What it says

[onyxhawke]

When you submit to someone, be it an editor, or an agent please remember that this is the first thing they see of what it is like to work with you. Even if they know you personally, have enjoyed talking to you at a convention, or are the parent of their child's best friend, none of those is a professional relationship. Please note the "w" word, its important. While the author - agent and author - editor relationships are a bit different from the way that members of the same engineering team, military unit, or even coffee house staff will relate, they are all business relationships. There are numerous things that go into making any working relationship a good one. Liking the person isn't necessary, nor is sharing the same pastimes. On the other hand, knowledge of the field you are working in is important, and competence is key.

 

Paramount above these two virtues and probably all others of a working relationship is professional respect. This does not mean you have to worship the ground the other person walks upon, or sing peaon's to them daily, it just means doing the little things. So when you submit to someone, and you've ignored, or not bothered to even read the submission guidelines; what does it say? It says you don't have any respect for that individual's professionalism or their abilities. Now the person picking up or downloading that submission is forming a, usually accurate, opinion of you. Where they ask for twelve point Times New Roman, and you've used fourteen point Courier you've achieved strike one. When they say double spaced and your novel is single spaced you're at strike two. If your cover letter starts with 'Dear Sir or Madam' or perhaps 'To Whom it may concern', when the submission guidelines clearly state the persons name well, I can count to three.

 

The nice thing about being the agent or editor is that we don't have to put up with people who do the equivalent of showing up for a job interview (in the simplest terms that is what a submission is) that looks like they rolled out of bed after too little sleep, too many potables, and wearing the same clothes they attended last nights outdoor concert in. We can simply say “Your work does not meet our needs at this time." and be done.

 

Do you want to work with anyone who doesn't respect you?

Need I say more?

(edited to correct one or two things)
Second edit
[Note to self, don't try writing or editing anything quickly in a bad mood.]

 

Comments

[archangelbeth]

I've done it a few times.

Those authors no longer write for the line.

(It does go both ways. I do like usually being on the same wavelength as the Big Boss.)

(Tip for newer authors: if the online guidelines say "No HTML email," make very sure that you are not using HTML email. My eyes are screwed up enough already. I'm not reading any Arial 6-point.)

So, of course, I'm always paranoid like woah when I can't find guidelines, terrified that I'm going to screw something up. Heh.

[djonn]

[pedantry]

>> or sing peaon's to them daily

Er, that's "paeans" -- probably, anyway, as my dictionary doesn't actually give a plural form for "paean", which it identifies as singular.

[/pedantry]

You had the sheer bad luck to be the second Livejournalist in ten minutes to misspell this (the first rendered it "peon"), and to my mild surprise, it's not listed on the Common Errors in English site, so I couldn't resist looking it up.

[onyxhawke.livejournal.com]

Heh, neither is that common a word. that said i almost substituted hosannas...

[wandereringray.livejournal.com]

It amazes me at times the number of people who just don't get it. And usually, they're fairly intelligent folks who wouldn't show up to a job interview in crappy clothes with beer on their breath.

But writing, I've learned, is apparently considered another profession altogether. *rolls eyes* I pity you agents and editors sometimes, you get the written equivalent of the daily phone calls I get "yeah, uh, I need a job" only multiplied by the hundreds.

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

Fancy that I was considering showing up for a 'job interview' looking similar to what you've described. Totally against the rules, late by just enough to irritate, slovenly with nascent beard, wearing camo pants and an NRA shirt. I might be able to find a mall ninja hat at the upcoming gun show.

Heee

Some scum bags got hold of my resume and are offering me a position. I'm pretty sure the position isn't humanly possible but quite painful. I want to return that phone call with interest. They are local.