One of my tasks as an editorial intern is to look through book proposals that come in and decide, after some deliberation with Jeevan, whether or not the book is good or fitting for BK. Of course, there are many guidelines to follow in making such decisions. Some proposals that come in just aren't right for BK based on genre or content and others would fit topically, but are not new or compelling enough to stand out in the marketplace.
In my last post, I touched on the feeling of satisfaction when a publisher fulfills a dream for an author. This week I experienced the total opposite feeling. I had to call authors to reject their book proposals. The task was a bit daunting at first. I don't feel as though I am in a position to criticize when I am new to the industry and have such little experience. However, the rejection calls were based on a joint decision with the managing editor which gave me more confidence in the choice to pass on the projects.
As I review more and more book proposals, I am gaining a sense of what to look for and what topics interest BK. In general, I still find it difficult to know with some certainty what prompts a wide audience to buy a particular book; people can choose to buy a book for different reasons. I am beginning to see that the decision to publish a book has a degree arbitrariness and subjectivity. The editor must have great judgement and insight into the marketplace. And I believe that is a matter of time and experience.
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