Getting a book published gives the best sense of fulfillment for every author. Imagine being one of those lucky ones who have unlocked your goal and seen the fruit of your labor. You are already a few steps closer to your dreams. However, people might have no idea about the struggles and rejections that lies behind that success. The author journey is indeed a tough path to take.
There are, in fact, various remarkable authors that have been through manuscript rejections. Some best examples are J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Meg Cabot, and Dr. Seuss. Whether you have been demotivated to pursue your career, just think about them and reset your mindset — because soon you’ll have your own breakthrough.
If you are wondering on how you can get away with manuscript rejection or at least widen the chance of having your book published, then this article is perfect for you! Listed below are the best tips on how to avoid manuscript rejection.
Secure the complete draft
You couldn’t hand out a manuscript if the draft for every part of the book is not yet finished. Also, your publisher will not get happy when you submit an incomplete document. Ensure that you have finished the draft before the submission and compile it. If it is a softcopy, print two or more copies of the file where one is for you while the other is for your publisher. However, do not send it yet. Check it first from the first page to the last in order to spot if there are missing parts. You can also arrange them from beginning to end if you printed them by chapter.
Read from top to bottom
As an author, you are required to do a lot of reading. It is for your benefit to evaluate the style of your fellow and perhaps find your own writing style. So, reading your work will not be a hassle, wouldn’t it? This time, read your work as if you are an editor and not the author. It will help you view your story from a different perspective, and make your eyes sharper when it comes to mistakes in the plot and grammar. You are not required to read it in one go, instead read it thoroughly so you can really see what needs improvement and what parts are already perfect. Do not rush.
Take note of both major and minimal errors
Get a medium where you can list the mistakes and errors that you found in your manuscript. You may write them in your journal, post it, or paper. Do this in a very organized manner. For example, you’ve spotted a mistake in the sentence structure. Then, write it in your notebook along with the page number and chapter so that you can easily locate it when you get to the editing part. You can take notes of the errors while reading the draft. In that way, you can save time. Just ensure that you can multitask, because reading while writing will probably challenge the comprehension and understanding of the text.
Avail some editorial services
You have already read the draft and take note of the errors, now what? You can either be your own editor or avail of editorial service. The former is a good idea but has a lot of disadvantages while the latter is perfect especially if you really want to go for gold. There are many promising editors in the world of publishing, who offer the best services. Additionally, these editors offer different packages. Some of them offer fixed options while others have customized services. You can tap author-editor Greg Van Arsdale on customizing editorial package, for example. It is guaranteed that your manuscript will become error-free, with the perfect grammar and gapless plot. Hence, availing of the services of an editor is a great option.
In conclusion, you should be mindful of your work before you embark on the publishing journey. Your perception of your story might not be the same with your publisher; hence, the many revisions. It is also needed that you examine your work from inside out and perhaps get a professional editor to clean your manuscript but still maintain the greatness of it.
Oliver’s Twist 