Pissing off Editors

I had the opportunity to attend a great workshop today at my local RWA. It was given by Rita winner Linnea Sinclair. She presented information she discovered by interviewing several editors and agents about how to make sure your manuscript never sees the light of day. (Not something we want, eh?)

She also shared with us the typical day for a slush pile reader. I want my manuscripts to stay out of there at all costs! One slush pile reader shared that she worked in a room lined wall to wall, floor to ceiling with manuscripts. She was expected to go through a five foot stack everyday. If the submission held her interest all the way through (first few chapters), then it went to the next step on the chain. If not, that was the end of the road for it. Very often, the slush pile reader didn't have to read beyond the first page. As this reader moved up in the publishing house, she got to take the manuscripts that made it through the screening process home (whole books now) to read and make comments. Frequently, she only read the first, middle, and last chapter, deciding afterwards to end that particular manuscript's trip towards becoming a published book. In a year of working these two jobs, she never sent more than a handful to the next phase.

That was downright depressing.

...until Linnea read us a few "typical" submissions the editors she'd interviewed shared with her. Most were all tell, no show. Many head-hopped within single sentences, and more had severe dialogue problems.

I felt much better after listening to these examples, and I was shocked that anyone would think writing like that should even cross an editor's desk.

Linnea compiled a list of the top reasons manuscripts never make it out of a slush pile. Time after time, interview after interview, these reasons were given.
In no particular order, they are:
1. Too much backstory too early.
2. Unnatural dialogue.
3. Telling your story, not showing it.
4. Problems with grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, general writing mechanics.
5. POV problems -- random and unclear POV changes, headhopping within a scene.
6. Too many unnecessary characters.
7. Format problems; not following submission guidelines.
8. Ineffectual characterization -- everybody seems the same and the reader confuses who is who.
9. Lack of conflict. Plot holes. Illogical plot.
10. Boring opening. No hook.

The good news for me was that I'm aware of all these problems. I make a conscious effort to avoid all of these errors. As a matter of fact, I've been writing long enough now that avoiding most of these errors are non-issues for me. I just don't do them. Neither does anyone in my crit group.

I felt inspired and more at ease after realizing that. I know now that many manuscripts that get submitted to editors are of poor quality. They aren't the carefully nutured works written by my group or me.

So, take heart, ladies. We're already better than much of the field.

Macy

PS. Check out Linnea's blog where she goes more in depth on this topic.