I have been working with History Through Fiction as an Acquisitions Editor for over a year now, and I love it! HTF is a small press publishing well researched and immersive historical fiction. You can see more about the press, its mission, and see whether we might be a good fit for you here.

In this post I will share with you, dear readers, the biggest mistakes I see writers making when they query us with their manuscripts. What is interesting to note, and please take this in, rejection does not mean that your writing is bad or that we don’t like your story. It honestly sometimes means we are not a good fit and that if you found the right fit, you would get a different answer. 

Below are the top 5 mistakes I see writers making when they submit. As my former choir director was fond of saying, consider the possibility that it might be you...

#5—Not connecting the reader to your main character

It is vital that the opening connect the reader to the main character. This does not mean that the main character has to be likeable, but it does mean they have to be relatable. If there is no connection, the reader doesn’t care what happens to them, and will stop reading.

#4—Not planting curiosity seeds/giving the reader a reason to keep reading

Another way to make sure the reader does not want to keep reading is to write the opening so that there is nothing to be curious about. Try not to over explain. Give just enough context. Leave a question or two hanging for future resolution.

#3—Beginning the novel with backstory

Please, I am begging you, do not stuff backstory into the opening. It doesn’t go there. The reader does not need the backstory up front to understand what is happening if you are writing an interesting story. Backstory is like salt. You need just a little to bring out the character motivations, but too much makes the meal inedible or the book unreadable.

#2—the query and the pages don’t match

There are loads of workshops that teach people how to write great queries. Problem is, if the pages don’t match, it doesn’t matter how great the query is. Write a great novel to go with your great query.

#1—Querying too soon.

Okay, I hate to say it, but it’s true. Most writers query too soon. In the past, books could be less ready to go and still get picked up by agents or editors, and there are plenty of agents who still do editorial before they send an author’s work out on submission. 

Here's the hard truth, though. Those days are mostly past. If we’re being honest, they only existed for a few lucky people anyway.

You’ll know if you’ve queried too soon by the feedback you get. Usually something about the story being confusing, not connecting with the characters, perhaps that the stakes aren’t high enough or don’t continue to rise. Maybe the plot sags in the middle or it takes too long to get going. If you get similar feedback from several agents or editors, then it might be time to take a look and see if what they are saying has some truth in it. 

The good news is that you can probably do some work and try again. Lots of authors have stories of landing an agent or an editor after getting over fifty rejections. You can, too. Of course, there are no guarantees in life, or in publishing, but getting some “no” answers does not mean you’ll never get a “yes!” 

Focus on your craft and make the book the best you can. Consider getting some editorial help from a reputable editor or coach, maybe find some trusty beta readers. If getting a traditional deal matters to you, do the work. If you are writing for fun, then enjoy the process and do what makes you happy. 

Either way, understand why you write. Is it for you? Is it for readers? Is it something else? When you understand your purpose, it makes the bumps easier to take.

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