Submissions - Page 2

Dear Wendy…

Indeed it is acceptable . . . under certain circumstances. The best scenario has the editor or agent giving specific revision suggestions along with an invite to resubmit should you revise along those lines. But even without an invitation, if you’ve revised the manuscript significantly (that word is important, because they didn’t say “no” due to surface problems—they’d probably work on those with you if that were the case), you can resubmit it with a note in your query letter saying, “I’ve changed the manuscript significantly since you last saw it and hope you’ll be open to taking another look.” If they’re not, they won’t. No skin off any noses.

Happy writing!

The Editor

Dear Sally…

Get to editors by getting in the loop. Join the main writer’s group(s) for your category/genre, then actively monitor the group’s online forums and newsletters and attend its events. Suddenly you’ll have chances to connect with editors. At group chapter meetings, guest editors may invite attendees to submit a manuscript, bypassing their houses’ “no unsolicited submissions” policies. At group conferences, faculty editors do one-on-one critiques (for a fee). At small group workshops, faculty editors work directly with the attendees on their manuscripts. And in group newsletters, editors post alerts whenever they suspend the “no unsolicited submissions” policy (usually when they’re switching houses). Get in a loop.

Happy writing!

The Editor

Dear Sue…

The choppiness may result from jumping around in an effort to account for all the details and characters. Synopses aren’t exhaustive, particularly if the story is a complicated one with a large cast. When the editor is ready for the full skinny, she’ll read the manuscript itself. For now, she’s looking for a summary of your main plot and main character arc. That’s it. So, in two or three pages, tell her what the main character needs or wants to achieve, what threatens the MC enough to kick-start the story, what steps the MC takes to achieve that goal, and what challenges the MC overcomes to get there. Walk the editor through those chapter by chapter, using direct statements. You’re telling at this point, not showing: “In this chapter, MC does X and it worsens her problem by X.” If you’re well short of 2 to 3 pages, you can trace a subplot through the chapters, too. But only do that if the subplot is essential to understanding the main plot’s path. After that framework’s in place, go back and massage the chapter rundown into a smooth story of your story. A hint of your narrative tone can sneak in now, and you can work in sentence variety. The result is a synopsis that does its job and shows off your writing mastery at the same time.

Happy writing!

The Editor