Many writers after submitting a manuscript for publishing consideration ask us this simple question: “Why did my book get rejected?”
There are two ways you can answer this question: either you, the author, made some mistakes with your manuscript, or the editor, publisher, or literary agent made a mistake by not publishing your book.
I sincerely hope you made some mistakes, because if the problem lies within you, then the solution lies within you too. If every literary agent and editor in the world makes poor decisions, there’s nothing you can do about that.
But if you made some mistakes, you can correct them, improve your writing skills, and become successful as an author if you’re willing to put in the effort and time it takes to learn and grow as a writer.
We wrote this post to teach you what to do before you submit to a publisher or after you get a rejection to improve your manuscript and increase your chances of getting a book deal next time you click “submit.”
Why Novels Get Rejected
Our editors have put together their list of the most common reasons why we reject a novel.
Before you come to the conclusion once and for all that the acquisitions editor just couldn’t see the genius in your work or had a bad day, consider if you might have made some of the following mistakes in your manuscript. Every mistake you find is like pure gold, because you can then go back and revise your writing to make it even better.
Point of View
Most people don’t realize how powerful point of view is in engaging readers—or confusing them, if done poorly. When we are truly inside your character from their point of view (not just watching him or her from an outside perspective) we develop that deep emotional connection that creates a great reading experience. When you feel like everything that’s happening to the main character is happening to you, you’ll be deeply engaged in the story, and that’s exactly how you want your readers to feel.
If readers love your characters, they’ll follow them anywhere, even through a mediocre plot. In order for readers to fall in love with your characters, they have to identify with them, and that process will happen much faster if you use point of view correctly throughout your story.
Use these questions below as a checklist to help you ensure you’re not making point of view (POV) mistakes in your writing.
- Are you only in one character’s head per scene?
- Are you, the author, telling the reader what is going on instead of letting the characters show it themselves?
- Are you using filter words such as saw, heard, knew, thought, believed, realized, felt, etc.? These generally indicate we are not in the character’s head.
- Are you using all five senses to show the character’s experience?
- Are you naming emotions or describing what the character is actually feeling viscerally, emotionally, and mentally?
Do Double Duty
Another big mistake I see is that writers fail to make every action, thought, and word do more than just convey one piece of information. Use every action, thought, and word of your character as an opportunity to show emotion or convey something to us about your character’s personality.
For example, a character simply crossing the room to pick up her phone can tell us a lot. Don’t just tell us, “She went over and got her phone.” Did she stalk? Did she drag her feet? Did she nearly skip? See how each one shows us her mood as well as showing us what she’s doing? And for the phone call. Do her actions convey dread? Excitement? Anger? Make each bit of information you give the reader do double and triple duty, and you won’t have the dreaded flab that must be cut.
Use these questions to make sure your writing is moving the story forward:
- Does each action and piece of dialogue convey more than one bit of information? If it doesn’t, can you improve it or cut it?
- How can each action, movement, or piece of dialogue convey to the reader something deeper about your character?
- In this scene, how can you use action, body language, or dialogue to convey your character’s fears, secret desires, goals, motivation, wounds, and conflicts in addition to what’s already on the page?
Cut the Flab
When we read about what your character is doing, we expect it to mean something. If you tell us she went to the grocery story before going home, there should be a reason I, as the reader, need to know that. Did someone see her there? Did she need to avoid someone, so she forgot the milk? Did that errand delay her arrival at home, so she missed being there when the burglar broke in?
Without meaning, reading about a character’s actions is simply a waste of the reader’s time. You have to show how and why what your characters are doing is meaningful. Otherwise, readers will lose interest in the story.
Every scene in your book should move the story forward.
Just as your words need to do double duty, so do any actions that either appear on stage or are summarized in narrative.
Use these questions below to help you cut the flab from your story:
- For each piece of information, ask, why is this important for the reader to know right now?
- Will this information be important later in the story?
- What action is set in motion in the story because of this information?
- What else can this action tell us?
- What conflict is this action setting up?
- What else could this action be doing to advance the story?
Where to Begin Your Story
One of the most common errors I see is that writers don’t know where to start their story. That also applies to scenes. I often see scenes that flounder a bit in their beginning, giving us too much backstory and information about how we got to this point in time.
Readers don’t need a lot of back story or information to set up a successful scene. They need action and meaning!
Whether you’re a plotter or a seat-of-your-pants writer, you need to know what you’re trying to accomplish in each scene. Scenes can take place close together or farther apart in time, but they should only contain actions that move your story forward.
For example, if it takes five days to travel from Point A to Point B, just end one scene at Point A and start the next scene at Point B unless there’s a good reason why the reader needs to know the details about what happens in between.
If you’re writing a romance and the hero and heroine haven’t spoken in two weeks, you don’t need to spend a lot of time in your next scene explaining what they’ve been doing or why (unless it directly relates to the plot or subplot). You can write something like, “After not hearing from John for two weeks, Jane was surprised to see his number pop up on her phone.”
You could change “surprised” to something that might more closely convey her feelings, like annoyed, irritated, elated, angry, or miffed. We don’t need a long explanation; we need action. So just jump into the action right away. When in doubt, start with the action and add any explanation or transition later if you really need to.
Use these questions to help you write a great beginning for your story and each scene:
- For the beginning of your book, what is the day where everything changed for the main character? How has her world been rocked? Are you starting there?
- Is it clear when and where this scene is taking place?
- Are the stakes clear? What will happen if the character doesn’t take action? What will happen if she does?
- Are you simply relating how your character got from Point A to Point B? Or are you beginning the scene where the vital information starts?
- What is your character’s goal for this scene? What does she need to accomplish or what decision does she need to make?
- Do you have a strong opening line?
When It’s Over, It’s Over
When the purpose of the scene is over, end it immediately. It’s much better to leave your readers wanting more than to linger too long in the scene without a purpose. Think about the purpose (or better, purposes) of each scene. How does it move the plot forward? How does it deepen how well we are getting to know your characters? What questions does it raise that will keep your reader turning pages? When the goal of a scene is accomplished, your scene is done.
If your scene appears to end abruptly, that’s a good thing if it has done its job in moving the story forward. If your scene has done what it was meant to do, readers will be eager to turn the page and start reading the next chapter to find out what happens next.
The problem is that, as writers, we love our characters. They live in our heads, and they can almost seem like our friends. We want to hang out with them and spend time with them. And that’s fine, but do it elsewhere if it’s making your story drag on without meaning and purpose.
Use these questions to help you find the proper place to end each scene:
- Has your character reached her goal from the beginning of the scene? Remember, failure can be a good thing here because it drives readers to turn pages.
- Did your character make the decision she needed to make? If so, that sets up the goal for the next scene.
- Have you conveyed all the information in this scene the reader will need to understand what’s happening in the next scene?
Other Reasons for Rejection
Here are several other reasons why a publisher (TCK or others) might pass on your manuscript:
Publishing a Series
If you’re publishing a series, we will automatically reject your submission if it’s the second or later book in the series. Readers will only buy the second book if they liked the first, so the first book is the most important one to get right. We want to work with you from that first book to make sure each book in the series has a strong base to build on.
For this same reason, if your first book has been published by another company that still holds the copyright, we won’t accept your submission for the second book.
If you’ve already self-published your first book, don’t worry: we still accept self-published books. Just make sure the submission you send in is for the first book in the series.
Not Following Guidelines
If you can’t follow simple submission guidelines, this signals to publishers that you might be difficult to work with while editing. The editing process can take a while, especially if publishers have to spend extra time going over things more than once.
Our submission guidelines clearly outline our expectations for manuscript submissions. In addition, there are formatting issues that could also be a mark against your submission, even if it’s not an immediate rejection:
- Submitting a manuscript with tracked changes and edits still inside it
- Extremely large or tiny font sizes
- Strange or brightly colored text
- Extra spaces between words (if it’s a repeated issue, not just the occasional typo)
- Poorly formatted dialogue
- No chapters, just one long manuscript
- No paragraph breaks, just a wall of text all the way through (this is usually an instant reject)
While formatting issues may not seem like a big deal, things like hard-to-read text can make an editor lose more time and struggle to read your submission.
To make things easier for you, we’ve created a downloadable book submission template that you can use to format your manuscript if you find the formatting in yours isn’t great.
It Just Wasn’t the Right Fit Right Now
Sometimes the editor liked your book, but there were several submissions to choose from and another one got selected. We often have several “maybes” for every one “yes,” and it’s always a very difficult decision to make when choosing between several really good books.
Regardless if this is true for you or not, you can never go wrong improving your writing craft. Chances are, there’s still one or two things you could do to improve your manuscript even more and stand out from all the other books in the submissions pile.
What to Do If Your Novel Gets Rejected
If your novel has been rejected by TCK Publishing or another publisher or literary agent, use the information in this article to go back over your writing and revise the sections of your book that need work.
Remember that even bestselling authors like J.K. Rowling received multiple rejection letters, so you’re in good company if your manuscript has been rejected!
Keep working to improve your writing craft and skills, and never give up on your dreams.
P.S. If your novel hasn’t been submitted to TCK Publishing yet, you can submit your manuscript for review on our submission guidelines page.
Tom Corson-Knowles is the founder of TCK Publishing, and the bestselling author of 27 books including Secrets of the Six-Figure author. He is also the host of the Publishing Profits Podcast show where we interview successful authors and publishing industry experts to share their tips for creating a successful writing career.
Hello, I wrote a novel set during the Second World War in the Netherlands, particularly Operation Market Garden. It is currently at 236,000 words and has a lot of historical references to it. Regarding how I open a scene, I constantly find myself narrating the historical background or giving background information on why my character is doing a certain action or going somewhere. Is that something I need to improve upon? Also, I read about your post on Point of View and is it okay if I describe what the character is experiencing by use of filter words? Also, since there are a lot of action scenes in it, I constantly find myself using the word “I”. Also my novel feels less like military fiction and more of a blend between WW2 historical fiction and some elements of fantasy which you see in superhero movies or comic books, although there is some depth of military detail as well. Is that something which publishers might be interested in?
To add to that, I also used many names of people and places that actually exist in history as important characters and setting in my book, while putting my own twist of fantasy. Is that considered plagiarism?
Hey Philip, regarding how you open a scene, you might have problems with info dumping. Here’s our post discussing this. And while a few filter words won’t have much effect on your story, using them too much can lead to too much telling instead of showing. Here’s an article about reducing filter words.
As for using “I”, too much use can also distract the reader. Rewriting the sentences in a way that removes the “I” should work.
Regarding the genre of your book, publishers often have different standards on what books they like. My only suggestion is you choose what genre you want it to be and introduce it as such when sending a copy to publishers.
As for your last question, referencing real locations and using historical characters isn’t plagiarism. They are harder to portray as you do still need to portray them fairly.
Sorry but I must be in 6he wrong place h]here in the fiction novels. I am lookiong for the npn-fiction submission form which I am told to sumit now that I have already emailed my manuscripts but I cannot find a submission form for nofiction entries. The title of my proposed book manuscript i KNOW NOW THE TRUTH. Please help me?
Hi Teodorico, you can find our submissions page here :)
Hello,
I’m done with my very first manuscript. It is titled Truth. I would want to revolutionize the thinking of mankind and help mend the broken path between science and religion. It’s a series, but I currently ended it on word count 56k. The genre is historical fiction (17th century Italy) — focusing on the battle between Rome and freethinkers, as well as the evolution theory and creation story. I don’t know if it would be best fit. I would want to submit it, but going through you guys tips, I think I have to clear some filter words in the manuscript cause I am guilty as charged. But I am scared of getting rejected as I believe the book will help change the way we see God and help us understand a lot of things to be understood. I feel if I am rejected I’ll just dump the book somewhere. Like I said, it’s completed, but I have been stalling cause in as much as I believe in my writing abilities, having won some writing competitions, I know that publishers may not consider a novel a good fit because this is not the season. Can I just send the first 2 chapter so that it can be looked at to know if it might get accepted. I just don’t want to be discouraged.
I’ve made my submission of the title: Truth. Hope it gets accepted. But I submitted the manuscript first before submitting a manuscript proposal. It’s an historical fiction/ mystery novel.
My manuscript was rejected and I too am sad. But I’m going to try another. I’m a retired steelworker who would like to get a book published or even self-published, but it looks to me like I must study a mountain of technical, educational material which must be followed meticulously to even get a foot in the door. Some charge 8K to educate you. Which tempts me to try a Hybrid publisher this time around. What is your honest opinion of Hybrids? I don’t think it’s completely negative because you have a recommended list on your website of about fifty of them. Wasn’t fifty Shades of Grey which sold over 100 million copies published by a Hybrid? What is your honest opinion or recommendation. Thank you for this chance to have a question answered.
Hi Frank, thanks for sharing your story! I know rejection can be very discouraging, but don’t give up :) If you haven’t already, I would recommend hiring a professional editor who can help you get your manuscript in the best shape possible (regardless of the publishing route you choose). Hybrid publishers can be very helpful to first-time authors, but they are a mixed bag, so make sure you do your research on any companies you talk to. Self-publishing on your own does require time, effort, and a willingness to learn, but it can absolutely be done. We have lots of resources on the subject, so please let me know if there are any specific aspects related to self-publishing that I can send you more info on. (And yes, you’re right about 50 Shades – it was originally self-published, then picked up by a small Australian publisher – not sure if it was vanity or hybrid. But word of mouth helped it take off in the U.S. So anything is possible!)
Rejected again. Not sure as to why this time but I suppose I did not fit the moment.
The difficulty I have discovered with a publisher is they are willing to publish established authors. Not being a well-known author means my name is not known, therefore I will not be published.
I have gone the route of self-publishing, through Amazon. So far, I have sold quite a few of the books, and sales appear to be increasing, although slowly. Not a bad thing, a following hopefully.
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your experience. I know it can be disappointing and even discouraging, but there are a number of reasons why fiction can get rejected. Don’t give up, and while you continue pursuing a traditional publisher, keep up your work promoting your self-published book, because you really can get quite far that way :)
Thanks, Kaelyn.
I have completed 28 books to date, one is a 7-part time-travel series that I both sell and give to friends for their entertainment. One friend was quite upset since it made her stay up all night finishing one book in the series. :)
I enjoy writing and would love to start replacing my income with royalties and “retire” from programming. I know that is a stretch, but you never know…
Promoting can be expensive. wait, no, promoting and marketing costs money but can be accomplished on a budget. I found a few ways to do so and it made some sales for me. So far, the Times List has not called me, but someday!
As I said, I write because I love to write. Living in a new universe is relaxing and it is my Digital Martini (one of my short stories) used to relax and slow my mind down after a day of work.
So, in that light, I think I will submit my newest work, The Ultimate Thru-Hike to TCK. Let’s see what happens.
Thanks for sharing about your books, Chris! I love your idea of a Digital Martini :) We would be honored to review your manuscript and look forward to reading it! And regardless of whether it ends up being a fit for us or not, you really can make decent money with royalties with good and consistent marketing :) we have some tips on creating a solid marketing plan here. Best of luck with your books, and please let us know if you have any questions for us!
First, thank you for providing a feedback/question section like this. Are you still notifying authors if their manuscripts have been rejected? I submitted a manuscript in mid-January of this year and have not received an answer either way. Two months is not very long by most publishers’ standards, but on its submissions page tck gives 3 weeks as the average. Should authors simply assume that no answer means no?
Hi Jim, thank you for bringing this to our attention. That’s quite unusual for us, I’ll look into it and see if there’s a problem with our automated notification system. I’m sorry for the inconvenience!
A different question. If a submission hasn’t been responded to in, say, three months, should the query be resubmitted?
Hi Jim, there was a problem in our response system (which sends out the yes/no emails based on our decisions). I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I believe it’s been resolved now so you should be getting an answer within a few days.
Hi, I have written a full-length novel, first of a series, and have gone through several versions of revisions after a few rejections. (Honestly, happy for the rejection, I wasn’t happy with it myself!) How long is too long for a first book as in word count? I am currently sitting at about 120k barring a few more pages of revision.
Hi Casey, thanks for your comment! A lot of this depends on your genre, but in general, you probably don’t want to exceed your current word count. You can find some more insights on average word counts by genre here :) I hope that helps!
Hey Kaelyn,
Really, really appreciate your very informative and helpful post!! I am an aspiring author and humbly admit that I haven’t the slightest idea what I’m doing…but I am learning so much along the way!! Thanks again.
I’m so glad you found the post helpful, John! I’m sure many writers feel the same, but I know you’ll figure it out :) Best of luck with your books!
What are synopses? Can somebody clarify and give examples related to what a synopsis really looks like?
Can anyone also clarify page looks with paragraph breaks and words not too tiny or big?
Hi Amy, a synopsis is where you summarize the plot of your book. This can refer to one synopsis for the whole book (which might be about a page long), or chapter-by-chapter synopses, where you break down the most important things that happen in each chapter. Regarding your second question, I’d say size 12 is usually a safe bet.
Hello Kaelyn
I have read your pages on POV and also on Filter Words. I’m happy that my completed manuscript has good POV but it is full of the filter words that I should try and remove.
My question is this: How do retain POV if you remove the filter words that show the action through the eyes of the character? How true is it that good POV and the avoidance of filter words are mutually exclusive?
Another question,I assume it is ok to leave filter words if they are part of a spoken dialogue?
Hi Philip, thanks for your question! It’s rare that literally all filter words can be removed, but the important thing is that you’re aware of them and can go through your manuscript and edit out/rewrite the unnecessary ones to make it stronger. Our post on filter words has some good examples of paragraphs where the filter words were mostly removed, but POV is maintained. As for your last question, yes, I think leaving them as part of dialogue is fine, since realistically, many people use them in speech.
Hi Kaelyn Barron,
I find this post very helpful. I am at present, working on the 4th. draft of my murder mystery novel. I like it that your response time, if accepted is within 14 days. I am however not very active on social media. I occasionally chat with other writers on Facebook. Will this reduce my chances of accepting my manuscript? I am planning to send it soon.
Hi Prafulla, thanks for your comment! The most important thing we consider is the quality of your story and writing. It’s a bonus if you have an active marketing platform and following, but it wouldn’t weigh heavily in our decision :)
Hello, I have a completed manuscriot (113k words) of a dramatised history. (first of a trilogy) It is my first novel and I have just been offered a standard publishing contract even though it is still undergoing two-stage proofreading and final editing (by myself). My concern is that they are a very small business and I doubt if their marketing capabitity would be anything like yours. I can stall them for a signature on the contract for a few weeks if you would accept the completed manuscript before it has been fully edited, to see if I rank in your 2%. So my question is this: will I spoil my chances with you if I submit a manuscript that is only part edited? It will take a coiuple of months to complete the edit and I fear I could lose a willing publisher if I hold off for too long.
Hi Philip, it’s really hard to say without seeing the current state of the manuscript. We usually encourage writers to edit their manuscripts thoroughly before submitting (or even hire a professional editor). But if you’re talking a few minor proofreading issues, that usually doesn’t make a huge impact on our decision.
Hi, allow me to ask some questions.
1. My first book is currently in Amazon, I did everything myself. From what I have read, I can switch it to TCK if I want to (with acceptance of course).
Is it possible if I can direct TCK to check it out for consideration or should I still need to send the manuscript?
2. The five years contract, what is the restriction? If I currently list it in Amazon, would it appear differently?
Can you give a brief explanation about what authors shouldn’t do during this five years in the contract? Would it also covers the things TCK promises to do? I have read about many publisher nightmares and want to know as much as possible if it’s okay.
3. How much liberty do the authors have in term of factors like title, book cover and especially, the content of the book?
Do they have the right to reject the proposal if it really goes against the idea and intention of the book?
Thanks in advance.
Hello Kaelyn. I am two months of editing away from making a possible first submission to you. Your marketing blog appears to suggest the author is going to be mostly responsible for it. I have a list of course; this is number three for me. How much does TCK take on in this department? Regards, JASA
Hi JASA, we do help a lot with marketing, but we also expect authors to help continue the efforts. We help with website design, cover design, Amazon keyword research, promotions, and review outreach. Our most successful authors help maximize those efforts by also reaching out to their contacts, blogging, booking speaking engagements, and so on.
It asks for books like the one I wrote and as far as i know there are none. I meant to write it that way as an original.
Hi Daniel, thanks for your comment! If you’re asked to list comparable titles, you can list books that are in the same genre, follow a similar plot, or address similar themes. They don’t have to be just like your book, but maybe just similar in certain areas and elements.
Earlier in 2021after the expiration of my contract I got back the rights to my book from my publisher, but I recently noticed that Amazon isn’t taking down the book as a matter of policy. Now I’m wondering if this could pose a glitch in the way of TCK considering my book for a possible republication.
Hi Francis, I’m not really sure of all the details regarding Amazon, but I know we’ve republished previously published work (by other publishers) before.
I have written a novel about a group of earthbound spirits who are hunting down a live serial killer. I can call it paranormal/adventure/ crime drama. Or should I just call it horror?
Hi James, thanks for your comment! Since I haven’t read your book it’s hard to say, but it sounds like it could be a paranormal thriller? But if you feel it’s more on the horror than thriller side, I would stick with that as your main genre. For marketing it’s usually better than mixing 3 into one. You can always choose sub-genres to specify.
Hi, I have been writing fiction since long but never got that courage to publish it. The simple answer to it is I don’t know the process. I’m glad I came across this post and that was really helpful. I am done writing a really big novel and I have compilation of around 50 short fictional stories.
I have few questions to ask if that’s ok with you.
1. Is there any particular length of the book that is taken in consideration?
2. I am from Asia so will my work be taken in consideration as I have written it with the background of my country, like places, characters, the mind set and all?
3. Can I publish the compilation of my short stories in one book?
Thanks for the above informative post again.
Hi Hemang, thanks for your questions! Regarding your first question, we don’t really have specific word count restrictions, but generally aim for 40,000 words or more. It also depends on your genre, though. For your second question, no, those influences would not usually affect our decision on their own. And third, unfortunately we do not publish collections of short stories right now.
Do you publish joke books? My book is about 17000 words long.
Kind regards
Do you consider collection of short stories (fiction) which in totality would exceed 50,000 words? Or should it be a novel only for consideration?
Hi Manas, unfortunately we don’t publish short story collections at the moment.
Hi. Your information in this regard was very useful. Do you accept books written in the apocalyptic-survival style?
Hi Mohsen, yes we accept most fiction and nonfiction genres :)
Thank goodness for pandemic lockdowns. Life gets in the way of writing sometimes. Now I have two novels finished, a non-fiction project finished, and I am working on a series of short stories written by my mews (the ghost in the house).I hope my novels are of a publishing standard – Look out for my submissions. Researching publishers is just as demanding as writing the cover letter and synopsis, so thank you for all the information regarding publication on your site.
Hi Shirley, I’m glad you made the most of the lockdowns! :) We’re looking forward to reviewing your submission, and we’re glad you found the post helpful. Let us know if you have any questions, and best of luck with your book!
Hi Shirley,
To start with, I must thank you for taking some time to respond to publishing-related issues of (aspiring) writers.
I also have an issue. I have written a joke book, which is 17,000 words long. Many literary agents have rejected the book. I can not figure out what the problem is. I strongly believe the standard of my writing is fine. Probably, the real issue is formatting. Kindly guide me on how a joke book is formatted.
Thanks.
Hi Kawewe, thanks for your questions! Joke/humor books can be a pretty niche category, so I think it might be the case that not many publishers are pursuing them. We accept submissions for humor books, but it all depends on the quality, content, market, etc.
Your rejection would be a little easier to swallow if it included a reason! I’m not asking for a thesis on the book, that would prove that someone actually read it! I would just like a simple statement so I would have something to work on! Thanks anyway!
Hi Margi, thanks for your comment. Unfortunately we receive so many submissions that we simply don’t have time to respond to each with custom feedback, but we hope this list gives a general idea of the most common reasons. Even though it didn’t work out, thank you for considering us!
These comments were very helpful. I’m trying to submit a fiction book but am only finding the form for nonfiction even when I click on the fiction submission category.
Hi Dr. Kletzing, you can find our fiction submission form here.
I’m very sad to have recieved a rejection from you. I have all of the tips you have included to make the novel of interest to publishers. My character is really somebody whose head you can get inside and relate with and each chapter is filled with suspense as it’s a psychological thriller. There’s a lot of twists and turns. I really hope that you might consider my novel again in the future. I really feel that it has a lot of potential especially in the psychological thriller market.
Hi I wanted to thank the folks at TCK for at least responding and accepting my manuscript. The response was not a big shock just one more notch towards giving up on my writing. Perhaps people are no longer interested in a genre of historical fiction. It is rewarding to write but disappointing to have no readers and only pay up front self publishing or traditional publishing with little options. Thanks again for the chance to work with you but now it is time for reflection on continuing.
Hey Michael! I know it’s disheartening to get your manuscript rejected. I advise you not to quit though, especially when you find writing so rewarding in itself. Take a short break then see how you can further improve it :)
Hi M, I’m really sorry that you’re feeling sad. There are many reasons why a manuscript might not be the best fit for us right now. It doesn’t mean your story or writing isn’t great! I encourage you to keep trying with other publishers or submit your work to us again in the future after considering all the points in this post :)
I’m at the stage where I am proofreading and editing my completed fantasy novel to make sure it is ready for submission. I’ve written it from a third person omniscient POV. Is the section on POV mistakes suggesting that it is better to write from a first person POV?
Hey Sara, glad you asked! The article doesn’t say that it’s better to write from a first-person POV, but it has the advantage of letting the reader be more intimately connected with your characters. You see what’s happening through their perspectives.
What Tom wants to point out is you have to show and not tell what’s happening with your characters. Rather than saying that your character is sad, you can describe it as “He struggled to control the sobs threatening to break loose.”
You don’t need to worry about your book’s POV as long as you execute it well. Many great fantasy novels were written in third-person omniscient, including Lord of the Rings and A Wizard from Earthsea.
I submitted a manuscript titled ‘Good night my Sister’, since then there was no information on it.
Hi Olujide, when did you submit your manuscript? You should have a response within 14 days.
I hired a developmental editor who told me my POV was problematic and I have been trying to figure out how to correct it. Your article was FANTASTIC, but are you able to elaborate a little more and provide examples (good and bad) of this nugget you supplied?
*Are you using filter words such as saw, heard, knew, thought, believed, realized, felt, etc.? These generally indicate we are not in the character’s head.
Hopefully, I’ll be submitting for my first time to TCK before the year’s up. Thanks for all the great advice!
Hi Nicholas, thanks for your comment! We actually have a whole post on POV (https://www.tckpublishing.com/point-of-view/) and filter words (https://www.tckpublishing.com/filter-words/) that you might find helpful. We look forward to receiving your submission! Let me know if you have more questions
Thank you so much, Kaelyn. I’ll check those out ASAP. There’s a lot to figure out as a new author, so it’s great to have help!
What length must fiction manuscripts be?
Hey Austin! There’s really no hard rule about manuscript length though many publishers prefer a minimum of 40,000 words.
Of course, I’ve read fiction novels with word counts that are less or more than that, so it really depends on the story you’re writing.
Curious about your thoughts of attaining publishing contracts SOLELY via social media. Two projects come to mind, ‘Lore Podcasts’, initially launched on Facebook, & Instagram-celeb poet, Rupi Kaur. Five years ago, these were ‘unknowns’, neither appeared on publishers radar, yet by virtue of their ‘on-line’ presence & current volume of followers, they’ve taken off & flourished. Both have been picked up by giant media players, ( and seemingly without the preliminary aid of an agent … ) ~ Essentially, both ‘self-published’ FIRST, found multiple fans via social media & THEN secured contracts. Is this, in fact, the BETTER way these days to get ‘out there, rather than schlep around pitching & catering projects to disinterested agents/publishers? ~ The core idea is to develop an identity & ‘self-promote’ ON THE NET, (aka “the platform” & “network”) rather than waste the time, money & resources ‘on foot’ via query letters, submissions & ‘meetings’ to, essentially, ‘middle-men . … Thoughts?
Thanks for your comment! I think these examples were so successful because the writers were passionate about their work, and focused on the platforms that worked for them. They grew huge followings and engaged with their followers, which led to their platforms growing large enough to attract attention from publishers. I can’t speak for the writers themselves, but I don’t think they were using those platforms as a strategy to attract book deals. I think that by focusing on your writing — whether it’s on a blog, social media, or in a manuscript — is the best thing you can do for your future success.
Hi, Very useful.
Do you check the Social Media profile and following of fiction authors when they submit fiction?
Do you vet all submission authors for their Social Media output and profile?
I find Social Media a distraction from actual writing and while I appreciate it is useful,
I do not like it. I do not have a Website.
Thanks
Hi Ivan, we don’t really consider social media unless you link to it as part of your marketing plan, but it still wouldn’t be a primary concern.
Hi. I have a novel that I recently published on Amazon. Does this remove it from consideration? And if accepted, do you create printed versions?
Hi Steve, in our case, it would not remove it from consideration, but other publishers have different policies so you would have to check their submission guidelines. we would create a printed version, yes
Hi There,
Just wondering if you have any suggestions for children’s books publishers and/or literary agents, please?
Kind Regards,
Doreen.
Hi Doreen, we actually have a list of children’s book publishers and agents that you might find helpful :)
I am really down because I have had so many refusals for publishing.
So many hybrid and vanity publishers out there who pretend to care for budding writers.
So much depends on your contacts.
If any one is interested in my e-novel Chatroom mystery it is avaialbe online
Charles W Barry
Hi Charles, thank you for sharing your story. I’m sorry you’ve had bad experiences. I would recommend avoiding vanity publishers if possible, and if you’re having trouble getting a more traditional publisher, self-publishing has worked out great for a lot of people.
Perhaps you should use Grammerly, as so many, many Authors do.
That would have gently pointed out to you that your second group of words, here, is not a sentence. Just “are out there” would have
supplied the verb. We are blessed with Grammerly, now, to catch
those little things.
And don’t kid yourself, my friend, it isn’t contacts.
I have just been declined by TCK.
My novel has been in the making for some years now and has been constantly re-written, updated, improved and revised. Having read your blog several times; re-read my novel; thought things through over and over; I am convinced that I have followed everything that you have advised! Tremendous advice it was!
Yet I am still declined. The fantasy world needs it!
Yours very frustratedly
Bill
Hi Bill, I’m sorry to hear that, I know it can be very frustrating. As the article points out, there are many reasons why novels might get rejected. I hope you consider sending your manuscript to other publishers or resubmitting it to us in the future.
I ‘am wrote a crime novel there small copies of these Books on kdp on Amzam .com.uk Sixty-five poems on a weight called all poetry, last year I Published a crime collection under a pen name of Eugene Pike, published by Austin Macauley Publishers. I also have audiobook coming out with Austin Macauley some ties this year some time this year I have book with Pegues the Finger of Suspicion
I would be very please if you would buy a copy of one of threes books
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing about your book!
Hello, I would like to publish a historical novel (Viking age) based on the life of the first king of Norway Harald Fairhair. The main plot comes from the Heimskringla of Snorri Sturluson. My first concern is the length of the manuscript, around 450 standard pages (more than 500K words I think). I fear publishers would simply skip to an easier and quicker read.
ps: it would be my first novel but not the first book. Already published titles on Norse mythology and culture in the Viking Age period.
Hi Alessandro, thanks for your comment! I wouldn’t give up just because the book is long. Many novels have been published within that range. You might want to check out this list of historical fiction publishers, review their guidelines, and see if there might be a good fit!
good points to keep in mind as I keep rewriting till I think I’m ready to submit again
Hi Afiena, I hope you find this info helpful as you revise! You’re always welcome to submit again.
This information was eye opening. My manuscript was rejected, but I like to find out why so I can fix it. This helps me understand a couple of reasons why it might have been. Also, I have two self-published books which are the first two in a series, and the third has yet to be published. This info has given me a new focus to work on my first one again and submit it. Is there any issues if it also has an audible version?
Hi Brett, I’m so glad you found these insights helpful! :) no, that shouldn’t be an issue if you self-published
Thanks for the new way you do things. I wonder where you got all this writing energy from. There is so much ❤️ heart to help writers in you and your publishing proposals are the best out there. I also see a lot of quality and professionalism in what you do. I appreciate the respect you have for your clients.
My book was rejected by your company but I will be back with a better work.
Kind regards.
Thank you for these kind words, Emeka! Helping writers and readers is why we do what we do :) we look forward to reviewing your work again in the future.
Thanks for the tips on how to prepare writing work for submission.
You’re welcome Zephania, hope it helps! :)
if the problem lies within you, then the solution lies within you too.
Loved this
Thanks for your comment, Gisele! We’re glad you enjoyed the post :)
A very helpful post…thanks a lot. One question- can the same manuscript be resubmitted after imptivement to the same agent/ publisher who rejected it earlier?
Hi Meenakshi, thanks for your comment! that varies by publisher and agent, but here we would consider it