Don't Rush With Submissions

Every now and then I have an author that apparently has been working really hard with his or her writing. They have a ton of books to submit (which is always good) and the submissions start piling up in my email inbox. Now, while this author may be attempting to demonstrate that he or she is persistant and is ready to go, the rushing might be hurting more than helping.

I should say that what I am about to say is all dependent on the agent or editor actually sending you a rejection letter with reasons for the rejection. If you have submitted to an agent that uses the whole no answer is an answer approach, or the reason is that it just didn't connect with the agent personally, then there isn't much you can do.

If, however, you have received a comment about your story and why the agent or editor passed on it, then you need to take some time. Consider this a HUGE blessing in disguise and think of it less or a rejection and more as a revision letter. You have just been given a golden key to examine your other works before submitting again.

When I have someone who submits to me multiple times, their name will always pop up in my database. I do go back and see when the person submitted, what they submitted and why I might have rejected that author for the other manuscript. If it was something such as character development, or the plot having holes in it, then I go into reviewing this new project with that in mind. I want to see if that person has figured out the problem and made an effort to fix those mistakes in the new story.

This is one of the things agents and editors really look for in an author. Sure the writing and story has to be good, but we also want to see if the author can take feedback and do something with it in the story. The thought of having to go back time and time again to fix something in multiple revisions really takes up a lot of time and energy. We want to see you make those changes on the first go around.

This idea also works if you want to submit multiple projects in a single query. Again, yes, this tells us that you have other things but now you have lost out on the chance for those revisions. You want that second chance and taking the time before firing off a new project may be just what you need to succeed.