Q - Upmarket Crime (86k) - 6/18/2026
Full manuscript request from reader Susannah Godman - 6/25/2026

"""
Thank you for these chapters, which I much enjoyed. Please may we read the whole thing? Exclusively would be perfect (but not compulsory, just let me know and keep me posted) and in any event we will be as quick as we can.


I will remember it is Anna you want to see it.


All good wishes,

"""

Form rejection on 7/9/2026:

"""
I’m afraid the news from the office isn’t as good as it might be, and {TITLE} isn’t something for Anna and our colleagues. Please do see this as a sign of how few new clients we take on rather than a reflection on your writing, and I hope it will find a good, enthusiastic home now you can send it out more widely.


Thank you so much for letting us read the whole thing, and I hope you receive more helpful emails about this novel soon.


Good luck, and all my good wishes,

"""

I have found the entire querying process to be opaque in a demoralizing way.

Q - Historical Fiction 100k
6th July

Very kind, generous personal rejection.

Q: 01/29/26
Nudged on April 1st (8 weeks, as per submission guidelines).
R from “reader” Susannah Godman 04/06/26.
Upmarket crime thriller, 88k.

Anyone else getting a "message blocked" bounceback for this agency's submissions inbox when trying to query from a gmail account? "550 permanent failure for one or more recipients (submissions@lutyensrubinstein.co.uk:blocked)"