Chapter 5: Money well spent

Around about my sixth edit, I was browsing the internet looking to see if there were any new publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts, when my google search hit on Virginia Lloyd’s website. Here was an editor in New York, offering a free, 15-minute phone call to aspiring authors, as an introduction. She was also offering ‘Agent Readiness’ for manuscript submissions, based on the first 50 pages and a synopsis for a sum of money to be paid over the internet. I read everything on her website, including the testimonials and tried to work out if it was some clever identity theft scam. I studied her photo for signs of criminality and deception. I pretty much stalked her for an entire week. After my investigation hit a bone fide brick wall, I decided to email and set up the phone call – I mean, what could she steal from me over the phone?

Due to the time difference, she was to ring me at 9am in the morning. I wasn’t sure if we were going to do facetime, but I put some foundation and lippy on and brushed my hair. I was nervous. It was like going on a blind date and I somehow felt like I had to impress her, (so that she would agree to take my money). As it turned out, Virginia wasn’t a scammer, or if she was, she was a very well read one who knew a lot about the publishing industry in Australia, where she was born. We talked about favourite authors – I trotted out Ann Patchett, Anne Tyler, Kate Atkinson, Wally Lamb and Ann Marie Macdonald. She seemed to relax, and I realised ‘the introduction chat’ was partly to reassure Virginia I wasn’t a Nazi sympathizer writing a book about the positive benefits of white supremacy in colonial Australia. Once that was established, we agreed I would email over the first 50 pages of my manuscript for her appraisal.

I waited in a state of mild agitation. I prayed Virginia wouldn’t send back an appraisal full of generic advice on how to be a better writer. Time dragged. Her reply was overdue. I started to worry about her being a scammer again and sent off a polite email, enquiring about the delay. She sent one back apologising, saying she was very busy. My scammer theory simmered on the back burner.

Then the email finally arrived. I will never forget the feeling of elation I got when I started reading Virginia’s assessment. Finally! Some specific, actionable advice – some very blunt and confronting advice too. It was thrilling, like I was finally being taken seriously and not pandered to. Virginia questioned and notated nearly every sentence of my first fifty pages, asked pointed questions and made me think about what I was trying to achieve. I got to work.

Over the next few months we went back and forth. I paid for more editing advice from Virginia, and every time felt it was worth every cent, even factoring in the US exchange rate. I can honestly say, having her support has improved my writing far more than any creative writing course I ever did. She’s an editor, she used to work at a large publishing house, and she’s written two novels; she knows what she’s talking about.

So, anyway – before this becomes one long, gushing testimonial for Virginia Lloyd, I’ll stop. This is where I am now: I’ve done a final draft for ‘Velcro’, I’ve done the synopsis, I’ve written the pitch – I’ve sent it off to publishers and literary agents who are accepting unsolicited submissions. No word as yet.