@HedgeMage: The "slush pile" is the stack of unsolicited, unagented manuscripts (generally by authors with few existing publication credits), particularly at magazines. Slush readers are the ones who do the initial sifting of these ms's, so the editors don't need to wade through all the slush.
My only publication so far resulted from the publisher approaching me and asking me to write something -- so I'm completely unfamiliar with the submission/selection process.
@justkt I know of a couple published authors, a professional editor (who is also a published author), and so on, but just being published doesn't make one an expert. I'm published -- by a major publishing house even -- but I am nowhere near an expert...
In general, my core competencies lie far outside being a writer -- I can blow people away on the technical stuff: typesetting (if it's over my head it's fodder for TeX.SE), digital publishing, DRM (only idiots use it, but I do know the tech behind it anyway), digital distribution, that sort of thing.
There are times when someone who's "done that" can help -- like if one is trying to configure Xorg for the first time -- and there are times one needs the aid of someone with real experience -- like if one is trying to configure a kernel manually for the first time. One is a simple process, the other involves a myriad of options that are best navigated by someone who has worked with many of them over time, not someone who managed to do it successfully once.
Writing for publication is more like a kernel -- there are so many variables that what someone who's done it once may think of as "the way it works" may be a fluke or an experiment. That freshman writer's single experience doesn't invalidate his opinion, but he will be off-base sometimes and that's why we really need experienced hands around here.
Like I said -- listen to someone like Terry Pratchett talk about writing -- it's far different than how I'll talk about it. He's got experience. I'm just somebody who got published.
@Standback I ran into him at an event a friend dragged me to a few years back. It made for a far more interesting dinner than I'd expected!
I don't know him personally or anything... just met him that once. It was a dinner to remember, though. I know he's pretty niche (though I love his writing) but he really should talk about writing more. I prefer listening to him than the many bigger names who take themselves and their craft way too seriously. I can imagine being in Pratchett's shoes and still having a ball every time I write -- not so much with most of those I hear talk about it.
The Overlook Hotel
The Overlook Hotel