by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted

As a lead managing editor, one of my jobs was acquisitions. It’s the most challenging part because I spent a lot of time saying no thank you. There are multiple explanations for why I was forced to pass on a manuscript. Rejections fall into many categories, from poor writing to demanding and insulting authors.

I’ve spent time developing new classes for conferences, and it became increasingly evident one of those new classes needed to focus on how authors kill their writing opportunities. It’s important to know the way I chose to give rejections. When a writer received a rejection from me, I wanted to explain why they were rejected. We all want to know why, and offering that kindness to an author only took a minute. I also included a shortlist of suggestions and a bit of encouragement. No, I did not do a critique. Instead, I made a few short one-line suggestions that jumped out at me, i.e., “Watch your tenses.” It took a little time, but this is how I handled the ways I offered rejections. I’ve received those rejections hundreds of times, and regardless of the kindness used, a rejection hurts. A touch of encouragement is never wrong.

Here are five ways guaranteed to kill your publishing opportunity.

Social Media Blindness tops my list. I recently sent a rejection to an author with the suggestion to build a website, work to make a presence on social media, and guest blog. Her response was, “I don’t like social media. It’s self-promotion.”

Social media is just what the name says. Social. If you head into social media intending to advertise your book, and all you do is wave a flag saying buy my book, then Dorothy, click away on those shoes, but your red slippers will not get you home. Be social on social media. Make friends, reply to posts, and genuinely make an effort to know others. My rule of thumb is to make ten-plus posts for others or enjoyable things and one post as an update on my upcoming book. People will follow you because you are genuine. Post memes and share fun things and personal tidbits. Stay away from controversial topics and allow your friends to break from the world’s junk. Some of my highest-ranking posts are when I share personal mishaps. Not only are they funny, but folks can relate. Publishers are not asking you to self-promote. They are asking you to build a following of friends who love you so that when your book is published, they will want to read it. Again, I say. Be social.

“I’m too old to learn new marketing and apps” rates number 2. I’m definitely over 60, so this is not an excuse. It may be true that my six-year-old grandson can do more with a computer than me, but I’m willing to try to learn. You are never too old.

A few years back, we contracted a book with an 89-year-old woman. It was a great little devotional and humorous, and it hit the market for seniors. As we sat telling this elderly author she needed to make a presence on social media, her sweet hand shook as she took notes. I’ll never forget her response. “Don’t have a clue what you just said, but I’ll get my grandson to help me.” And she did. She went home and enlisted the help of her grandson, who set her up on Facebook and Goodreads, and to this day, the woman is constantly on the web. The point is – she was willing to make an effort. Also, Liz was there for every opportunity to set up a book table and sell books. She’s praying for folks on Facebook, sharing her family outings, and telling funny things that happened to her as an aging senior. People love her. And by the way, she was 97. My question is, what is your excuse? Miss Liz runs circles around all of us. Her books are not bestsellers, but the woman is a worker. If we suggested she try a new method to sell her books, she would grab that grandson, and off they’d go. Age is not an excuse, but the heart is everything.

“God told me you were the one” finds its spot as number 3. I don’t doubt God speaks to others. He is, after all, God. But the truth is, this comes across as a manipulative guilt tactic. What God tells you and what He speaks to me are two different things. To quote singer/songwriter Rich Mullins, “God hasn’t told me yet, and until He does, it just won’t happen.” I pray over every submission and trust God will lead me with personal discernment and good common sense. I once had a man preach to me how terrible I was for rejecting his manuscript. God had told him I was the one to publish his book. It didn’t matter that we didn’t publish YA. The point was that his attempt to guilt an editor was not the way to win an opportunity to publish. The publishers and editors I work with across the country are all believers. They pray daily over their jobs and the work they receive, seeking guidance and personal counsel. This is not fair, nor is it professional.

“I WANT this done, now!” would be number 4. In the mountains, there’s an adage, “Don’t burn no bridges on your way to town.” Simply put, play nice because you won’t be invited to play again if you don’t. Perhaps this age of entitlement presses this attitude to the forefront. Authors, who, once they have a contract in hand, turn nasty. Suddenly, they know what is best for the publishing industry and their book. Did you know a manuscript no longer belongs to the author once a book contract is signed? It’s now the property of the publisher. Publishers want authors involved in the process of publishing. It’s what makes the book unique, so trust them. Their years of experience in marketing, editing, and publishing far exceed a new author’s. Publishers aren’t in the business of causing a book to fail. Spending time arguing with a demanding author who thinks they have all the answers is costly. A publisher may complete the project and work hard to sell it because they are financially invested, but rejection is probably inevitable when a second manuscript crosses their desk from a harsh author. Don’t burn bridges on your way to town. An attitude like this will follow you all across the industry.

Multiple emails sending the corrected, corrected file win the final spot. I will only say this. Before you hit send, be sure the work is 1) Right. 2) The best it can be. 3) The correct file. I’ve done it myself, grabbed the wrong file. It happens. But when you are submitting, you must pay attention. Set a new folder on your desktop. Label it Final Work, then save your final copy there. When I worked for a veterinarian, he taught me always to do a three-count when filling a prescription. Read the prescription, check the bottle, and count the pills. Do that three times before you bag it for the customer. It’s a good practice for authors, too. Check it three times before you send it. Nothing makes you look less professional than multiple emails that are incorrect.

Take these things and ponder them. How can an author improve their opportunities if they don’t know what issues need to be addressed? Give yourself every reasonable chance to become published, and don’t kill the opportunity.

Cindy K. Sproles is an author, speaker, and conference teacher. Having served for a number of years as a managing editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and Ironstream Media, Cindy now works as a mentor, coach, and freelance editor. She is the co-founder of Writing Right Author Mentoring Services with Lori Marett and the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Cindy is also the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and www.christiandevotions.us, as well as www.inspireafire.com. Her devotions are in newspapers and magazines nationwide, and her novels have become award-winning, best-selling works. She is a popular speaker at conferences and a natural encourager. Cindy is a mountain girl, born and raised in the Appalachian mountains, where she and her husband still reside. She has raised four sons and now resorts to raising chickens where the pecking order is easier to manage. You can visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com or www.wramsforwriters.com.