I can’t believe it! I know the line is a cliché but just when I thought we’d either won the war or at least gained a respite by people actually starting to follow our submissions guidelines, along comes someone with another way to ignore them.
This author has sent us two stories as two separate submissions. The subject of the e-mail is correct, the name of the attached (correctly formatted) document is correct.
Full stop.
That’s it. The body of the e-mail is blank. Nothing.
Our guidelines read:
“The body of the e-mail should contain all your contact details, pen name (where applicable), a brief bio, the word count of your manuscript and its genre. A short (but not chapter by chapter) synopsis should also be included.”
Now I accept, you could possibly read the synopsis part other than intended, and include the synopsis as either an additional document or as at the start of the main document. Some authors have done this and we’ve accepted them.
One even attached a document entitled “synopsis and author bio” as well as the manuscript itself which we accepted, on the basis we’re prepared to be flexible.
In fact this author, once we’d gone hunting for them, had included a synopsis at the front of each manuscript, and on one of them the contact details were included in the page header of every single page! The problem is – I can’t find any bio anywhere.
I ask you, am I going to be predisposed to accepting this manuscript given the author has decided to be obtuse about following simple guidelines and made me work unnecessarily?
I feel a tightening of the guidelines coming up again!
You have been warned.
David, Why are you hunting them down? I don't mean to be rude, but if people can't follow the guidelines thier work should not be read. I don't know of any other agents or publishers who woould take the time to hunt someone down. Your time is money. Don't waste it!
ReplyDeleteProbably cos I'm too nice.
ReplyDeleteLOL