When in the best time of year to submit your work?

When in the best time of year to submit your work?

Alexandra Pringle (Editor in Chief) gives expert video advice on: How can I check that my work arrived safely?; Is it better to write, call, or email?; Does persistence ever pay off? and more...

There's no best time of year to submit a piece of work to a publisher, but it's always a nightmare if something is submitted just as you're about to go on holiday because people think, 'Oh, how lovely, she can take a manuscript on holiday with her.' And you think, 'You horrible person. I'm trying to have a holiday!' There are particularly busy times of year for publishers, like the Frankfurt book fair in October and the London Book fair, and agents tend to think they want to sell everything just before the two so you get inundated then. Otherwise, publishers are just busy all year round.