tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post4541282705385569091..comments2024-01-30T02:18:46.434-06:00Comments on ACME AUTHORS LINK: 10 Solutions to Top 10 Reasons Your Book was REJECTED by Robert W. WalkerMorgan Mandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-61686791355669142252009-12-29T18:06:40.806-06:002009-12-29T18:06:40.806-06:00Good Day!!! acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com is one of...Good Day!!! acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com is one of the best resourceful websites of its kind. I enjoy reading it every day. All the best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-72989233588358190772009-09-18T16:51:45.668-05:002009-09-18T16:51:45.668-05:00For a novice writer I'll need to reread and re...For a novice writer I'll need to reread and reread this info. Afterall writing is the supreme communication in every way. Thank you all.REID JACKSONhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13427485510261807687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-64435898433868845452009-09-17T14:17:22.042-05:002009-09-17T14:17:22.042-05:00Great comments everyone. Those of you who did not...Great comments everyone. Those of you who did not leave a name or if I don't know you or how to get in touch....I can't find you, that makes the drawing handicapped. If you are interested in the Prize -- a copy of DEAD ON....you need to declare your name and where I can reach you so I can contact you at the time of winning. Tomorrow -- writing on Voice...here at Acme.Rob Walkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-42297327042311133522009-09-17T10:24:03.249-05:002009-09-17T10:24:03.249-05:00Thanks for sharing this. A sense of play/fun can ...Thanks for sharing this. A sense of play/fun can rescue what may have been a mediocre book.shirleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06310778176889652167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-56001242797164985682009-09-17T05:57:21.126-05:002009-09-17T05:57:21.126-05:00I've never written a book but if I decide to I...I've never written a book but if I decide to I'll remember to check your list.Pat R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03506208758752835844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-46791247801373737472009-09-15T15:03:58.431-05:002009-09-15T15:03:58.431-05:00Great article addressing mistakes I've made of...Great article addressing mistakes I've made often in the past, but that I've learned (in a large part, due to you), to hate with a passion! Your advice (former student, here), took me from novice to a paid writer and editor. DO WHAT THIS MAN SAYS! <br /><br />P.S. - Miranda is right. Curly-que fonts, single spaced lines and no margins just won't cut it.Rhonda Browning Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17876849209947845032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-12259251018874921942009-09-15T10:54:03.014-05:002009-09-15T10:54:03.014-05:00Great list, Rob! And I'll add the following bi...Great list, Rob! And I'll add the following bit of advice. If an agent or editor gives you specific feedback on your submittal, that means that think your material is VERY close to publishable, and you should definitely listen to that advice and fix the manuscript. Also, I have been told to, and always try to, start the book on page 1 where the protagonist's life changes forever. In my case, since I write mysteries, the body hits the floor in chapter one.Beth Groundwaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13999372882748655834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-45766245870648955182009-09-14T09:33:17.078-05:002009-09-14T09:33:17.078-05:00Number 7 is the one that drives me nuts when I am ...Number 7 is the one that drives me nuts when I am reading a book. Those pronouns often make me re-read the previous paragraghs. After that happens over and over I just quit the book.Helen Kikernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-86141435371142909652009-09-13T16:24:34.674-05:002009-09-13T16:24:34.674-05:00PS - my wife Miranda hastens to add a number 11 re...PS - my wife Miranda hastens to add a number 11 reason for a reject...and that is failure to follow the publisher's directions to the letter - such things as ASAP. I had wanted to talk craft, however, not such mechanics, so. But Miranda is right for the most part, so I thought I'd add that. By the say, if you intentionally break one of thier commnadments, it best be either clever or funny enough to make em laugh.Rob Againnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-42971404087385187972009-09-13T16:21:49.581-05:002009-09-13T16:21:49.581-05:00Kelley Irvin - your question is posed in such a ma...Kelley Irvin - your question is posed in such a manner as to leave me wondering one, did the editor really mean to say that she rejected the MS because it had too much backstory, or that it took too much backstory for her to become interested in the character, or three, that it takes a lot of backstory for her to become interested in the main character...whew...in any case, the fact is ten is too short a list for all the strange and weird reasons I have heard for rejection over the years. My Cuba Blue seems rejected more often than not because an editor believes no readers are interested in a main character who is Cuban and living in Cuba. One story once turned down had the note attached that said, "Just the kind of shit we hate here at XYZ."<br />SAY, do you all know that you have automatically been placed in a drawing for a FREE signed copy of my DEAD ON for taking the trouble to come and leave a comment? True!<br />No lie.Rob Walkerhttp://www.robertwalkerbooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-39967600982661616302009-09-13T14:14:22.524-05:002009-09-13T14:14:22.524-05:00I'm glad you wrote these helpful tips. Thanks...I'm glad you wrote these helpful tips. Thanks.Thomas Emmitenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-47780125590327182512009-09-13T14:03:24.137-05:002009-09-13T14:03:24.137-05:00Great list. I once had a manuscript rejected becau...Great list. I once had a manuscript rejected because the editor said she had to know too much backstory about the main character to care about her. What do you make of that?Kelly Irvinhttp://www.kellyirvin.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-2198565167075865072009-09-13T13:48:55.476-05:002009-09-13T13:48:55.476-05:00Listen to this man! He knows what he's talking...Listen to this man! He knows what he's talking about. I've been teaching writing for 22 years and I constantly make the same points to my students. Particularly vile to me, (just one of my peeves, I guess) is the break in the action to describe what someone is wearing or the setting. For God's sakes...think about it. If your character is in a life and death battle, is he going to notice the primroses growing on the path beside his head which is about to be shopped off by a very sharp sword? Methinks not...<br /><br />Oh, and one more thing before I finish...When you're writing the setting, involve your character in it. If you have him or her stop at the entrance to a room and list everything in the room, I'm gonna snooze or skip over it. <br /><br />On, sorry...I didn't mean to start preaching, Rob...Great blog... You are the best.<br />Nancy KnightNovelKidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03593217632479344280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-85061800444163895842009-09-13T06:47:02.325-05:002009-09-13T06:47:02.325-05:00I'll join the chorus: these are excellent sugg...I'll join the chorus: these are excellent suggestions. And they represent common mistakes that all of us make. Most important, we must be our own editors. There's always room for improvement.<br /><br />Jacqueline Seewald<br />THE DROWNING POOL, Five Star 2009Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-13015002956145070332009-09-13T04:22:28.257-05:002009-09-13T04:22:28.257-05:00Rob, thanks for point out your blog entry over at ...Rob, thanks for point out your blog entry over at Kindlekorner.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-44982566531653028002009-09-12T22:57:30.507-05:002009-09-12T22:57:30.507-05:00"When in doubt, strike it out" Excellent..."When in doubt, strike it out" Excellent! I need to remember this one during my sentence-by-sentence evaluation process. Thanks, Rob, for sharing this list.<br /><br />Ann C.Ann Charleshttp://www.anncharles.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-70347642437424089362009-09-12T20:50:32.308-05:002009-09-12T20:50:32.308-05:00I love this -- No guts, no glory; no conflict, no ...I love this -- No guts, no glory; no conflict, no story -- <br /><br />As a writer, we have to be willing to "put ourselves out there," to risk something, and to write on the edge. Those may SOUND like cliche's, but when you dare to write EDGY . . . you can feel the difference. <br /><br />Great post!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-49699139824966322612009-09-12T11:50:41.069-05:002009-09-12T11:50:41.069-05:00Oh I agree this means Wrtiing is Rewriting and the...Oh I agree this means Wrtiing is Rewriting and then Rewriting the Rewrite...and as for Voice, hey, Voice is the culmination of it all, the final product, the end all, and Voice is more important than any other element because it is the culmination of thousands of small decisions that make up the elements of style. Check EB White's LAST chapter in The Elements of Style. I reread it often.Rob Walkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-69392362241710288492009-09-12T08:01:39.939-05:002009-09-12T08:01:39.939-05:00Excellent suggestions, and I agree with Morgan tha...Excellent suggestions, and I agree with Morgan that it's during the editing process that a lot of these things should be addressed. Until they're second nature, if you try to get them into draft #1, you might lose your voice. And, it's your voice that will catch the editor's eye.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-9891933137907218972009-09-11T10:37:57.049-05:002009-09-11T10:37:57.049-05:00Wonderful advice, Rob.
These are the kind of thing...Wonderful advice, Rob.<br />These are the kind of things to look for when you're editing your story after it's done. It's kind of fun making it shine.<br /><br />Morgan Mandel<br />http://morganmandel.blogspot.com<br />http://choiceonepublishing.comMorgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674828414021418178.post-48064148435193225552009-09-11T07:56:44.514-05:002009-09-11T07:56:44.514-05:00Rob:
What a great list! Thanks for sharing.
DL La...Rob:<br />What a great list! Thanks for sharing.<br />DL LarsonDeb Larsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14115066586448611470noreply@blogger.com