Some publishers have instituted new, fear-of-terrorism policies that will make for even greater delays in the handling of unsolicited manuscripts. I woulda said that the life of a hopeful, unpublished novelist couldn't get any more pathetic, but I was wrong. Send an ms to an editor at HarperCollins, and you've no guarantee that it (or any of your query letters) will ever be opened.
HarperCollins, owned by the News Corporation, has been asked by management to modify its submission policy as a result of an anthrax scare experienced by the New York Post in the same corporate group. As before, unsolicited submissions sent to the general HarperCollins Children's Book department will not be considered, but effective October 15 they are being discarded instead of returned. Also any mail received without a return address will be discarded by the mailroom immediately. Mail, including unsolicited submissions, addressed to a specific editor will be delivered to him or her. Whether editors open it if they do not know the sender, however, will be left to their individual judgment. That policy is to be reevaluated every month or so, and any changes will be reported as soon as possible.
(From a listserv) Discuss
