The Reason Why Your Manuscript Submission Keeps Getting Rejected

by Wendy Dean, Publisher/Editor at The Omnibus Publishing

SUBMISSION ISSUES

I​ spend a great many hours of my time reading query letters and manuscript submissions. It’s my job and I love it! I would love it even more if more authors would pay attention to the details when submitting their manuscripts. Make me want your work. Remember, you are asking for an Acquisition Editor’s time in a sea of writers asking for the same. Here’s how to jump-start your submissions in 2023.

P​lease stop sending in your unedited manuscripts. We can spot a spellcheck user a mile away and on the first page of whatever you’ve submitted. That paragraph full of run-on sentences? Yes, we see it. Using more AI than imagination? We are adjusting and using tools to catch that too. Get through your self-editing stage, then hire a professional editor. Preferably one with experience in your genre.

Follow the submission guidelines. I once had an author tell me it was too much trouble for him to go back and reformat the manuscript, submitting it anyway. For anyone who feels this way let me assure you that your work won’t get a second look. His statement told me two things:

• He wasn’t willing to put in the work for his own submission, how could I count on him to do his part in marketing/sales?

• He didn’t care. This would likely be reflected in how the manuscript would read.

The submission guidelines are a crucial piece. Here, we employ a person specifically to look at whether or not your work meets several criteria. A gatekeeper if you will. If you can’t get past her, the manuscript never reaches the desk of an Acquisitions Editor for consideration.

K​now your publisher. Does this publishing house produce your genre? Do they work directly with authors or only with agents? Do they accept unsolicited manuscripts? It’s the author’s job to perform their due diligence in these areas.

Y​our cover letter is weak. Most authors are surprised to learn that the cover letter is as important as the submitted work. Style and ability are reflected here, giving the reviewer a peek at what to expect. It is the ‘face’ of the author. If not on point, the manuscript will likely go unread.

U​nrealistic Expectations. When a publisher takes on a book, it represents a risk. If your book sells, your publisher will love you. If not, the publisher will move on to the next writer because, as one editor discussed with me, books “have the shelf life of a tomato.” We move on because we have to in order to stay alive. Remember, just because the book is available, doesn’t mean it will sell millions of copies, despite everyone’s best efforts. Read below about book sales data and be sure to read the comment section!

All that said, did you know that William Golding’s, “Lord of the Flies,” was rejected 20 times before becoming published? Joseph Heller’s, “Catch-22,” was rejected, well, 22 times.

Other Reasons: In any given year, most book retailers and libraries decline to stock a large majority of the books that are published in that year. There are many reasons why a well-written book may be turned down. Sometimes it’s due to a perceived limited market, but unfortunately, and far too often, it’s due to common missteps. Any one of these missteps is reason enough for a title to be passed on rather than purchased by a publisher.

In no particular order, here are more common reasons why a book might not be accepted:

• The title’s category is extremely competitive and only those titles with big-name authors or high-profile publicity campaigns are considered. Even though a book may be unique, shelf space is limited, and only those books with the greatest chance of selling are stocked.

• The author has no clear credentials for writing a book on the topic. For example, a book in the child care category needs an author or coauthor with some nationally recognized academic or professional training rather than someone who wants to pass along their experience as a successful parent.

• The book’s immediate consumer appeal in a retail environment is overestimated. A book may make sense to be sold following the author’s hour-long speaking engagement, but may not be impressive enough to be picked up off the shelf without someone having heard the author speak.

• While it may be a good book, it does not stand out as more salable among the books that are already on the shelf.

• Book awards that carry no weight in the marketplace are touted on the cover. Second-rate book awards mean nothing to consumers and work against publishers in the trade. They indicate a lack of sophistication in the industry. Buyers then assume that lack of sophistication extends to editing, promotion, etc.

• Fiction is a tough sell. A good book from an author with limited credentials and no big plans for promotion is very difficult to sell to our customers. Children’s picture books fall into this category.

• Poetry may be the only thing tougher to sell than fiction from a first-time author. These writers do well to start in anthologies and other sites that promote poetry. This is a highly competitive category where the writing needs to be perfect because you are competing with perfect.

Need advice? Contact us. We’re here to help.