Here is her list of reasons why:
- Not what Del Rey is looking for (meaning we had enough on our list already of whatever subgenre was on offer): 22
- A good manuscript but not right for our list (included a couple of nonfiction SF-related titles more suitable for a small press, the odd children’s book, etc.) 14
- Not a genre that’s doing well right now (horror, mostly; some foreign novels being offered for translation, anthologies whose concepts weren’t strong enough) 18
- Simply not good enough (a combination of mediocre writing and/or storytelling) 43
- Contains major plot flaws (the story was too predictable, or the author made a choice I didn’t agree with which affected the entire manuscript) 5
- Main characters not strong or likeable enough 3
- Needs too much editorial work (a manuscript has to be 95% of the way to book-ready for me to be willing to take it on) 7
- Falls between genres (these were some of the most frustrating ones I had to reject; several were quite beautifully written but would be hard to promote in such a tough marketplace) 14
The "Falls between genres" one is eye-opening. I had hoped the big publishers were embracing a wider spectrum of fiction, but it does sound like the structure of the bookstore shelf and other sales outlets still drives the genre silos. Good to hear a publisher's perspective.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely an eyeopener. Shame that most agents won't explicitly say why a manuscript is rejected.
ReplyDeleteThrough the eye of the beholder--just what we writers need to see.
ReplyDelete