This is a list of commonly made errors and tips for the aspiring author.
Do’s
- Do have your piece shined up before approaching a publishing agent or trying direct submission.
- Just because there may be hope of a professional editor doesn’t mean you won’t be judged
- Nothing looks more unprofessional than spelling mistakes and bad grammar
- Do take advantage of pitch days on Twitter
- They happen periodically and are a great way to get noticed
- Follow the rules
- Don’t spam pitches
- Do research on each of the agents before you submit
- submit only if they represent your book’s genre
- know about success stories
- check social media for profiles
- Do conduct yourself as a professional
- Use appropriate language
- Properly format all correspondence
- Do enter contests
- winning notable awards can increase your chances of getting noticed
- Do find references
- Taking classes from creative writing professionals may lead to a better chance
Don’ts
- Don’t concentrate on a dream list of few publishing agents
- They may overlook you if you’re new
- Diversify and you may get noticed
- Don’t submit to more than one agent at a time
- Make your submissions unique
- Make the agent feel special
- Don’t spam agents
- Send periodically unless you get a flat rejection
- Not a good idea to agitate publishing agents as they are a tightly knit community
- Don’t fear rejection
- Keep on trucking with other agents
- Fix mistakes if a resubmit was called for
- Don’t give up hope
- Keep trying and meanwhile improve your piece
- try different approaches with Letters of Submission
