How to Guarantee You Will Not Be Published

Authors--ignore this post at your peril. It is a simple two-step process to guarantee you will not get your hard work published.

We received an email query letter to Savas Publishing and Consulting Group (my consulting business, the outgrowth of the original Savas Publishing). I know where it originated because of the unique email address. The prospective author (let's call him John), explained fairly well what his manuscript was about, why it was important and worthy of publication, and other pertinent information.

I sent back the following email:

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Dear John,

Thanks for taking the time to write.

Please do us a favor and go to www.savasbeatie.com, and follow the submission guidelines on that site. It is the only way we can keep up with and monitor the enormous number of submissions we receive each week.

Thanks so much.

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This is the email the author sent back:

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A rejection slip already, and I have not even submitted anything yet. I will file this under what will likely become a long list of rejections.

P. S. the only guideline I did not follow was submitting through Outlook Express, which does not function on my Machine. I did send my query through e-mail just as you asked. I did print out your SUBMISSIONS instructions, and feel that I followed them. I provided the information you requested.

Good bye.

John

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I posted on the submission process on November 12, 2007, and why following instructions is important not only for the author, but because of what it reveals to the acquisitions editor.

Note this paragraph from the November 12 posting: "Consequently, I have turned down many publishable manuscripts because of how authors present themselves. Unbeknownst to most writers, many of the hoops and mazes established to weed out manuscripts are also designed to weed out authors."

Unfortunately for the author, I had an immediate interest in his proposal. Until I read his response, that is. This is what I wrote back to him:

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What an interesting and insightful email, John.

Savas Beatie is the publishing wing of the consulting company. The email you used was not our submission email. You did not follow our submission guidelines. And then, you argue with a publisher who actually had an interest in your manuscript.

I can see why you are getting rejections.

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Argue and parse with the person who has the power to publish your manuscript. A smart, insightful strategy--if you really don't want to be published.