#314 The Dog Days of Summer with Dominic Wakeford

This week, we're running a takeover in collaboration with Reedsy freelancer Dominic Wakeford! The winner of this contest will not only be awarded $250 — they’ll also receive a special bonus prize: personal feedback from Dominic himself. For your chance to get insight from one of Reedsy’s very own professionals, read on! Here's Dominic:

Hello, writers! I'm Dominic Wakeford — an editor with over 15 years of experience in both trade publishing and freelance work. Having worked as a commissioning editor at Hachette and HarperCollins in the first chapter of my career, my main focus now is collaborating directly with authors to unlock the potential in their books. I help their writing reach the readers it deserves, and offer a roadmap to navigate the knotty world of book publishing.

Here we are (in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway) in the “dog days of summer.” The description, which I’ve always liked, dates back to the ancient Romans — Sirius, the Dog Star and the brightest in the night sky, would rise just before the Sun in July. This would mark the beginning of the hottest days of the year.

The Romans named this period dies caniculares, or “days of the Dog Star,” which eventually became “dog days.” For me, this phrase evokes that wonderful lethargy of drifting around the house on a warm day, ideally settling in for a nap at some point (!), and I’ve taken it as inspiration for my prompts below.

Special Update: The Results 🏆

Dominic's top pick for his takeover was "An Afterlife Denied" by James Scott. Here's what he had to say about it: "I was so taken with the author's evocative sensory description – I could feel the heat of the desert and the ‘oppressive sun’ beating down on me while reading. The relationship between the god-figure and Moses is complex without being unyielding, and their dialogue crackles with a wonderful dramatic intensity – and the contrast between what tantalising glimpses we get of Anubis’s inner life, and how he presents himself externally, is fascinating."

Congratulations to contest winner James Scott and the runners-up, Calum Mathison and VJ Hamilton!