Yet again I’ve been amazed by the approach taken by a couple of authors when it comes to submissions. At this rate I could narrow the focus of this blog to just that. Weird, wonderful and downright wacky submissions.
Obviously it can be a difficult call to judge. Every publisher has different submission guidelines and when you’re reformatting your manuscript to meet their finicky little peccadilloes on fonts and spacing for about the fiftieth time it wears. Been both sides of the wire on that one.
Trying to keep you accompanying letter/ e-mail looking fresh and unique is another problem and that’s before I start on about a short and snappy synopsis. This week two people have tried different approaches – both of them in some way unique but doomed.
I’m not going to spend very long talking about the first one – that was possibly just simply a mistake. We were sent an anonymous submission! Oh, sure, there was an e-mail address attached but the front end of the e-m ail address was one of those that simply isn’t a name by any stretch of the imagination – not unless someone’s done the deed poll thing and changed to something very weird. There was no name or bio on the e-mail and none included in the manuscript either. Seeing as how I’m basically a nine guy (ed: yeah right!) I’ve sent a polite e-mail back saying we can’t accept this as a submission without a name, bio and contact details.
Let’s face it where would we send the contract? Who would we address it to? Assuming we wanted to.
The second case is much more interesting.
There was no submission document attached. The e-mail starts off:
I know collecting pink rejection slips is an occupational hazard and for some an engaging hobby but I’m 73 now and I don’t have time any more. I have 40 years of stories to tell and no where near that length of time left to tell them in.......
Instead of submitting his work he’s set up a web site showcasing it (ed: don’t the rest of us use WDC for that?) and could I please go to his web site and browse through his stories to see if there were any I liked.
A smorgasbord approach to submissions. Lay the buffet out, romances to the left, suspense in the middle, paranormal and ghost stories on the far right. Please take a plate and a napkin....
Sorry, couldn’t help myself. (ed: that one wasn’t intended).
I can understand and sympathise with his frustration, been there, got the collection, haven’t we all? Unfortunately he’s missed the point and this approach is doomed to fail, and the reason is a single word. Annotation.
When we are looking at a submission we will usually annotate the manuscript. I’ve never worked with a publisher who didn’t. Sometimes with outstanding generosity, on a rejection we’ll let the author see our notes, although usually not. OMG this is sh*te isn’t a good thing for the author to see after all, although come to think of it....
Being able to bat the manuscript back and forth between a couple of people (or more) each adding their annotations and comments to it, works. If a manuscript is contracted these will often be the kicking off point for the story edits.
So I’m sorry, this guy isn’t going anywhere with us, which might well be a pity, his work might actually be very good. Certainly he’s creative.
Now to craft a polite e-mail response....
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