A good quarter of unsolicited manuscripts come with “independent market research,” i.e. the authors shopped it around to friends or, in the case of children’s books, classrooms.
As I was deciding how to write this, I picked up a piece of slush and found yet another example. I quote:
I have been an invited speaker in local classrooms, and each reading from my book was met with a very enthusiastic response. The children loved it! They and their teachers gave me valuable feedback and expressed keen interest in my future work. As you turn the following pages, I am confident you will agree with them…
Of course they liked it. This means nothing.
Your serious critique circle’s feedback is valuable. To you, as a resource. Your friends and family’s feedback is great for encouragement. Publishing houses are not interested in anyone’s take on your work but their own and that of other industry professionals, which is one reason that agents are so valuable.
Your work's just going to have to speak for itself.
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