Don't Be A Lazy Writer

While there are certainly a lot of benefits of living in a digital age, we are unfortunately, becoming extremely lazy. More and more, I am finding authors who are looking for every shortcut possible to get their books to editors and agents. One, in particular, is the use of these "clearinghouse" websites that proclaim to have made your search for editors and agents easier with one stop shopping.

You have all seen these sites. The publishers claim they have consolidated all  of the key information about these editors and agents. Just click on their emails they have embedded in the information and you are off and running.This is lazy, and frankly, just plain stupid. If you are doing something like this, you are not doing your research, and the odds are, you are receiving a lot of rejection letters.

I don't know how many submissions I receive on a weekly basis from authors who clearly had not done their research. They claim they are very excited to present their latest story to me that is exactly what I am looking for. They talk about all of their knowledge of my expertise in their field. Time and time again, the story is in a genre I do not represent, or worse yet, (which is what is happening now), are submitting projects when I am closed to submissions. 

Let me now say, at some level, there is nothing wrong with these sites AS A STARTING POINT! Once you have a name, then it is up to you to do your work. Go and visit the site.

This is where you can find out all about the editors, the agents, their submission guidelines, and their approaches to the business. Make sure that your story really is a good fit. Make sure this is a company you really want to work with on your writing career.

You might be shocked that your career might take off if you start doing things the right way!