Post by account_disabled on Dec 26, 2023 23:42:54 GMT -5
How many of us have sent a manuscript to a publisher and received a rejection? And why does a publishing house reject our editorial proposal? Many people ask this. I too have experienced rejection, like everyone else. But we move forward, we continue to write and try to place our work. It also happens, and not only with large publishing houses, that no response is received. In fact, on many sites it is clearly written not to expect it. Some reasons are rather banal, in the sense that it seems absurd that an author, even a novice, would commit them, and yet it happens. 1) The book is not part of the publisher's catalogue In some cases the book does not find space in the publishing house. I'm certainly not talking about physical space.
Publishing houses have their own catalog and they stick to that. The catalog represents the editorial vision of a publishing house. In short, what you are interested in publishing. Some time ago I talked about editorial series . What are they? They are the categories of a publishing house's catalogue, which collect books with similar characteristics. Obviously Special Data literary genres also constitute series, but this is not the only criterion of choice. For example, we can find a series of 19th century Italian classics, modern Chinese authors, essays on the environment, etc. Before sending a manuscript, therefore, it is good to know if the publishing house will be able to place it in one of its series, because it will not create one especially for us. 2) The publisher does not deal with the literary genre of the novel Some publishing houses specify which genres they cover and which they do not.
I've read about publishers who don't publish poetry, fantasy, science fiction. But even without specifying it, it would be enough to check their catalog. Why send a fantasy novel to a publisher who hasn't published any fantasy novels? Manuscripts of this "genre" will obviously be thrown away. 3) The story has too many flaws What are the flaws of a story ? Certainly not those that an editor can have corrected. Maybe the inciting incident is too weak or even non-existent. Or the story goes nowhere. The author constantly changes the point of view , the characters are all the same and they all speak in the same way, with the same "voice". 4) The plot is predictable, already covered or banal I don't even want to imagine how many manuscripts were sent after the success of the Harry Potter fantasy saga or the Twilight horror saga . Not to mention the zombie stories. Plots already covered, unless we invent something truly new and original about wizards at magic school and vampires who fall in love with mortal girls.
Publishing houses have their own catalog and they stick to that. The catalog represents the editorial vision of a publishing house. In short, what you are interested in publishing. Some time ago I talked about editorial series . What are they? They are the categories of a publishing house's catalogue, which collect books with similar characteristics. Obviously Special Data literary genres also constitute series, but this is not the only criterion of choice. For example, we can find a series of 19th century Italian classics, modern Chinese authors, essays on the environment, etc. Before sending a manuscript, therefore, it is good to know if the publishing house will be able to place it in one of its series, because it will not create one especially for us. 2) The publisher does not deal with the literary genre of the novel Some publishing houses specify which genres they cover and which they do not.
I've read about publishers who don't publish poetry, fantasy, science fiction. But even without specifying it, it would be enough to check their catalog. Why send a fantasy novel to a publisher who hasn't published any fantasy novels? Manuscripts of this "genre" will obviously be thrown away. 3) The story has too many flaws What are the flaws of a story ? Certainly not those that an editor can have corrected. Maybe the inciting incident is too weak or even non-existent. Or the story goes nowhere. The author constantly changes the point of view , the characters are all the same and they all speak in the same way, with the same "voice". 4) The plot is predictable, already covered or banal I don't even want to imagine how many manuscripts were sent after the success of the Harry Potter fantasy saga or the Twilight horror saga . Not to mention the zombie stories. Plots already covered, unless we invent something truly new and original about wizards at magic school and vampires who fall in love with mortal girls.