Earth tremors in the vicinity of Winchester Cathedral

[oursin]

Would Jane Austen be able to find a publisher and an agent today? A cheeky experiment by an Austen enthusiast suggests not.

'18 of the UK's biggest publishers and agents' failed to recognise extremely lightly disguised chapters and synopses of Northanger Abbey, Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice, submitted as work by a new author, and universally rejected the manuscripts. Only one noticed the extreme similarities to P&P of the proposal for First Impressions.

Editors, agents, etc, then fall over themselves making excuses.

I think Jane herself is chuckling gently over this.