Why books get rejected by publishers

Publishers reject about 98% of book proposals and manuscripts. It sounds like it must be almost impossible to get published with statistics like that. Actually, things are not so bleak. Many of the rejections will be for reasons that are entirely avoidable. This is a list of reasons for rejection that need not happen:

1. The author fails to read the publisher’s website and submits the wrong genre of book.

2. The author fails to follow the publisher’s submission guidelines.

3. The cover letter is photocopied or generic.

4. The cover letter contains spelling or grammatical errors.

5. The envelope was sent without sufficient postage and the publisher had to collect it from the sorting office in the rain, and had to pay for the privilege.

6. The sample chapters are not sufficiently edited and checked.

7. The author angrily demands a response a couple of weeks after submitting the proposal.

8. The author phones the editor and talks too much or too slowly, so the editor decides against initiating a working relationship with an author who seems likely to take up too much of their time.

9. The author fails to mention positive factors that might influence the publishing decision, such as guaranteed sales, self-publicity, related external events or previously published books.

10. The author’s envelope and cover letter displays evidence that they are clearly mad. Using a purple felt-tip pen to address the envelope is a sure sign of this!

11. The proposal is hand-written.

12. The proposal is typed on a typewriter.

13. The author doesn’t have an e-mail address. Authors without e-mail cost more to contact and cause delays in the editing process.

14. The cover letter quotes praise from other publisher’s rejection letters.

15. The sample chapters have obviously been submitted elsewhere and returned.

16. The author has not obtained permission to use photos or quotes taken from other writings, and the publisher shies away from the administrative hassle and additional cost involved in buying those permissions.