5 Tips To Help Get Your Manuscript Published
Top Mistakes Writers Make And How To Avoid Them
Mar 10, 2009
Although there are a multitude of reasons as to why a manuscript may be rejected, everything from the editor having a bad day to an overabundance of a particular type of book, here are the top five reasons an author may never make it into print.
Read The Guidelines!
Be certain of what the publisher is looking for and how to submit it. If a publisher specializes in historical romances, don't send in your paranormal novel, no matter how good it is. If your book has over 100,000 words, but they take only shorter works, send your story elsewhere. If they require submissions through agents only and you don't have one, move on. There are plenty of publishers out there and you're sure to find a fit for your story.
Hook The Reader With a Great Beginning
The "real" story often begins several pages or even a full chapter after the author has "set things up." Start off with that bang! Take a look at the first part of your story. Where does it start getting good? Start there! Put your character right in the middle of conflict and you've hooked the reader. Weave in bits of background later. Be sure to pace your story as well. You don't have to keep your characters in a constant state of stress. Give the reader time to catch their breath, but don't let things drag too long. Think of a story as a roller coaster ride with hills, valleys, twists and turns.
Avoid Too Much Detail and Narrative
This is another big problem many authors are guilty of, especially when first starting out. Be sure to break up narrative passages with action and dialogue. Don't let the characters be inside their heads for too long or everything just stops. It's true that your characters have an internal life and had a life before the story began, but it's best to weave in details here and there instead of boring the reader with long passages.
When giving background details, only include what's important at that moment. When a character enters a room, what does he/she first see? What's important or what sticks out? Describing a room or scene down to the last speck of dust has the reader turning pages to get to the action again. When we view rooms, scenery and people in reality, we don't make a mental note of every detail. We choose a few things that stand out to us.
Stay Away From Timeworn Plots
While it’s true that there are only 20 basic plots, use your voice and your ideas to breathe new life into them. Give your characters something they want desperately but can't have at the moment. How will they get what they want? Who or what stands in the way? How will your character get around it or through it? Editors and readers want characters with strong personalities, not wishy-washy wimps. And they want stories that have something new to say. Just because there are thousands, if not millions, of vampire novels out there, with your ideas and your voice you can add a uniqueness to it that makes it brand new.
Here’s a good method to move the story and plot along. Ask yourself lots of questions and answer them. "What if a woman was lost in the middle of the jungle? How did she get there? Who is she? What is she after? Who's there with her? How will she get out?" By starting out with simple questions, you can generate a wealth of ideas for a novel!
Always Read!
Read what's being written out there in the world. Read for pleasure, but also read to learn. Whatever genre you're interested in writing, read as many books as you can that are in this line, especially if you enjoy the author's writing style. These people are in print and there's no reason you can't be too. As you read, make mental or physical notes of the characters, the pacing, the background details.
What do you like? What could be better? Use a highlighter as you read a book. If there's a good line of dialogue, something that piques your interest, a good lesson in writing in detail, flashbacks, conflict, or love scenes then highlight it!
Although these tips won't keep you out of the rejection pile every time, by following them you have a much better chance at signing a contract and getting into print.
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