Pet Peeves and Story Ideas I Just Don't Like

Let me first of all say that I am pretty open to a lot of project. There are, however, projects that will always have a harder time getting me to want to read simply because these are storylines or approaches that I just don't like. I figure, every now and then, it is good to give you an insight into what is running through my mind.

Please note, this list is not in any particular order.

• Stories about bands and the girls who fall for them. Personally, I think these stories tend to be a bit cheesy and most of the time, I just see immature heroes and heroines who could probably do a lot better.
• The heroine moves to a small town to open a bakery after giving up a 6 figure career in the corporate world. I get that authors are trying to create a conflict here of trying to figure out this new career, but it becomes pretty unbelievable that someone would dive into a business with no backing.
• A Character must live in a home with another character for a year to get the money Ummm, isn't this nothing more than a knock off of Brewster's Million's? This is a pretty forced way to get the hero and heroine together.
• Psychic stories Sorry but this always comes across as a way to solve problems without having to really work at it. 
• Students falling for professors. I don't care if we are talking about grad students here, this is simply not going to work. I have been in education since 1989 and if an instructor, at any level did this, he or she would be fired. 
• The cop falling for the heroine who is either a victim or a suspect Again, this is one of those cases where the job is going to "pull rank." If there is a personal relationship going on, guess? That will jeopardize the case if and when it makes it to court.
• A divorce after the heroine finds out the husband was A) having and affair; and B) is gay. Look forget the prior marriage and just start the relationship.

Now, here are some submission things that really get me fired up.

• Embedding your full story and/or synopsis in the email even though I say not to.
• Telling me to go look at your website instead of putting it in the query letter. 
• Telling me you are an amazingly popular author and yet, when we pull up your information on Amazon, you are a self-pub only selling to friends. Sorry, but 100 books is not a best seller. 
• Submitting a project that is not what I acquire and then telling me I should think outside of the box. 
• Authors who are university professors, doctors, lawyers or other professionals who should know how to research sending me projects simply because they saw my name somewhere.
• People who email me from my website asking what I am acquiring or what they want me to send.
• Proclaiming that major movie producers or publishers have your project and it is "under consideration" when all you did was send it as a slush pile submission.
• Emailing me after a rejection telling me I need to reconsider the novel even though I said it was not something I wanted. 
• Swearing in your submission letter 

I think that should float you for a while.