8th January 1996
Dear Sean Copland
Thank you very much for sending us your book proposal. We are sorry to say that it is not suitable for Verso. Please forgive this standard letter: The quality of proposals we receive makes it impossible for us to write individual replies, even though we appreciate how frustrating this can be for authors.
You should bear in mind that Verso is a relatively specialised house, publishing for both the British and North American markets, and often has to turn down proposals for reasons which do not reflect our estimate of their overall intellectual merits. In particular, we frequently receive proposals for books that might be perfectly suitable for a large, general academic house but do not fit our current programme.
It is always important to look at our catalogue before making submissions - if you would like to receive a copy of this, please let us know.
Please note that we are not able to return manuscripts or other material unless return postage has been provided. If you have not provided this, please contact our office on receipt of this letter to arrange collection.
Best wishes,
pp. Malcolm Imrie
Commissioning Editor