What Editors Want

Well formatted manuscripts that scream out, "I'm well-presented. Read me!"

 

Well structured book proposals (Don't know what a book proposal is? Click here).

 

Information on writers and their writing history, however miniscule. This lets them know where you're coming from and where they can take you.

 

Teachable writers who do not profess to know all and are willing to learn. Be unteachable and nobody will want to work with you. The publishing industry is small and the Christian publishing industry even smaller. Word gets round quickly.

 

Writers that read. You can differentiate between a reading writer and non-reader. The latter grows as a person and as a writer. The former remains at a certain level, convinced they know it all.

 

Writers who understand they're also sales people. They come up with promotion ideas for their books and don't expect their publisher's publicity department to do it all. And for the record, they wouldn't do it all. They have other books to promote in addition to yours. As much as they would love to devote all their time to your book, they can't. Yours is one of fifty to a hundred they're publishing that year. Larger sized publishers come out with a few hundred and others thousands. You do the maths.

 

Writers who understand their editors also work with other writers and don't bombard them with emails just because they didn't immediately reply your last email to them.

 

Writers who understand that writer's guidelines are there for a purpose; to guide the writer. Why send a Christian fiction novel to a publisher that only publishes erotic fiction?

 

Writers who understand that Christian publishers are also people who operate in the real world. So give them a break. If they send back your manuscripts saying they're not interested for whatever reason, accept it and move on.

 

Humble writers who seek to edify the Church with their gift. I am a published writer and editor of www.christianwriter.co.uk and I am astonished at the arrogance of some unpublished writers. They contend they don't want to work with Christian publishers because they lack the market power of mainstream publishers. And they wonder why they remain unpublished.

 

Writers with feet firmly on the ground. Writing is hard work. Any ideas about writing in the Scottish Highlands and being at one with God and nature must be firmly shoved out of the window. Writing is a job and a ministry just as being a pastor is a job and a ministry.

 

Resilient writers. Keep at it. You’ll get published one day!