You Can't Force Your Story Into Something It Is Not

Over the last several days of reading submissions, I have seen a huge trend from authors. In simple terms, they were submitting projects to me, claiming the project is one thing, when in reality it is something else. At Greyhaus Literary Agency, I only accept romance and women's fiction. Yes, there are the subgenres within each, but in the end, if it is not a romance or a women's fiction, I do not acquire it. But here is the problem.

Authors are submitting stories, for example, a historical fiction novel, and claiming it as a romance. They are submitting contemporary stories that are again, nothing to do with romance or women's fiction, and yet claiming it as a contemporary romance. I should note, many of these are coming from the form I provide authors if they wish to skip on writing a quality query letter. On this form, there are buttons you have to click to claim what genre you are submitting. So, if someone has a suspense novel with no romance, they are just clicking romantic suspense.

Now, I do understand when someone doesn't truly understand their genres. A good example are authors (often men) who submit stories that are set in a romantic setting and claiming it as a romance. Or authors submitting a memoir about their fantastic relationship that was truly romantic. Obviously, not romances but a memoir or straight up fiction. 

The problem lies with authors attempting to get anyone to read their stories and mislabeling the story just to get it in front of an editor or agent. 

The information is very clear out there on the submission guidelines of editors and agents. If your story is not what they acquire, quit submitting it. That is time you will not get back again, and, in the end, you will still get that rejection letter. I would also add that if you are submitting to someone like me who keeps records of all submissions, when you submit and I type your name in the database, your name pops up as a previous submission. When I go back and see why I passed on your previous submission and see that you tried to do this in the past, the odds are I will be passing again.