17 Reasons Book Manuscripts are Rejected
These 17 reasons book manuscripts are rejected are from a panel of editors, literary agents, and publishers at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference in BC. I’ve also recorded some great writing tips and quips about the book publishing business from this discussion…
But first, a quip from a liteary agent about getting published:
“You don’t have to have an agent to get published,” says Janet Reid of Fine Print Literary Management. That may be true, Agent Reid, but representation sure greases the literary wheels!
If you’re seeking representation, you may find 2010 Guide to Literary Agents helpful (and don’t forget to read my 12 Steps to Finding a Literary Agent!). Okay, here are 17 reasons book manuscripts are rejected…
17 Reasons Book Manuscripts are Rejected
Julie Scheina (Little, Brown editor) and Haile Ephron (writer and book reviewer at the Boston Globe) joined Janet Reid for a 90 minute session about sending queries, editing manuscripts, and publishing books.
1. “The writer uses the phrase ‘fiction novel’,” says Reid. Misusing the English language is why she – and many editors, publishers, and agents - stop reading and reject manuscripts.
2. The manuscript doesn’t seem organic or authentic. “If you’re trying to follow a trend, you’ll lose your voice,” says Scheina. “If I feel like this is something I’ve already read, I’ll put it down.” (Read How to Write Authentically From Anne Lamott for tips on better writing).
3. The manuscript is too complicated. “If there are too many characters and I have to make a list to keep them straight, then I’ll put the book down,” says Ephron. Your manuscript will be rejected if it doesn’t flow or transition easily.
4. The book is boring. “If your opening paragraph is someone driving and sleeping, I’ll put it down,” says Reid. “Most writers need time to warm up – but I don’t want to read that. Make sure your story starts in the first sentence.” (Read Grabbing Your Read by the Throat for tips on writing introductions!)
5. The writer offers no reason to care about the character. “Why do I care?” asks Scheina. “Each character has to be unique and special, or I’ll want to close the book.” The first day of school, moving, or packing your boxes aren’t gripping leads. “Prologues are really boring most of the time,” she says.
6. The writer slips into a sliding point of view. “You get one point of view character per scene,” says Ephron. “Every scene should be narrated by one character in that scene.” Don’t shift the point of view. Stay with one specific character’s perspective throughout the scene.
7. The writer includes too many stock characters. Beautiful blonde bombshells, evil billionaires, and hookers with a heart of gold are all stock characters – and Reid is tired of them! Limp descriptions are also boring. “I want complex, nuanced characters,” she says.
8. The writer offers didactic messages. “Don’t send me fiction books that give moral messages, because neither kids nor adults will reason them,” says Scheina. “If you have a message, it shouldn’t be on the first page or in the first chapter.” She also says readers don’t want to be preached to; morals and messages should occur to the reader after they put the book down.
9. The writer keeps saying how great the book is. “When I don’t know what the book is about, I’ll stop reading your query,” says Reid. She urges writers to describe what your book is about, but don’t brag about how great it is.
10. The writing is too flowery. Ephron says that writers should show what the character is feeling through their physical behavior – not through phrases like “she whimpered morosely.” It’s the classic “Show, don’t tell” — and get rid of adverbs and adjectives, or your query letter will be deleted. (Read Tips for Improving Your Query Letters for help).
11. The writer sends illegible or handwritten queries. Make sure your queries are professional and easy to read. “When you’re sending an email query, include white spaces,” says Reid. “Don’t send big blocks of text in a query, because that’s hard to read. Remember, you have 15 seconds to catch my attention.” She suggests sending your query to several different people first, to make sure it emails properly.
12. The writer relies on cliches. “Show emotions in a stronger way than ‘butterflies in my stomach’”, advises Scheina.
13. The writer incorporates graphic violence, profanity, and explicit sex. “I feel as if a writer has to earn the right to go there with me,” says Ephron. “Develop your characters, show me you can write, before we go there.” She doesn’t necessarily reject those books, but she’ll want to stop reading if graphic violence happens right away.
14. The writer has an unpleasant tone and attitude. Reid says she gets a lot of queries from writers who don’t like agents, and those writers are often open about their dislike. She suggests not revealing that you dislike literary agents.
15. The writer’s pacing is off. “Don’t write your slow parts too slow, or your fast parts too fast,” says Ephron. If the pace of your novel is off, then your manuscript is more likely to be rejected.
16. The writer is a stalker. Don’t send agents, editors, or publishers anything that’s clever or cute. Reid wants to read queries and know about your book, so you don’t need to bribe her with your gifts. “And, don’t disrespect yourself in your query letter by saying ‘I know how busy you are,’ – you’re important and busy, too!”
17. The manuscript has an improper word count. “Make sure your word count is around 100,000,” says Reid. Manuscripts under 50,000 or over 200,000 words don’t meet the common industry standards – so aim for the general target of 100,000 words.
Publishing Tips From a Literary Agent and a Book Editor
Literary Agent Janet Reid on Query Letters: “You get 15 seconds of an editor or an agent’s time when you sent a query letter,” says Reid. “The hook for your novel has to grab my attention immediately, or I’ll immediately move on to the next one.” Reid gets 100 query letters a week; other agents in her office get 500 queries a week. Reid may request 4 partial manuscripts from those 100 query letters.
Reid rejects 99.2% of the queries that go through. “The default answer to query letters is no,” she says.
She also recommends querying every agent in the world – don’t just send your manuscript to your top five choices. “I say no to a lot of really good work for a variety of reasons,” says Reid. “Other agents may say yes.”
Little, Brown Book Editor Julie Scheina on Accepting Manuscripts
When I’m considering a book, Scheina asks:
- How does this fit with what I have on my list at Little Brown?
- How does it fit with what other editors have at Little Brown?
- Is this something I can fall in love with?
“As an editor, I have to work with the manuscript for years – and I have to sell it to senior editors and colleagues,” says Scheina. “Most of Little, Brown’s authors are already published through Little, Brown. About 25% are new authors.”
What are your thoughts or questions about these reasons book manuscripts are rejected?
For more tips on agent representation, read 6 Reasons Writers Need Literary Agents.
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Comment by Anonymous Guest on 25 October 2008:
Funny, but I’ve read published books out there that fit in most of these categories. There is a lot of egotistical opinion out there I see.
Comment by Desi on 3 July 2009:
While it is true that authors should be on their best behavior when approaching agents, agents should take the control-freak stick out of their backsides, as well. If they take a look around at what is happening to the publishing industry these days — they will be aware of the fact that the nature of the way work is being produced and distributed is beginning to change in a monumental way. Some fantastic authors are lousy at writing query letters. In fact, this is the first year that POD books outnumbered traditionally published books. And yes — while some argue that there are lots of bad POD books out there; there are lots of lousy, traditionalloy published books sitting on the 70% off shelves at bookstores; waiting to be returned to the distributor.
I would just say that agents should be as diligent as possible to see whether an author is a good investment — because you never know — in a few years, novels on kindle and cellphones could very well be the norm, rather than the supplement. SAVE A TREE! LOL
Comment by Laurie PK on 3 July 2009:
Thanks for your comments, Anonymous and Desi. I especially like the idea that talented, successful writers may not be the best at writing query letters. This is where an agent comes in handy! (provided the writer can hook an agent — because you need a strong query letter to hook an agent, too).
And, yes, agents might benefit from looking beyond the query letter (and certainly not mocking writers who try, which I seem to see alot of).
Laurie PK´s last blog ..5 Tips for Building a Strong Writers Network
Comment by Livia on 5 July 2009:
I’m surprised the point-of-view issue is presented as a hard and fast rule. I know it’s generally not good to switch point of views, but I’ve definitely read some novels that do that.
Livia´s last blog post ..Pillars of the Earth: an example of a prologue done well
Comment by Laurie PK on 6 July 2009:
I think this panel discussion was geared towards new writers, who may not be as adept at switching points of view effectively. It can be a wonderful literary techique if done well…and a reason manuscripts are rejected if done poorly!
And remember — there are few (if any) hard and fast rules when it comes to writing, editing, or getting published.
Laurie PK´s last blog post ..Making Old Blog Posts Popular – Without Rewriting Them
Comment by Gordon Smith on 7 July 2009:
I think that all of us should approach our writing with an agressive nature and we should strive to reach reviewers, editors, agents and publicists with great caution and respect.
If as a writer, I can’t recognize those very important people who through their work and experience set the stage for the publishing business and demostrate to them that I will respect them, their opinions and the demands of the trade, then perhaps my manuscripts are not worth reading afterall.
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Comment by Jessica Rosen on 12 July 2009:
This post caught my attention quickly. I confess that I reviewed my own novels in my mind and compared them to the list. It’s a terrific and informative article. I look forward to passing it along to others.
Jessica Rosen
Comment by Kristan on 13 July 2009:
Great, helpful list! I really appreciate it. And now I have to look a couple of the other lists y’all have done…
Kristan´s last blog post ..Postcard stories
Pingback by Dealing with rejections « Day By Day Writer on 13 July 2009:
[...] are some reasons why queries and/or manuscripts are rejected. The Adventurous Writer blog lists 17 reasons given by agent Janet Reid, editor Julie Scheina and reviewer Haile Ephron. Some are misuse of the [...]
Comment by Iain Broome - Write for Your Life on 14 July 2009:
This is a great list and one that every writer should read before they start sending their work to agents.
I spent hours days, weeks even, reading up on the submission process and preparing my covering letter, synopsis etc. It’s so important. The fifteen second thing is no exaggeration.
Iain Broome – Write for Your Life´s last blog post ..Why bloggers should perform their writing
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Comment by Catriona on 21 July 2009:
Thank you. What do you do when the only potential publisher keeps telling you, “I am going to read the msss. I want to read it. I just have not had time yet.” ? Give up?
Comment by Laurie PK on 21 July 2009:
No, no, no — don’t give up, Catriona! Wait.
I’ve been corresponding with a publisher for ONE YEAR…and the final thing is that they want 3 more sample chapters, based on a slightly different version of my book (See Jane Soar). Publishers are busy, editors are busy…we’re all busy!
Your potential publisher will read your manuscript in due time….just be patient, and expect it to take forever.
In the meantime, start a new book or try freelance writing or start a blog — do something to keep sharpening your writing skills!
Good luck, my friend. And, I look forward to hearing how it eventually goes!
Laurie
Laurie PK´s last blog post ..Tips for Choosing the Best WordPress Theme for Your Blog
Comment by Trevor Hampel on 21 July 2009:
An excellent article with many sensible suggestions. Following this list will give the writer a competitive edge.
Trevor Hampel´s last blog post ..Back into writing again
Pingback by I feel like a zombie… can I get published? • kristanhoffman.com on 23 July 2009:
[...] worth checking out are the 17 reasons book manuscripts are rejected and The Publishometer: How to tell whether a manuscript will be acquired. You’ll laugh, and [...]
Comment by A. Belay on 23 July 2009:
A real writer does not need your advice; you are preaching. Who gives you all this power? A real writer gives birth to a beautiful book which does not require boasting and empty literary agents.
Comment by Jane on 24 July 2009:
I agree with the (17) points elicited above. I’m a writing teacher and these are going to be important points to keep in mind. I am writing my first book.
My only question is how many words should a children’s book manuscript be! Surely we’re not talking 100,000 words!
Any responses? Suggestions as to the word count/length of a book for children? Here we’re also talking about a book for children anywhere from 6 to 15.
Comment by Tumblemoose on 24 July 2009:
@Jane
It’s kind of a difficult question to answer given the age range.
A six year old will probably be reading picture books which have a standard length of 32 pages. A 15 year old may read YA genre books that can have upwards of 300 pages.
In the spirit of your question, The first chapter books that a child, say 8 – 10, reads will probably be anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 words. Expect length to go up exponentially from there.
My experience from working in an elementary school library is that if the vocabulary level is right for the child, they don’t seem to care about length too much.
I hope this helps to answer your question, Jane.
Cheers
George
Tumblemoose´s last blog post ..Is content theft a bad thing?
Comment by Derek Thompson on 26 July 2009:
I enjoyed your comment, especially the term ‘real writer’. If there’s a single definition, I must have missed that briefing. Some writers write artistically, for the expression of their souls. Most of us, I suspect, write to get published. Agents are vital for that, in the main. The publishing industry is just that – an industry. Agents are professionals just as much as we writers are.
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Comment by Michael LaRocca on 11 July 2010:
Not only have I rejected novels for each of these 17 reasons at least once when I was an acquisitions editor…
…but now that I’m a freelance editor, when I see job postings on Elance or Guru that make such fundamental mistakes, I don’t bid. If the author doesn’t care about the writing, why should I?