Never assume a literary agent will appreciate your query letter
The first mistake of numerous authors, especially new authors, is assuming that a literary agent will like the query letter pitching their book. Don’t submit a query letter before you finish your manuscript. It’s important to remember that all agent’s genre guidelines are different. Check an agent’s website and social media for their style and acceptance rate before submitting a query.
It’s essential not to be overly confident when submitting your book synopsis to a literary agent. You cannot be afraid of rejection.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding was rejected 20 times before it was published.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell was rejected 38 times before it was published.
Carrie by Stephen King was rejected 30 times before it was published, and Beatrix Potter had to publish The Tale of Peter Rabbit herself. You get the picture.
You may love your manuscript, but did you write to please yourself or your readers? This is a great mistake many writers make. They forget they are writing to entertain and capture their reader’s attention, and it’s not just to please themselves.
You know every detail about your characters in your story and can visualize them as clearly as day, but did you write with just the right amount of descriptive detail so your reader can engage and read through until the last page of your book?
To reduce the likelihood of rejection, I recommend utilizing the services of a professional editor. Even though this is a service that costs money, I, from experience, recommend it. To not hire the services of a professional editor is the most significant mistake you can make!
A professional editor will read through your submission several times, each time using a separate set of eyes. They’ll improve your script’s grammar, editing, and more to help it become a bestseller.
New authors assume publishing a book is easy. It’s difficult for unknown authors. To achieve success, dedicate a significant amount of time to marketing yourself and your book. Don’t wait till it’s published. Start marketing yourself on social media right away. Let everyone know you are an author and you are writing a book. Generate excitement so that people will anxiously await the release of your book. Having a large audience already might influence the publisher?
Another significant mistake is giving up after receiving the first, second, or third rejection letter. Rejection hurts. The last thing that any author wants to read is someone stating that their book isn’t good enough. With that said, a rejection is what you will likely receive. Remember, many of our most well-known authors received letters of rejection. Don’t give up.
One of the most common mistakes is submitting your manuscript to a publisher without first conducting thorough research. Study their guidelines. If they want it presented in a particular font and request only a certain number of pages and a specific line spacing, you’d better comply. No matter how good your manuscript may be, if you don’t follow their guidelines, they won’t even read it; you’ll receive an instant rejection.
Another mistake new authors make is not getting a literary agent. Most publishing houses these days only work with literary agents. They expect the literary agent to have vetted the manuscript first and just send them a manuscript that is worth the publisher’s time to read. Most publishing houses these days do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
Invest $20 in purchasing the Writer’s Market guide. It gives you detailed information on what publishers accept and from whom. You already know that Harlequin specializes in romance novels, but you may not see the specialty of other small publishers. Avoid sending a romance novel to a publisher that is only seeking science fiction books.
Make sure you avoid this mistake. Don’t submit a manuscript that is illegible because of handwritten notes, coffee, or even food stains all over the pages.
Do you smoke? If you do, your papers may smell like cigarette smoke. Many publishers have stated that this is a major turnoff, especially for nonsmokers.
Good luck with your submission.