Tips to take your manuscript from ‘Finished’ to ‘Ready to Submit’

When submitting a manuscript to a publisher, it is imperative that your book be as 'ready' as you can make it. Yes, I am an editor, but that does not mean it is my job to correct an error-riddled manuscript. Years ago, an author could submit work that wasn’t necessarily in tip-top shape, and if an editor liked it, the publishing house had a staff that would clean it up and make it shine until you could see your reflection in it. But those days are long gone. Competition is fierce, editors are super busy, and we are now more in an ‘acquisition’ capacity rather than a proofreading, hand-holding capacity. Although we like it when you use proper punctuation, most of us are not terribly concerned that each comma is perfectly placed. But if your book contains a lot of spelling errors, if the story doesn’t grab us, if the pacing is off, if there is a lot of telling, inconsistencies, etc, we will generally not take the time to help you edit those out.

I have a few suggestions on how to self-edit that will help you to catch some of these issues. I’ve found them very helpful, and hopefully, you will too.

1) Read aloud. I know we hear this over and over again, but few of us take time to actually do it. It is amazing how many errors and issues with pacing, repeated words, and useless or unnatural dialogue you will catch when you read your manuscript aloud, preferably into a tape recorder for playback. Or you can convert it to PDF and have it read aloud to you that way. The voice is a bit robotic, but it is still quite enlightening.

2) Read backward. I suggest this to my authors all the time. By ‘backward,’ I mean last page to first. Oftentimes, when we read our work from the beginning, we become engrossed in the story itself and don’t always ‘see’ what is really on the page. We read things as we think they are rather than how they actually are, which often causes us to overlook common, simple errors.

3) Read your story in a different color/style/size font. This gives you a fresh perspective, believe it or not.

4) Put it aside for a few weeks. Do not read even a word of it. When you pick it back up, you will find you’re somewhat removed from the story and can be a bit more objective.

5) Make sure each scene counts. If nothing happens in a scene, delete it. An example would be two friends meeting for coffee where they have a discussion but nothing happens to progress the story. If there is a piece of pertinent information revealed in the scene, move it into another scene.

6) Make sure your story starts in the right place. Hook your editor in the first scene. (This might not seem to go with a ‘polish your manuscript’ post, but it is extremely important if you want to get an editor’s attention). Once you’ve finished your story, ask yourself this question before submitting: Did I start my story in the right place? Why would an editor (or reader) want to continue reading? Did I start the story at, or just before, the Inciting Incident…the ‘thing’ that catapults my main character into danger/action/conflict/change?

If you want your manuscript to stand out, if you want an editor to like your work, then you want it to be as clean and polished as possible before you submit. The number one important factor is whether or not you have a good story with relatable characters, but even if you do, and you present them to an editor in a mess of errors and confusion, it is unlikely the editor will want your story. Yes, The Wild Rose Press has a copy editing department, but if you want your submission to make it that far, then please, please take pride in your work and spit-shine that manuscript. (Uhm, but PLEASE do not use actual saliva. That would be another way to turn an editor off)

Most editors read submitted work with the desire and intent to offer a contract. Take some extra precautions and don’t give them a reason to change their minds. 

Ally Robertson
Editor
Crimson Rose - Suspense and Intrigue
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
TheWildRosePress.com