Yes, that happened to me).

The other reason is that, good or bad, there’s something heartwarming about slush. There is really nothing braver you can do as a writer than say, “Here. Here is something I wrote. What do you think?” Especially to a bitchy, overwhelmed editor (i.e. me). Whether the submissions I’ve read are what the publisher is looking for, I’m impressed that the writers made the leap.

Will you read my book?

If it’s published, why not? Tell me about it.
If it’s not, then it’s work and I’d charge you. More than you expect.

What’s that thingy on the side there? That weird sentence on the other side of the rooty looking thing?

Your powers of description are astounding.

Thank you. What is it?

That is either the last sentence I wrote, OR (if the sentence would trample an NDA or is not completed or is terribly boring) the most interesting sentence I wrote that day. I try to update it every day or two. Think of it as a peek into whatever I’m working on.