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Why Do First Manuscripts So Often Get Rejected?

Nikki Arana

The biggest reason that new writers receive rejections is because they send out their ms (manuscript) before it is ready. Quite often emerging writers think when they finish their first ms, they have a book that is ready for the marketplace. In almost all cases, that isn’t true. If it has been written with the guidance of a critique group of other unpublished authors, it's probably a good first draft. If it was written without any mentoring, it's probably a detailed outline. That's what the first draft of my first book was . . . the agent I sent it to is the one who tipped me off! (grimaces)

After you’ve learned all you can about writing fiction through the resources available to you, the next step toward publication is to become familiar with the elements of commercial fiction and be sure that your novel has them. If it doesn’t, the chance of agents and publishers rejecting your submission are very high. Do you have an internal and external story for the protagonists? Does your novel open with the inciting incident?  (That is the moment/incident that sets your hero/heroine on their journey.) Is your novel cohesive? Meaning does EVERYHING relate in some way to the plot. Even the sub-plots need to tie-in in some way to the storyline. Are scenes followed by sequels that move the plot forward? All of these are the solid building blocks of commercial novels that will garner sales advances that will allow you to make a living from your writing. 

Really study the elements I’ve listed above. If some of the terms are unfamiliar to you, try looking online for further explanation. The most difficult one to fully understand is the internal and external story. When I teach story structure I explain it this way: It is like the book of Hosea in the Bible. Hosea is the story of a man who married a prostitute. That is the external story. But it is really about God’s love for Israel. That is the internal story. 


You may want to hire a professional editor to help you reach the next level in your writing. I'm writing my sixth book and still use a professional editor to guide me. I consider the money I spend on editing as my college tuition. Yes, there are always those stories of a newbie sending out an ms and selling it. But out of the hundreds, even thousands of writers who submit mss every month, that happens very rarely. It is getting harder and harder to break into print with a royalty paying publisher. If difficult finances prevent you from using an editor, then try and find a pubbed author to guide you. They can be just as valuable, but often can't give the time needed. There are also conferences, workshops, and classes. It will just take a little longer going that route. Which of the commercial elements do you need to study? Where do you think you can find resources to help you?

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In the Wizard of Oz the external story is about a girl who is caught up in a tornado and goes to a mythical land called Oz. But it is really about Dorothy’s self-discovery that there is no place like home. Perfecting the technique of writing a universal truth through an external story is well worth the work it takes to learn how to do it. It will set your book apart from the many others that agents and editors have to choose from.
Pray with all your heart and work with all your might. Give your God-given call and God-given talent every opportunity to prosper.

Today I'm giving away a copy of The Next Target. An e-book or hard copy here in US, e-book only out of the country. Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing.The Next Target--When extremists murder Austia Donatelli’s student and then set their sights on her, she must untangle a web of deception to save herself, her underground ministry to Muslims in L.A., and the women she serves. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Author and speaker Nikki Arana has received numerous awards for her writing, including the American Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year award and Christianbook.com Top 20 Novel of the Year for The Winds of Sonoma. Through her ministry, A Voice for the Persecuted, she inspires hearts toward evangelizing the Muslim community. Visit Nikki at: http://www.nikkiarana.com/