After a pandemic pause, and with the warmth of spring in the air, I am pleased to say that Ventura is opening to submissions again.
When COVID-19 first hit Australia in March and we went into lockdown, like everyone else I had no idea what the future would hold. We closed the office and headed for the sanctuary of home, watching the bookshops we love so much close to customers.
It did not feel possible to read manuscripts and give honest feedback on a writer’s hard work when we were filled with anxiety.
In fact, reading published books was hard in the early days, and many of us bemoaned the fact that as we finally had time to read, the pounding anxiety of not knowing our future stopped us from immersing ourselves in a good book.
But even a pandemic becomes normalised, and after horrendous sales figures for March, the sales of books started to pick up. Fiction sales boomed thanks to Normal People by Sally Rooney and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and the reading habit re-emerged.
Online book sales through retailers like Book Depository and Booktopia started to boom, and our favourite indie booksellers like Gleebooks took to their bikes for home delivery with a smile. And then bookstores like Avid Reader and Readings offered some great drive-by pick-up services. Or in my case, a walking the dog /pick-up combo at Potts Point Bookshop.
The book business has always been resilient; we have seen off threats before. In fact predictions of our demise are always wrong: think of what we have faced in recent times: Amazon, ebooks, Netflix, Facebook and Instagram. And my favourite victory is when Readings Carlton saw off Borders after the US giant had opened across the street.
So if the book business is back, then so are we.
Ventura has always championed the most compelling writing in Australia with globally aware fiction and life enhancing non-fiction books.
And female agency remains at the core of our business and our list.
We seek stories that are deeply moving, connect with our shared humanity, characters that stay with you and books that can change your life.
From now on, we will be accepting submissions every Friday. You can find more information on how to submit here.
So after a reflective hibernation, the renewal of spring is here and we look forward to selecting new works to be the Ventura titles of the future.