Thursday Thirteen
Thirteen Ways to get Instantly Rejected
1. Bad grammarz skillz!!1!!1!
2. Over-punctuation
3. Using words that don’t exist
4. Using the wrong form of words that sound the same
5. Overuse of words like that, just, seemed, however…
6. Submitting a story that seems a little too much like the latest bestseller
7. Submitting a handwritten manuscript
8. Submitting a manuscript written in marker or crayon
9. Submitting a manuscript on anything but white paper in the size the publisher requested.
10. Perpetual revisions of your work
11. Submitting more than the publisher asked for
12. Submitting less than the publisher asked for
13. Submitting to the wrong publisher
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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August 30th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Even though I worked as a reader at an agency a bunch of years ago (long story; don’t ask) and saw a number of these mistakes, it’s still hard to believe that people do them.
Can I add one more? Refuse to hear constructive criticism (why does that look funny? Did I mis-spell it? I’m watching with half an eye for the kindergarten carpool, so forgive me if I did!)
August 30th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I wish that I had mad grammar skillz.
Seriously though, all good points. Perpetual revision sounds rather like the Perfectionism problem. You have to know when to let go.
Susan’s right about the constructive criticism thing. I have learned to go away and think about constructive criticism instead of instinctively flinching.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Susan - It is hard to believe sometimes, but so it goes. And amen to refusing to hear criticism. That’s why I always tell people beforehand that I have no friends when I edit.
Elisa - I thought you’d like that one.
Yes, perpetual revision keeps you from ever taking the chance that you could get rejected. Unfortunately, that means you never get published, either.
September 1st, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Great list. Avoiding these kind of simple mistakes is the first step to having your work taken seriously.
September 1st, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Thank you. I’m glad you liked it.