A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Among the Reasons for Turning Down a Book -- Arrogance

 

(photo by Frank Perez)

It is Tuesday. Time to tall turkey. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.

Today's topic shares an important reason for a book being turned down by an acquisitions editor. While there are almost as many reasons for turning down a manuscript as there are manuscripts submitted, there is one reason that has nothing (or very little) to do with the manusciprt. It has to do with the author, and it comes across in the proposal, the cover letter, or the enote (if emailed), or in all of them. That trait is arrogance, and it will turn off an editor before the editor even reads the manuscript. After all, a publisher has to work with an author, and if they dynamics are poor, it will be difficult to get a good book out. Here are some actual examples of arrogance that resulted in an acquisitions editor turning down a book.

• Editors make recommendations honestly and seriously. Authors can learn by listening to editors. When an author gets a chance to adapt or change something that an editor points out as a defect, the author is best served by making the change or at least by asking for clarification. in this case, however, the author wrote back, "Well, editors often mess with me, so I am keeping it as is." This is a wrong attitude on so many levels! 
• Editors do not mess with authors. They have no reason to do that. They have no time to do that.
• This tells an editor that an author is unwilling to listen to an editor who knows much more about publishing than does an author.
• This attitude also tells an editor that building a good working relationship (required for the publishing process) will not be possible.
• The editor did not reply, and the manuscript went into the trash.
• The second example contains two instances of arrogance, enough to lose immediately any interest on the part of an acquisitions editor. In this case, the editor had pointed out that the book was "flat" -- and it was. Nearly 80% of the verbs were linking verbs (is, was, will be) -- no action there. Boring. While the acquisitions editor was illing to work with the author, suggesting he get some assistance from a developmental editor, the response completely eradicated his chances of getting his book published though had he listened to ther acquisitions editor, he might have had a strong book currently in hand. Instead, he has nothing yet. In brief, his response, using linking verbs in italics to point out his support of them, was "You will be missing one of the greatest opportunities in the history of publishing. This book is extraordinary. It is destined to be one of the greatest bestsellers there is." And on it went for an incredibly long, essentially meaningless enote filled with the verb, to be. So, the editor put that note the trash, its most deserving location, and placed the name of the author on a far-too-long list of authors too arrogant to work with. This author blew his chances in more than one way.
• If he treats one editor this way, he will treat all editors this way. So, at some point, he will likely give up and self-publish a subpar book.
• He does not know what he does not know when it comes to writing; he is not a good writer but fancies he is one and becomes defensive when examples of poor writing are point out; he loses out by not learning how to be a better writer.
• The editor was pointing out ways to make his book be more attractive to readers; he lost the opportunity to improve his manuscript and, later, sales.
• As with the author in example 1 above, no editor wants to work with an arrogant author; there are many more humble authors out there who are more rewarding to work with.
• The third example was a previously self-published author, seeking a traditional publisher to republish his work or a second edition of his work. When the editor pointed out a few ways he could improve his book and talked about his platform, be became defensive and pointed out his great Kirkus review of his book. The editor pointed out things in the review that would cause any professional publisher or reviewer to consider the review to have given a mediocre assessment of the book. The author pushed back, said that the editor had no idea how wonderful the book and the review were, and pulled his proposal, making it easy for the editor, who would otherwise have turned it down. Not surprisingly, the author ended up self-publishing yet another time. He damaged his possibilities for a traditionally published book in much the same way as the previous two aiuthors.
• No editor wants to work with an author who will not listen.
• He does not know what he does not know when it comes to reviews, and he lost a gerat chance to learn, one that would have stood him in good stead long term.

Authors who are humble and who are willing to listen to editors and to learn fare much better. At our publishing house, we have published mroe than a half dozen books that we originally turned down, suggesting that the author work with a developmental editor. These authors did just that and brought back not only a publishable book but one that won kudos in the media and awards in competition.

Want to read another post on a related topic? Click HERE..

Lesson for today's Tuesday talk: Humility trumps arrogance every single time.
Stay humble if an editor suggests you need outside help for your book. Work with a developmental editor (rather than a ghost writer) and learn. This will help not only with the quality of your current book but also put you in a position to write good future books.

 Read more posts about publishing HERE.

The Tuesday talks reflect real discussions between the management of MSI Press LLC and our own authors or those would-be authors who come through our doors but don't make the cut--yet. If you have a topic you would like to see addressed, leave the question in the comment section. Chances are, in our 17 years of publishing first-time and experiences authors, we have had a conversation with one of our authors that we can share with you.