What makes my story better then yours

[Cayal]

A thought occurred to me...yes it happens once in awhile.

I am writing a book, I intend to send it to a publisher with the hopes of getting it published. As I think about this, a thought hits me. What makes my book any better then those thousands whose are rejected on a weekly basis.

I just can't imagine that something I write is better in terms of style, quality, story, interest or anything that would set me above the rest of the rag tag group attempting to get something published but are rejected.
It's quite a scary thought, and a valid thought, why is my story better?

 

[thatollie]

Better than mine, um, it's already been written. Mine hasn't.

 

[Cayal]

It's half written, but not really the point

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

You just write the best story that you can. (How you achieve that is for you to decide. A dozen rewrites? A critique group? More research?) Once you have done that, whether it is good enough to catch the eye of an agent or editor is for them to decide.

Of the thousands that are rejected on a weekly basis, the vast majority are truly wretched. If you put enough effort into your writing, yours will leap from that category into a much more select one. There will still be plenty of competition, of course, but if you're rejected at least you will be in good company ...

 

[Cayal]

I guess I just find it hard to imagine that people submit absolutely horrible work that mine could be better (which mine may never be).

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I notice that you capitalize the word "I." You're already better than some people who submit their stories.

 

[Culhwch]

Funny, I don't find it hard to imagine people send off tear-inducingly terrible submissions at all...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I, alas, do not have to imagine, having seen some of them.

 

[Cayal]

A friend of mine does some proof reading for aspiring writers, she says she gets a lot of horrible stuff.

She is also sick of Vampire stories. lol.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I'll bet she is.

Having just embarked on my own career as a freelance editor, I hasten to add that my previous remarks do not in any way refer to anything I have yet seen in that capacity.

But when I was an editor at a small press magazine many years ago -- yes, even before the current vampire craze had begun -- the number of vampire and werewolf stories we received was amazing. I feel certain that the number being produced now that vampires and werewolves are all the craze must boggle the mind.

 

[Culhwch]

I'm working on a novel about a vampire novelist who's finding it hard to get a publisher for his novel about a werewolf novelist. It's very post-modern, I'm pretty sure it'll be a bestseller.

 

[J Riff]

Maybe it isn't any better. But the next one might be. I started writing in the sixties. In the 70s I had some mild success, but was unable to follow through.. ( $ ) !!!!!
Then I cranked off some stuff in the 90s...heyyyy, much better ! But still learning how to write a real full-length novel.
Now I am probably ready to be published, if I'm ever going to be.. Woo-haa. Woop.
Did you notice the 40 years of practice and experience-garnering ? I didn't plan on that.
Was there ever a famous writer ( particularly SciFi ) who didn't collect rejection slips ?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm working on a novel about a vampire novelist who's finding it hard to get a publisher for his novel about a werewolf novelist. It's very post-modern, I'm pretty sure it'll be a bestseller.

Throw in a horny teenage girl in love with said werewolf, and you're good to go...

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Throw in a horny teenage girl in love with said werewolf, and you're good to go...

Don't forget the rivalry fight between the vampire and werewolf. Can't forget that instantly classic rolleyes cliche.





Honestly, what was that one woman thinking, writing the Twilight series? Sure it might be popular worldwide, but it's such a piece of tripe filled with such ancient cliches and stereotypes that it should be thrown back into the Civil War era.

 

[chrispenycate]

What makes my story better then yours

Than, not then! (Sorry about that. It's this place; it has made all those nits stick out even more than before.)

I, for one, am going to make dead sure mine is above average before submitting something. If I can't have that sort of confidence in the product I'm trying to sell, how can I hope to convince anyone else.

The problem with that is (he says from his experience in the music industry, not identical but with many parallels) that the ones delivering the worst, most unreadable crud are frequently filled with the same holy fire of conviction that this is the greatest work put to paper since (add classical reference to taste, but avoid the King James bible, as few recognise the sheer writing standard involved). How can I be certain I'm not one of these deluded souls, buoyed up by the complements of family and sycophants? (Well, I suppose I could send it to Theresa to be deflated, if I could afford it. And I have confidence in it being grammatically correct, if incomprehensible.)

It's no use losing confidence in your oeuvre before it is even finished; there will be criticism enough and more when you are ready to release it to an unsuspecting world. And then you will have to defend it against those who know they could have done so much better if they had taken the time to write, push it out of the nest and see if those wings were strong enough to outfly and outdodge the predators. And do so with confidence that you've done all that was in your power to prepare it.

 

[The Judge]

Cayal, perhaps your work isn't better than theirs. Perhaps yours simply catches a wave of a new sub-genre -- heaven knows that seems to be the case if you look at some of the tripe being published.

On the other hand, I have seen some of the stuff which has been self-published, and presumably these people have first hawked their work round to agents and have been rejected. And believe me, Cayal, despite a couple of bloopers in your opening post you have already shown yourself to be a better writer than they are! So if they are representative of what reaches an agent's desk, you're already in the top 20%. How to move up to be in the top 1%? Work on your writing. And then work on it some more. Then have someone whom you can trust look at it and give you objective advice. Then work on it again.

 

[Toby Frost]

Ok, let's imagine we are looking at a pile of manuscripts. I'm no expert here, but I wonder what percentage of them could be eliminated by:

* basic illiteracy - grammar, punctuation, and so on
* failure to follow or even read the submission guidelines (this may seem unfair of agents and publishers, but would you want to start a business relationship with someone who ignored the first thing you ever said to them?)
* lunacy (what better way to expose the Freemason/alien-space-lizard conspiracy than to write a book about it? In green ink?)
* fundamental errors in storytelling (bad characterisation, dated style, etc)
* boring or unoriginal plot (see above for vampire fanfic)
* just sent to the wrong place (many agents won't take SF - check!)

I should think a fair proportion of scripts will be knocked out on one or all of these grounds.

Your manuscript will have none of these flaws, because you are being professional about it. Also, now that these negative factors are out the equation, your story will hold up by being not just acceptable but good, because you have taken advice, edited, researched and generally done the work. You will not just have put your thoughts on paper, or decided "that'll do", but have made every part of the book as good as you can get it. That doesn't mean that you will be automatically accepted, but you will have greatly raised the chances.

 

[chopper]

Ok, let's imagine we are looking at a pile of manuscripts. I'm no expert here, but I wonder what percentage of them could be eliminated by:

at least 98%, by everything i've read and heard.

 

[kurzon]

I am writing a book, I intend to send it to a publisher with the hopes of getting it published. As I think about this, a thought hits me. What makes my book any better then those thousands whose are rejected on a weekly basis.

I just can't imagine that something I write is better in terms of style, quality, story, interest or anything that would set me above the rest of the rag tag group attempting to get something published but are rejected.
It's quite a scary thought, and a valid thought, why is my story better?

Your story will almost certainly be better than some submissions - a fact which is clear from your use of punctuation, correct spelling, and fully-formed sentences.

You will have a certain amount of natural talent. Some have more, some have less. You will produce work of a quality which is a result of combining that talent with however much work you've put into learning the craft.

And when you complete the book, you'll put in a drawer for a month or two, then re-read it and change all the things which suddenly stand out as wrong. And then you'll circulate it among friends or a critique group, and they'll tell you things which they think are wrong and you will decide whether or not you agree with them.

And then you'll decide you're ready, and send to agents or publishers, and agonise over your query letter, and the agents/publishers will read your letter and your sample chapters and their own personal tastes and prejudices will come into play and they will accept or reject, and if they reject they might give you some feedback (though most won't).

Your book will match up with some agent/publisher's tastes, or it won't. But finish step one before deciding whether it will or not. And even if you see into the future and know that it won't, finish the book anyway. Finishing the book is fun.

 

[Cayal]

But when I was an editor at a small press magazine many years ago -- yes, even before the current vampire craze had begun -- the number of vampire and werewolf stories we received was amazing. I feel certain that the number being produced now that vampires and werewolves are all the craze must boggle the mind.

Build it and they will come...or in this case write it and angsty teens will read it.

Honestly, what was that one woman thinking, writing the Twilight series? Sure it might be popular worldwide, but it's such a piece of tripe filled with such ancient cliches and stereotypes that it should be thrown back into the Civil War era.

Yes it is tripe, but it sells and she probably has a bed stuffed with $100s.

I've always thought to best way to sell a book is to appeal to kids and what they like (Harry Potter, The Wiggles). Simple things/ideas and look at them.

Than, not then! (Sorry about that. It's this place; it has made all those nits stick out even more than before.)

I, for one, am going to make dead sure mine is above average before submitting something. If I can't have that sort of confidence in the product I'm trying to sell, how can I hope to convince anyone else.

I guess my issue is whether it is above average. Sure people have read drafts of it and really liked it but is it above average. At least my friend will be able to help who is proof reading it.

It's no use losing confidence in your oeuvre before it is even finished; there will be criticism enough and more when you are ready to release it to an unsuspecting world. And then you will have to defend it against those who know they could have done so much better if they had taken the time to write, push it out of the nest and see if those wings were strong enough to outfly and outdodge the predators. And do so with confidence that you've done all that was in your power to prepare it.

You are right and all I can do is my best. If it fails, at least I did the most I could and can learn from it.