Though they remain ever popular with readers, I sometimes wonder how the Brontës’ novels might have fared in today’s slush piles. Would their merits have been instantly recognised by editors? Or would the manuscripts have done the rounds, collecting helpful rejection letters…?

Dear Ms Brontë
We enjoyed your novel Jane Eyre. You write well and most of your characters are believable, but I’m afraid we found your plot relentlessly downbeat and depressing. Does Helen Burns really have to die? Does Rochester have to be blinded? A disfigured hero is not appealing and spoils your otherwise feel-good ending. We wondered whether superficial burns and a partial loss of sight would serve just as well?

We found Rochester himself problematic. He isn’t likeable, nor is he physically attractive. He’s wealthy (a point in his favour) but you fail to clarify whether or not Adèle is his illegitimate daughter. In short, he just isn’t hero material.

Sadly, Jane herself is not very appealing as a heroine. She’s feisty, but physically unattractive and rather prissy. There’s little for a female reader to identify with here. Something more upbeat is required for a romantic heroine. Readers might forgive Jane rejecting Rochester’s immoral proposal, but to reject St John Rivers as well makes her look priggish and ungrateful.

You might want to think about demoting Rochester to a sub-plot and upgrading Rivers to main hero, perhaps dropping the unappealing religious aspect of his character. No one loves a do-gooder! You could then dispense with your frankly unconvincing plot device of Jane hearing Rochester call to her after the fire. (We don’t think paranormal romance has a future.)

You write well and with passion, but Jane Eyre belongs to no clear genre and this would make it extremely difficult to market. Sorry not to be more encouraging, but these are difficult times and in a fiercely competitive field, a romantic novel has to have stand-out qualities to be commercially viable.

Thank you for letting us read your manuscript.

Yours sincerely
A N Editor

Linda Gillard’s novel Star Gazing was short-listed for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award in 2009. For more information visit her website at www.lindagillard.co.uk