Slush Pile Standouts

Slush pile standouts

Think you have what it takes to climb out of the slush pile?

In an upcoming YouTube video, two Darling Axe editors will be reading the first pages of several manuscripts to each other and posing the question: would you turn the page? 

Acquisitions editors, literary agents, and writing contest screeners are often faced with a large slush pile: a heap of manuscripts that must be quickly assessed. What makes one manuscript stand out from the next? What snags and red flags will land your work in the bin rather than on the shortlist? 

Now seeking participants

There is no entry fee, and participants will have their work read and assessed by our editors. This video conversation will then be posted on YouTube. 

It's not easy to receive feedback, especially in a public forum. As such, authors' names and manuscript titles will not be given... so there's nothing to fear. Go out on a limb, take a chance, and see if your first page has what it takes!

For more information about having your manuscript included, send us a note: editors@darlingaxe.com.

About the Darling Axe

Our editors are industry professionals and award-winning writers. We offer narrative development, editing, and coaching for every stage of your manuscript's journey to publication.



Work with a professional fiction editor from the Darling Axe: manuscript development and book editing services


Book a sample edit with a professional fiction editor from the Darling Axe: manuscript development and book editing services



Darling Axe Academy – Query Quest: a self-paced querying course

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1 comment

  • What a creative idea.
    I love this!

    L. Dacre Tynan

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