by Bethany Jett, @betjett

We’ve come to the last post in How to Get an Editor to Say Yes. We could fill a volume of books with editing tips and tricks, but today we’re going to focus on how to submit an article or story to an editor, for this is where great writing can still get denied. Today we’re going back to basics…how to format, submit, and follow up on your work.

Do Your Research

A common complaint of agents and editors is how often they receive submissions from people who didn’t take the time to do their research, like the writer addressing an editor as a man, when she is, in fact, a woman. Another way to get your story deleted from an inbox: send in something not related to what they accept. If the editor is looking for themed stories on fairy tale characters, don’t send them a World War II zombie story.

It doesn’t take much time to read an editor’s biography. Google-stalking is an art form these days. A few clicks of the mouse and you can read up on the person receiving your work. As simple and as common sense as this sounds, the initiative will impress the person on the other side of the screen.

Follow Submission Guidelines

During my time as Web Content Editor for Splickety, I was surprised at how many times people would submit stories yet fail to follow the guidelines for submission. The guidelines are there to make it easier for the people on the receiving end to go through your work and make a decision. When things are submitted properly, it throws a wrench into the works.

Failing to follow the guidelines is also a way for editors to weed out people who will be difficult to work with. If basic instructions can’t be followed properly, it’s unlikely that the person will listen to any constructive criticism or accepts edits or suggestions to make the story stronger. This isn’t a large leap–proving you can follow directions says a lot.

When you’re dealing with an editor at a publishing house, you may only have one chance to impress them—and this is an easy way to do that.

When Submission Guidelines Are Vague…

Use a Standard Format if None Listed

If the submission guidelines don’t state exactly how they want the work formatted, be sure to use standard guidelines: 12 point fonts, Times New Roman, with 1” margins, usually double-spaced (although this varies greatly depending on what exactly you’re submitting).

Comic Sans? Nada.

Crazy scripted fonts? This is not a wedding invitation.

Also, send your work in a Word document instead of pasting it into the body of the email. Otherwise it forces the person on the receiving end to move it over, and it’s a minor inconvenience that is frustrating when it has to be done over and over.

Offer a Cover Letter

A cover letter is a good idea. This information can be included in the body of an email, since you’re introducing yourself and inviting the editor to actually open your document. If you’ve met the person, remind them of where and anything that you chatted about that sets you a part. If the editor asked for the work specifically, share that. You were chosen!

Give Them Time…and Space

An editor’s inbox is never empty. Give him or her time to go through their inbox and read your work. Don’t send them follow-up emails until it’s been 2-3 weeks, and only if they don’t state information about following up in their guidelines. When you follow up, make it a gentle reminder. Don’t ask them any questions or give them a reason that they need to respond. Your follow up can be as simple as,

Dear Bethany,

I can only imagine how busy you must be. Per your request, I submitted a story for your It’s Great to be Alive series coming out in a few months. If for some reason it didn’t arrive, I’ll be happy to resend. Thanks for taking an interest in the story!

Sincerely,

Writer

Gentle reminder.

In this case, it gives the editor an opportunity to double check if the email got sent to the spam folder, or affirm that it did arrive. It’s not pushy and it’s not asking whether or not the story got accepted. It also puts you on the radar again. Honestly, emails get lost. They get deleted accidentally. They get buried under a pile of new submissions in the blink of an eye. Always be polite and give them time to get back to you.

This was a fun series to write, and while there are lots of great tips still to explore, I’d like to end with some tips from peers who were gracious enough to share!

Q: What Editing Tips Would You Add?

A: from Veronica Roxby Jorden, firstpagelastpage.com

I often edit stuff and wonder if the author took the time to read it out loud. Dialogue should flow and sound authentic. And it has to have a purpose: mood, emotion, and/or plot or character development. Otherwise it falls under Post #1’s tip #1…all non-essential words must be cut! —

I planned on discussing dialogue but I think it’s a series all on its own!

A: from Mike Loomis, MikeLoomis.CO

1. Does the opening sentence of each chapter grab the reader’s interest? You and your readers deserve a compelling opening line, like filmgoers deserve an opening scene that wows!

2. One space between sentences! 😉

3. Do a search for the following words, and replace them with more descriptive phrases: this, that, thing(s), these, those. (Of course there are times when these words are best, but they often point to text that can be illuminated more interestingly)

4. Don’t use the word “I” too much. How much is too much? Review with this in mind, and you’ll know.

A: from Courtney Cannon, fiction-atlas.com

There is an overuse of ‘as’ and ‘then’ and other filler words! Also, always use correct dialogue punctuation. I see so many people who close dialogue with a period and capitalize the tag.

As a special treat, professional editor and owner of The Peacock Quill Anna Floit was our guest on Writers Chat “From an Editor’s POV” last week. She gave tons of great tips for editing! You can catch the replay, as well as glean some tips from her post here.

Be sure to check out the other articles in the series:

Part One: Self-Editing Tips
Part Two: Avoiding Tattle-Tale Mode
Part Three: Correct Common Editing Mistakes

[reminder]What is your favorite editing tip?[/reminder]

Bethany Jett is an award-winning author of The Cinderella Rule, speaker, ghostwriter, and founder of JETTsetter Ink, a consulting and editing company. She has written for numerous publications, created the My Moments Planner, Serious Writer Companion, and is the founder of Serious Writer Academy and the Build Your Brand Program.

Bethany is a military wife and all-boys-mama who is addicted to suspense novels and all things girly. She writes on living a brilliant life at BethanyJett.com. Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest,  Instagram, and Twitter.