The Rules Do Apply to You

[erastes]

Writers: if you make resolutions this year, make one of them to READ THE WORDS carefully.

It amazes me how many people do not. I'm just as guilty as anyone else, especially with firing off emails without checking them through. I sent a submission to Penguin last year with the sentence: "I hope this will peak your interest" in it. In fact I'd changed it from peek to peak because I couldn't work out which one it was. It wasn't until I'd hit send and done other emails (therefore making it impossible to get back) when I remembered the third spelling of the word. Headdesk. Senior moment, probably, but I doubt the editor bothered to read my partial after that gaffe. Time and effort wasted, and as far as I know I may have blotted my copybook with Penguin for ever.

But I'm not just talking about editing, I'm talking mainly about submission processes. When I was in the panel accepting stories for the I DO! anthology, it staggered us all how many authors not only sent very unedited and unbeta-ed work in, but that, clearly, they had not read the guidelines of the anthology itself and many stories that we got in were unsuitable for that publication.

Similarly when people would apply to join the Erotic Authors' Association—now in the hands of Kathleen Bradean—they would either not bother to read the joining instructions or perhaps they thought that the instructions could not POSSIBLY apply to them! No back up email address ("I don't have one" was the commonest excuse) – they would simply say "you can find out about my work on my website" when I had stated I wanted specific links – and  often they weren't even published, despite it being very clear about that. I had in fact changed the guidelines to make them incredibly clear because I noticed from the first month that people didn't seem to follow the instructions. But it didn't make much difference however clear they were.

They do the same for Speak Its Name too, despite there being very clear submission for review guidelines on the site, I get review submissions that are heterosexual and contemporary or fantasy…Some authors bypass me entirely and send their manuscript to the reviewer who did their last book which is incredibly rude! That reviewer is likely busy (most of them are writers) or they may have even stopped reviewing for the site. Whatever—the guidelines SAY WHAT TO DO!! One thing I notice when I'm sending out my books for review is that every site will have some different instructions: some want a query only, some want submission online, some ask for an emailed version in a specific format, some want hard copies only…

so if you want what you are setting out to do—be it a submission for review, or submission to a publisher – MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS – however silly they may seem to YOU.

The rules DO apply to you. You are not a special snowflake.

Comments

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

I am!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

No, not even you, you strange little person.

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

Icon says no. :P

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

You're a special fruitcake.

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

Thenk You.

SEE. CHARLIE UNDERSTANDS MY SPESHUL!!!

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

Or, as I read on a t-shirt in Provincetown, "Your mother's wrong when she says you're special. You're just thick."

*mwah*

[baritonejeff.livejournal.com]

::headdesk::

Your example reminds me that I did that very same peek/peak/pique booboo in a recent post - or reply (I can't remember which.)

It didn't feel right at the time, but did I *do* anything about it?

*smacks self*

Even as a non-author, I am incredulous at your examples of stupidity when so much is at stake.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

picque just entirely went out of my head, it was a little scary!

:)

picque just entirely went out of my head

[baritonejeff.livejournal.com]

*whispers*

Well, if you *do* choose to use it, honey, you might want to lose the "c". *big wink*

Re: picque just entirely went out of my head

[erastes.livejournal.com]

lol - jusr as well i didnt!!!

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad it isn't just me does this...

[suebrownstories.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am so guilty of not reading before hitting send. I think my excitement gets in the way. I am trying to walk away and have a cup of tea first of all.

I feel like a special snowflake when faced with all these rules.

[beckyblack]

People don't read instructions - lots of people anyway. I've been haunting the UK Kindle discussion forum on Amazon the last few days. Now the Kindle is about as idiot proof as a device can be. No or minimal setup required, an instruction manual right there on the home screen, pages and pages of how tos on Amazon. Yet people are still coming on the forum and asking the most basic questions that the first page of the manual would have told them the answer to. Just RTFM! You arses! LOL, sorry. :D I mean I'm not saying I sit and read a manual cover to cover, but if I can't figure something out from poking it a bit I'll look it up.

[jenniferkoliver.livejournal.com]

The submission process terrifies me so much, I get everything beta read (sometimes multiple times) - including my own personal details. I don't know many folk who have their name beta read. *g*

But yes, this is great advice. And I hope Penguin weren't put off by your typo. It happens.

[aishabintjamil.livejournal.com]

I never cease to be amazed how many people just don't want to sweat the details. It's not just writers. I come across this all the time at work too.

One of my co-workers was bemoaning having to deal with the clients comments to a report which came out of another office. They flagged things like references to no-existent report sections. That document would *never* have been allowed to escape our office - we have a senior administrative person who is amazing when it comes to proof-reading and editing. (Wish I could afford to hire her to proofread my fiction on the side...) But the Carlsbad office did send it out, and now we're trying to fix it.

And don't even get me started about analytical laboratories, and their ability to follow directions and deliver results that have been through good quality control.