#42: 10 Reasons Why Novels Get Rejected

In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through 10 common reasons why manuscripts are rejected by publishers. Here's a preview of what's included: [02:05] After a rejection, you don't have to wait before making your next move. You can get to work right away and figure out what’s wrong with your draft so that you can fix it and resubmit your story. [02:25] Reason #1: The category or genre isn’t the right fit for the agent or the publisher. Usually, this means the author didn't do their research. [03:40] Reason #2: The submission materials are full of bad mechanics (aka poor grammar and spelling) and lackluster writing. [05:15] Reason #3: The author doesn’t know who their target audience is or, even worse, they say their story is for everyone. [07:15] Reason #4: The story world isn’t pulling its weight, or it doesn't feel organic. [08:300] Reason #5: The high-level story summaries are weak or all over the place. [10:15] Reason #6: The characters aren't unique or interesting. They don't pull readers in and get them invested in the story. [11:30] Reason #7: The author lacks a strong voice. [12:25] Reason #8: The plot of the story is predictable or cliche. Usually, this is because your characters are flat or predictable. [14:20] Reason #9: The theme of the story is overbearing and it reads like a lecture. [15:40] Reason #10: The story fails to deliver a powerdul emotional experience to readers. [17:30] Key points and episode recap. Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts Are you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode! Especially because I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. So, click here to subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts! If you're already a subscriber, and if you enjoy the show, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Those reviews help other writers find my podcast and they’re also super fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the show is. Thanks in advance! Links Mentioned in This Episode: How to Identify Your Story's Ideal Reader (article and podcast) How to Test an Idea Before Writing a Draft (article) How to Create Memorable Characters Using Hooks (article and podcast) 5 Questions to Help You Write Better Characters (article and podcast) How to Write a Well-Structured Scene (article and podcast) How to Uncover the Theme of Your Story (article and podcast) FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author! Support the show