While it's natural to feel excited and eager to submit your work, it's crucial to avoid making some common mistakes that can negatively impact your chances of getting published, or ever working with a particular publisher if there's one you have your eye on. Here are some of the most common mistakes that authors make when submitting material to publishers:
- Failing to follow submission guidelines: Every publisher has specific submission guidelines that authors must follow. These guidelines may include instructions on the format of the manuscript, the type of file to use, the word count, and more. Failing to follow these guidelines can result in an automatic rejection of your work.
- Submitting incomplete or unpolished work: Publishers receive hundreds or thousands of submissions, and they expect the work to be polished and complete. Submitting incomplete or unpolished work can make it difficult for publishers to evaluate your writing and may result in rejection.
- Ignoring the publisher's target audience: Publishers are looking for work that will appeal to their target audience. Ignoring the publisher's target audience and submitting work that doesn't fit their market can result in a rejection.
- Lack of research: Submitting your work to the wrong publisher can be a waste of time and effort. Researching the publisher and ensuring that your work aligns with their publishing goals is crucial.
- Poor formatting: Poor formatting can make it difficult for publishers to read your work and can result in rejection. Ensure that your manuscript is formatted correctly and is easy to read.
- Over-promising and under-delivering: Avoid making grandiose claims about your work that you can't back up. If you claim to be the next J.K. Rowling, but your manuscript doesn't live up to the hype, it can result in a rejection.
