10 reasons why publishers reject your manuscript

One of the worst drinks a writer has to go through is being dismissed , or worse, ignored by the publishers to which they send their work. Little by little we get used to it, but the truth is that it is difficult to accept rejection when one has invested so much time and effort in writing. Reasons for manuscript rejection

We are going to analyze the reasons why publishers reject manuscripts (even if they don’t tell us).

1. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

A very common mistake that writers make is to send their manuscript even if the publisher does not accept, “in case the flute sounds.” But if it clearly states that they don’t accept manuscripts, sending it is a waste of time , because they won’t even open it. Reasons for manuscript rejection

* If the web does not put anything, it is best to call the publisher and ask. It takes a minute!

2. It does not enter the editorial line.

This reason seems like a cheap excuse not to publish, but it is not always the case. A poetry publishing house is not going to publish a novel, or a juvenile publishing house is not going to publish a children’s book. Other times the line is much finer than that.

On the other hand, the editorial line is, in essence, what the editor likes . So this is also a fancy way of saying that they haven’t been interested enough in your manuscript. Or would you prefer that they say directly: “We don’t like your novel“? Reasons for manuscript rejection

3. Spelling mistakes.

Before making any submission, make sure that you have not missed a mistake, much less a misspelling. They are normal during a writing process, but they can become a real publisher scare .

4. Document with an awkward format to read.

The “Freestyle Script” font may be beautiful, but it’s not worth it. The document should be sent in a basic and legible font (Times New Roman is perfect), with standard size margins and generous spacing that gives a clean feeling to facilitate the reader’s work. And of course, always in PDF!

5. The email is blank.

It is not advisable to write large paragraphs in the emails to the publishers, but neither to leave it blank with the attached novel. For politeness, at the very least say hello and introduce yourself and your work. It also doesn’t hurt to make a comment about the publisher.

6. You have only sent to large publishers.

If you have dedicated yourself to writing to Planeta, Alfaguara and Anagrama, the chances that they will pay attention to your work are… let’s say very low. Better spend time researching independent publishers , and when you think you have a long list, keep looking! There are very small publishers that rely on little-known authors, you just have to dig into the net. Reasons for manuscript rejection

7. There is no data on the author.

Most editors attach great importance to the figure of the author. Ideally, you have already published before, but even if you have not, you should include a brief presentation with your literary resume : what you have written, reference authors, awards obtained (if there are many, make a selection of the most important) , etc.

8. The work does not have the appropriate length.

The number of pages is more important than it seems when publishing a book. 90 pages does not make a well-assembled book, and 600 is a lot of printing expense. eye! A DIN A4 Word page is not the same as an A5 layout page. Reasons for manuscript rejection

* In another post we will talk about how much you have to add to your Word pages to know the number of layout pages.

9. The work is not complete.

Some publishers ask you to send them some chapters, but others need the complete work to evaluate you. If they do not specify anything on the website, send it in full . Don’t worry, they won’t steal your idea.

10. They only accept paper manuscripts (or vice versa).

Nowadays the most normal thing is that the works are evaluated in digital , since the paper occupies a space that not all the publishers have, and also the PDFs offer a great variety of correction tools. Either way, sometimes they only accept paper, so first, as always, be sure. Reasons for manuscript rejection

CONCLUSION

The key is to be very well informed about the type of works that the publisher publishes and how they want to receive the manuscripts. Write an email full of motivation and that reflects that you have researched the publisher well. It is hard work but it is worth it to focus our forces and save ourselves trouble. Reasons for manuscript rejection