Before you submit your work

There is like a million publishers out there, and it is so hard to know exactly what they want from you in order to consider your work. You work so hard, and the rejection becomes incredibly personal when you receive those letters that state, “Thank you for your submission but we regretfully…” It makes you doubt your abilities as a writer. It makes you feel like one of those contestants in American Idol at the very beginning of the season. You know, the ones that come in and swear they can sing…. But they really can’t. But everyone seems to tell you that you have talent, so you think that either they are all lying to you… or everyone you send your manuscript to is a total idiot and cannot possibly understand your brilliance.

If you look through every company, they usually have their own submission guidelines. So what I am about to tell you is not necessary what every company wants but these are general submission guidelines.

For the most part publishing companies use the Chicago Manual of Style, or sources like The Essentials of Style by Strunk and White to determine how their books will be set up and edited.

Here are a few helpful hints to ensure that your manuscript is ready for submission.

In the subject of character descriptions, try to avoid using identifying phrases such as “petite blonde woman,” “the darker man,” as you refer to characters. These depersonalize and objectify the character. The exception is if you want the character to remain anonymous for the time being. Instead, use the character’s name or the appropriate pronoun. Occasionally “the other woman or man” or “lover” may be used when the use of pronouns can become confusing. Also, when two characters establish an emotionally intimate bond, or a physical bond they can no longer be referred to as friends.

Use serial commas. Commas should be used as such“She grabbed her coat, briefcase, and keys.”

Avoid dangling participles. These dangle when they are not related to what you intend to modify. These are most common in opening adjective participial phrases.

Example:

Walking out on the deck, the seagulls squacked at her. (who walked out on the deck? Was it her, or was it the seagulls)

It would be better to try it this way:

When She walked out on the deck, Thee seagulls began to squak.

As she ran in the marathon, Michele's fans cheered her on.

Often I have seen, (especially in my work) something like this:

Pushing the door open, he plopped down to watch the game. (he can’t push the door open while she is seated watching the game.)

So it works better like this:

He pushed the door open then plopped down to watch the game.

Know the difference between effect and affect, and farther and further. Effect, as a noun it means the result of something, and as a verb it means “to cause.” Affect means to influence. Farther always indicates physical distance, and further indicates time or abstract distance.

Do not overuse ellipses. They should be used only to indicate a pause in speech or thought when the thinker or speaker is trailing off. Otherwise, simply use a period.

Italics – Should be used sparingly in order to indicate emphasis. You may choose to use italics to indicate dreams or flashbacks or to set off letters andnotes that a character may read. You may also use the, in foreign words. Foreign words commonly used in English (café, hari kari, etc.) do not need italics. Italicize only those foreign words that are not commonly used in English.

Take numbers from zero to one hundred and spell them out. Also spell out the solid numbers like thirty million etc. If it can be spelled out and look okay, spell it out. In dialogue always spell numbers out unless they’re too large or have decimals.

Spell the word okay do not use “OK” or “ok.”

Use quotation marks for: names of magazine articles, individual episodes of television and radio shows, short poems, essays, and song titles. Use italics for: books, periodicals, newspapers, long poems, plays, movies, TV and radio shows, operas and long musical pieces, record albums, and works of art.

Who and whom refer to people and animals with names. “Use who when it is the subject of a sentence, clause, or phrase. Like: Tray is the sailor who went out to sea. Use whom when it is the object of a verb or preposition. Like: Trey is the sailor to whom the commander gave the commendation.

Publishers accept manuscripts for publication that they find entertaining, compelling and flows nicely. One that starts well and makes the reader want to keep reading. They want a dialogue that is crisp and engaging, has little use of the passive voice and a good balance of dialogue and narrative.

They also look for a manuscript that flows at a measured pace so that the story unfolds naturally, and the action is integrated and doesn’t translate as just activity to move the characters from one place to the other. The reader wants to feel themselves in the story.

It is very important that your manuscript is revised and there are few spelling and grammar errors. That the sentences are properly constructed, and the tale unfolds without redundancy and run-on sentences.

Ensure that the characters have distinct personalities, (see previous character development article) and belong in the narrative. Make sure that the plot is not too predictable or over done. There are plot formulas, but make sure that it is still fresh and new in the way that you present it. Make it compelling to keep your readers interested till the end.

Source list:

http://www.cacoethespublishing.net/?q=node/20

http://www.regalcrest.biz/helpful_hints.html