6 Reasons Editors Will Reject You - Rita Karnopp

There are many bloggers I follow... one that I love is Chuck Sambuchino. When there is an article or guest I find most interesting . . . or one I have learned something from ~ I want to share it with all my writer friends.  This article is one of those ~ it bares sharing. I hope you enjoy the 6 reasons editors will reject you.   "WritersDigest.com » Chuck Sambuchino’s Guide to Literary Agents Blog"



Before I wrote my first novel, The Expats, I spent nearly two decades at various arms of publishing houses such as Random House, Workman, and HarperCollins, mostly as an acquisitions editor. But a more accurate title for that job might be rejection editor: while I acquired maybe a dozen projects per year, I’d reject hundreds upon hundreds. And while it may not be possible to pinpoint what exactly makes for a great manuscript or submission, it’s pretty easy to identify some of the avoidable mistakes that can virtually guarantee your project will get relegated to the circular file. See these mistakes below…


Guest column by author Chris Pavone, author of the buzzed-about novel, The Expats (March 6, 2012, Crown). The thriller debut received starred reviews from Booklist, as well as Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, meticulously plotted, psychologically complex spy thriller.


1. LAME START ~ Whatever’s good about your book should be good on page 1, or very few editors are going to get to page 2. If you can’t figure out how to make the beginning of your book compelling, you’re probably not writing a compelling book.


2. ERRORS OF IGNORANCE ~ Although no one loves a typo, it’s close to impossible to eradicate every single little mistake in a manuscript. Typos are usually forgivable (except in a query letter). But what’s not really forgivable is using words or phrases whose meanings you obviously don’t understand.


3. OVERLY LONG PROPOSALS AND MANUSCRIPTS ~ Editors read tens of thousands of pages of submissions per year, in their spare time. On weekends, at night in bed, on vacation. If you think any one of them wants to read a 90-page book proposal, you’re out of your mind. Whatever you need to say in a book proposal, say it in less than 30 minutes of reading time. I honestly can’t remember ever rejecting a single proposal for being too short (and I acquired a few books whose proposals were 0 pages long). Say what needs to be said, not more.


As for fully written manuscripts: an editor once confided to me that she refuses to read manuscripts that are longer than 400 pages. None. Automatic reject. And although her stance is the exception, she might be the exception who would acquire your novel if you could trim 150 pages of flab.


4. MARKETING, PUBLICITY & SALES IDEAS ~ Many writers feel compelled to include a section of business-oriented ideas in their pitches or proposals. “My book should be merchandised in the front of the store, in a stack next to the register.” “Window displays would be a natural fit.” “The Today show and The View are perfect publicity venues for this book.” “You know Restoration Hardware? Or Starbucks? They should put my book on their coffee tables.” These are not helpful, actionable suggestions. They’re insults to everyone who spends their professional lives making and selling books.


5. COVER & INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS ~ If you managed to procure a try-out to pitch for the New York Yankees, would you show up to the stadium and present the scouts with a redesigned uniform (“Pinstripes are so 1977!”), and a proposal to move from the Bronx to Coeur d’Alene? Of course not. Shut up and throw your best fastball.


6. THE HARD SELL ~ Editors are hoping—they’re desperate—to love it. Every time they pick up a new project, what’s in the front of their minds is, “I hope I love this.” It’s their jobs to find something new to love, and their careers are doomed if they can’t. But here’s a type of thought that never, ever pops into an editor’s head: “Oh, well, Joe Schmo says right here in his query letter that his debut novel An Incredibly Great Book is unputdownable and that he’s the next John Grisham, so we should probably just write the eight-figure check now, before he signs with Amazon.” Don’t tell editors how great your book is. Just make it great.

Ginger's Six Sentence Sunday

I missed last week because of hospitalization and illness, and although I still can't promise to visit many sites, I don't want to miss the fun of being part of this group.  Although I've stopped working on Chugiak Moon in favor of Sarah's Passion, I'll still share six from my Alaskan Historical with you today, but be warned...next week, I'll most likely be switching gears yet again since I need to get this sequel finished and to my publisher. I'm facing surgery in the near future, so I should have plenty of time to write.  Not the most ideal of situations, but...  There just aren't enough hours in the day, especially when chronic fatigue has a hold on me and I nap frequently.  :)  Anyhow...here is my six for today:

Her [Nasnani's] thoughts drifted to her closest companion, Nailoni, and the good times they shared.  This year, as a first, their families had migrated in different directions to follow game trails, and Nasnani hungered for the company of her dear friend.  Were her hand's as blistered and sore? Did she find time to think of the distance between them?  More importantly, would Nailoni be the first to find a mate?  The competitive thought tightened Nasnani's jaw despite how deeply she cared for the other young woman.

Make sure to head back to Six Sentence Sunday and follow the links to more offerings.  It's a fun way to spend your time.

Yay or Nay? Sarah's Passion, my WIP!

I'm excited about Sarah's Passion...a book I really hadn't planned on writing quite so soon, but to appease a few review commenters, I've working hard to continue the saga between Wolf and Sarah, a couple who got acquainted and bid farewell in the old west, but have now, at least from Sarah's POV, reacquainted in modern day Manhattan.  I can't wait to see if Sarah can recapture the love she cherished in the 1800s or if she's going to lose Wolf again, but this time because of entirely diffierent circumstances.

Today, I'd like to share an excerpt from this WIP and get your take.  Remember, this is the first draft and you're the first to see it:

EXCERPT:

After wiping down the counter and table, [Sarah] she put away the candelabras, then sat on the sofa to pull on her socks. With one knee bent and an anklet half on, Sarah clearly envisioned the smiling and matronly face of Maggie Smith. In the night vision, the woman had been the only person in Independence to befriend Wolf and overlook his red blood. She’d also taken Sarah in, helped her find a teaching job, and stood by her when the rest of the town had a ‘hissy’ fit over a young Indian boy enrolled in class. Every memory rolled through Sarah’s mind as though it all had happened yesterday…a motion picture that replayed each detail vividly. Somehow she’d have to find a way to bring up Maggie’s name and see if it brought a reaction from Wolf. Looking in the phone book wouldn’t help. Smith was the most common last name ever, and who knew where she lived…or if she lived, ever.

Sarah put on her other sock, donned her tennis shoes, and then, in the kitchen, pulled the bulging garbage bag from the can. The smell of last night’s chicken mingled with the smell from the candles until she tied the plastic into a knot. Opening the door, she headed for the dumpster, only to run into another neighbor, Peg Scott, armed with own refuse and headed in the same direction.

Her streaked hair perfectly coiffed and her flawless make-up already on made Sarah feel inferior. Of course, Peg never went anywhere without looking like a runway model. In contrast to Sarah’s dowdy gray sweats, Peg’s running suit matched the bright blue strip in her jogging shoes. She flicked her long hair back over one shoulder with her free hand. “Have you had a chance to get a gander of our new neighbor? Hubba Hubba. What a hunk.”

A leaden knot formed in Sarah’s stomach.

“No,” she responded casually with a shrug, the lie rolling off her tongue with ease. “What’s so great about him?”

“Oh, girl. He’s yummm-me. Dark hair and complexion, broad shoulders, narrow hips, and arms that I’d do anything to have wrapped around me.” Peg’s eyes took on a dreamy haze.

Jealousy gnawed at Sarah. That proverbial green-eyed devil she’d always heard about turned red and perched on her shoulder, whispering in her ear that Wolf belonged to her. Fighting the urge to swing her trash bag around and bash Peg in her pretty made up face, she tamped down her feelings. Clearly Peg had no idea her target had already been a guest in Sarah’s apartment. She forced a smile. “Hmmm, have you met him yet?”

Peg gave another flip of her hair. “No, but I fully intend to find a way to introduce myself. He’s sexy with a capital "s"."

At the dumpster, Sarah loosened her fisted hands to stop her nails from biting into her palms and hefted her trash over the edge, her mind working a mile a minute. She had to get back to her apartment and find a way to distract Wolf for the day. If Peg got her clutches into him, Sarah might never get the chance to renew what they once felt…what she believed they felt. “I gotta rush, Peg. Nice seeing you, but I have some important errands to tend to. Catch you later.” Spinning on her heel, Sarah rushed back inside the building and down the hallway to her first floor apartment. She ignored the little voice in her mind that questioned her sanity.

* * *

Standing in the bathroom, Sarah stared into the mirror while she applied her make-up and styled her hair. Was the dream just that--a silly dream? If only she knew how to approach someone and ask the zillion questions whirling around in her brain. Why in the world would she conjure up a time when she was a pioneer woman on her way to California? Did she even have the courage to try and save another human being as she had Molly? Was all this a previous life? Experts claimed dreams meant something, but damned if this wasn’t the most confusing she’d ever had.

An image of Peg’s smiling face blurred Sarah’s own reflection, reminding her she had to hurry. A plan formed in her head as she shouldered her purse and closed her locked door behind her.

She stood at Molly and Wolf’s door, her palms sweating, and her breath halted. So far, no sign of Peg, but maybe she’d already been there. Sarah could only hope not. The woman was as annoying as a wart.

With a deep inhalation, she raised her hand and knocked, taking a final moment to straighten the tail of her silk blouse and run a pinch down the crease in her black dress slacks.

***

I can't wait to get back to it.   The great think about being a pantser is you never know where the story is headed until you get there.  I can't wait to see how Sarah handles Peg.  How about you?