What to expect after you submit to Vertu Publishing

Congratulations on completing your book! It is quite an accomplishment, and you have a right to be proud. The team at Vertu Publishing is honored that you have entrusted your hard work to us, and we do not take this trust lightly. It may seem like the wait is long before you hear back from us, but we will take our time with your book, giving it a fair and unbiased evaluation.

Here is what you can expect.

• Our acquisitions team will preview your book.
• If the manuscript is not a good fit for VP, we will notify you as soon as possible so you can try it with other publishers.
• If the acquisitions team sees promise in your manuscript, they will send it to the editorial team for an evaluation.
• The editorial team might decide your book does not fit our needs, and we will notify you right away so you can place your manuscript elsewhere.
• The editorial team might conclude that your manuscript will work with some rewriting or revising. In this case, you will receive a Review and Resubmit letter.

Review and Resubmit
Every writer knows that when you type the words “The End,” the writing process has only begun. There is still plenty of work to do to smooth out any rough places. Receiving critical feedback from experienced editors is a great way to see your manuscript through fresh eyes.

If we send you an R&R, you have two options: You might decide not to revise your manuscript as we suggest, and that is perfectly your right. In that case, Vertu Publishing is probably not the best fit for you, and we wish you all the best as you submit your work to other publishers or agents.

Or you can take an objective look at our suggestions and rework the trouble areas in your manuscript. Such revisions commonly involve:

• Improving character development or motivation
• Firming the arc of your story
• Removing scenes or characters that clog up the forward motion of the plot
• Fixing holes or inconsistencies in the plot
• Researching certain aspects of your story, such as police procedure or historical events
• Other critical problems

You can look at it this way: if we had questions, your readers will also have questions.

Please note: opting to revise after receiving an R&R does not guarantee publication at VM.

However, if your revisions are workable to our team, then we will offer you a contract.

A contract! Now what?
After signing a contract with VM, you can expect a long period of waiting while our editors do a more comprehensive developmental round on your manuscript. This may take weeks or longer, so please be patient. You will have a chance to review our comments, and more revisions are almost always necessary.
Next there will be a copyediting round, during which we will focus on grammar, usage, typos, mechanics, and other technical issues. You will have a chance to review the manuscript one more time after this phase if you choose, but no major changes should be required.

We will then proofread the manuscript and prepare it for publication.

Revision and more revision are inescapable parts of the writing process, especially if you write for publication.

Seeing your work in print is an exciting goal, but, as you can see, it takes a lot of work to get there.