Know What Editors and Agents Are Not Fans Of

Sure, we tell you to look for what the editors and agents want, but what about the things they are not fans of? This is something so many authors miss. Sure, finding the #MSWL is easy. We're all posting "Hey, I would so love to see a story about Alien Vampire Bunnies (If you have followed me in the past, you know what I am talking about)." But yes, there are a lot of projects and concepts that many of us just do not like, or will be a tough sell with us.

Now, don't get me wrong. Will we always pass on these projects? Absolutely not. In today's tough market, we are desperate to find anything really good and amazing. We are always looking despite what many of you think. But if you pitch one of those stories that we are not a fan of, it better be something that blows our socks off and brings us something that is TOTALLY AMAZING!

So, with that said, you are now going to ask, what are those projects you aren't a fan of Scott?

OK, here is the list, and just to let you know, I have done this list before, but apparently many people choose to ignore it.

• ROAD TRIP WOMEN'S FICTION - Sorry to say this, but these are episodic. The premise is always the same. Main character is frustrated with her home life (most likely divorced) and is out to "find herself". Off she goes and along the say stops at random places to "experience things" and theoretically figures herself out. Been there and done that. Oh, and then there is the twist of throw in the random hot guy on the trip so she can have a great night of sex that makes her feel young again.
• BAND ROADIE STORIES - Do not tell me this is just like Daisy Jones and the Six. These stories frequently fall into the same trope. She's a groupie (or reporter) and the rock star/country singer has issues and she is going to fix all of his problems and they fall in love. Of course there is also the twist of the fact that they knew each other in high school or college. Ugh. Not a fan.
• Duel POV - I don't know what it is about all of you thinking this is something new. Romances have been doing this for some time now. The only difference is that they didn't label the chapter by the character's name. My other problem with these stories is that these often become repetitive. We just saw the scene from one POV and then we now get to repeat it from the other person's POV. 
• First Person - I know, some of you love this, but I know why you like to write it. You only hear dialogue in your head. The problem I have with many (actually most) first person stories is the lack of depth. These stories often don't have the world building and plot development because the characters are simply not going to focus on it. I always use this as an example. If you come into your house after a long day of work, do you look around and take in the scene and admire the family pictures on the wall? No, you walk to the kitchen, dump the mail, open the fridge and figure out what you are going to cook for dinner. The world around you is taken for granted. But for the reader, they haven't been there and they are missing out.
• Women's fiction stories with too much baggage - These are stories where EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING bad has to happen to the person. It is as if the author feels that this is the only way we can build the drama. The comment found most often in my database of submissions for women's fiction submissions would be TOO MUCH!
• Time Travels that are really Historicals - Look, if you want it to be a time travel, then the time travel has to be INTEGRAL to the story. If you just send a person back in time and that is it, then just write a dang historical.

I think that should do it for now.