Do’s and Don’ts

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