I thought I Would Do It This Way

I know that over and over again, you have heard editors and agents say that, in the end, it all comes down to the story. We are evaluating you on the quality of the project you have sent to us. While this is entirely true, I do think that many of you are misinterpreting this idea. Even though we say it is the quality of the story, there are still "rules" to be followed. If you are someone thinking that you have free rein to do anything you want, you are missing the point. 

I see, over and over again, authors who simply do not follow the submission guidelines. This is not just for me, but I know of other editors and agents who have seen the same thing. We have these guidelines in place for a reason. This is how we process your story in a quick and efficient manner. Not following those guidelines demonstrate to us that you are someone who will likely not be able to follow our directions when it comes to editorial notes.

For example, I have seen people who simply embed into their email their first three chapters and full synopsis of their story. I get that some editors and agents say it is OK, but my guidelines say not to do that. 

I also see people who will simply send links to their personal websites or to their book on Amazon. They say they would rather do this instead. Sorry, again, this is going to get you a rejection. 

I have told many classes this when I am teaching at the college level. If you have to ask, "If I do it this way instead, is that OK?" You should immediately know the answer. NO!

Follow the guidelines. Don't try to do things YOUR way, and you may find yourself getting less rejections and maybe even a better chance of becoming published.