Prize rankings, an agent's asides, and books for burgers all feature in Mark Sanderson's survey of the literary world
By Mark Sanderson
Published: The Telegraph, 11 Jul 2010
The Millions, an online magazine, compiles an annual chart of literary prizewinners on both sides of the Atlantic. Titles receive three points for winning an award and two points for being shortlisted or being a finalist.
The six prizes taken into consideration are the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, the Man Booker Prize, the Costa Book Awards, the National Book Critics Circle Awards and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Top of this year’s chart with 11 points is The Known World (nope? me neither) by Edward P Jones, published in 2003. Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections (2001) has nine points and, even though it was only published last year, 
Slushpile Hell is an anonymous blog written by a literary agent who reveals his responses to the hilarious covering letters that accompany submitted typescripts. Here are just a few examples: the opening line, 'Greetings agent. I have written the most important book on earth’ brought a no nonsense response, 'Will someone for the love of God please kill me’; 'My novel is a sumptuous feast of meticulously researched historical fact and superbly crafted fiction’ drew 'Burp’; 'Hi. Are you a visionary agent who wants to take the stagnant fiction literary marketplace to new heights?’ elicited 'No. Not really’; and the response to 'No one can put this manuscript down and not finish reading it’ was a pithy 'Just did.’
The rest of Mark Sanderson's column at The Telegraph.
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