Outtakes 27

 By the Book

I admit to being a stickler for rules. If I’m told “no exceptions”, I don’t ask. If my manager says an hour of overtime per day, I rearrange my schedule. If my assignment is due on Friday, I’ll have it done by Thursday at the latest. I find I land in trouble when I don’t read and follow the rules. Case in point; I didn’t read the rules on a slot machine and cheated myself out of money.

I’m not a big gambler, but sometimes I enjoy playing the slots or a little Black Jack. Recently, three of my sisters and I drove to Wichita Falls, Texas, to celebrate our older sister’s birthday. Part of the celebration was a trip over the border to a small casino in Oklahoma. The place is not big enough for Craps, Black Jack, or Roulette. Their staple is slot machines. I sat down at a penny or nickel machine, loaded it with a twenty dollar bill, and hit spin. Had I read the “about this game” information, I would have realized I won a bonus round on my first spin. I kept racking up points until I did not make the minimum for the round. Instead of cashing out, I played off the bonus credits. I did have a nice sum when I cashed out, but had I read the information, I would have made more money.

The same goes for submitting your work to an agent or editor. Agents and editors are truly busy people. They cannot read every manuscript, so an author must do their homework and make the submission shine. Check the website for submission guidelines. Keep in mind, these are not suggestions, they are actual rules to follow when sending your work. Some agents or editors will request a cover letter, synopsis, and the first three chapters. Check for the length for the synopsis. The agent may want a maximum of three pages, or perhaps one page. Please do not send ten pages. You will not be read. If the guidelines say three chapters, do not send the entire manuscript.  Make sure you spell the name correctly. Check for the genres the agency represents. Whatever you do, do not submit your erotica to a Christian publishing house.

There are some basics to follow. Standard font and type style is Times New Roman or Courier New 12 pt. Script is impossible to read, and fancy fonts are not professional. Use a good quality bond paper. White only! I’ve disqualified contest entries because the submission was received on gray or baby blue paper. Margins should be one inch all around, and the type should be on one side only. Use black ink. Pink or purple may be your favorite colors, but editors will not appreciate your creativity.  Double space your manuscript. Do not include your photograph, your child’s picture, or a puppy photo. The agent will not be impressed. Proof read. Proof read. Proof read.  Ask a friend to proof read the submission for you.

Remember, writing is a business, and rules must be followed. Want to know more about writing for the editor? Check out the Panhandle Professional Writers’ website at pandhandleprowriters.org for information regarding the Frontiers in Writing Let’s Write Weekend, June 29-30, 2012 in Amarillo, Texas. Hilary Sares, former acquiring editor for a New York publishing house, will present workshops on meeting editors’ expectations. Y’all come. We’d sure like to meet you.

Cait Collins