A Guaranteed Way To Get Rejected

Rejections are not easy to take as a writer. They are sometimes, as equally not easy for an editor or agent to write. As always, I want to take a quick moment and give you a quick suggestions to not get rejected. Or, if you want to get rejected, let me give you the easiest way to get that nasty-gram in your mail.

DON'T FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! 

That's right! If you don't follow the directions, whether it is submitting in a way not asked for, or submitting something we don't accept, you'll get that rejection letter! What's more, you will likely get that form letter that all of you complain about getting!

I spent this weekend answering submissions and I was amazed at the number of authors who clearly love rejection letters. Consider the following examples (beyond submitting something I do not acquire...I'll get to that in a moment:

• My submission form calls for a 250 word blurb about the novel and yet authors submit not just the full synopsis but several chapters.
• My submission guidelines say to only include a query letter and yet, author submit embedded in the email the entire novel
• My requested material states to submit a manuscript and synopsis as an attachment (with some additional items that I will not mention here) and people just embed all of the documents in one message.
• I clearly state what I represent and people email saying that they know this is not what I want but I should take on their project anyway.

Let's expand on that last one. Again, here is a reason for an automatic rejection eventually. I get several submissions a week, from the email link on my website of people saying they do not know what I acquire, or what I am asking for in a submissions. Umm, hellllooooo! You are emailing FROM MY WEBSITE! The information is there. Apparently reading skills might be a serious issue. 

I know some of you will say that the information is not available, but I hate to break it to you, the information is there. It might be because you are looking on some large list or databased and not going to the website for the information. I know that some of you will argue that you are trying to be helpful and save us the time so you want to give us more than we ask for. Again, this is not going to work because there is a reason for what we ask for and how we ask for it. 

Now I know that some of you are thinking that this is why you go to self-publishing. You believe this is all about "jumping through hoops" and agents being nothing more than "gate-keepers." Nope. This is a pretty basic thing that all businesses like to consider when they are looking at their employees. Can you follow directions or not?

Just something to think about on a Monday!