I was asked by a CavanKerry colleague a while ago to blog about submissions. My reaction? Give me a break. Is there anything less necessary to write about? After all, CKP’s website has a submissions page with guidelines. Won’t newbies find everything they need on the screen?
My colleague reminded me that when she sat on a panel for soon-to-graduate MFAs, several asked her how to submit a manuscript. They didn’t have a clue how to go about it. Nada. Nothing. That gave me pause. MFA students who don’t know how to maneuver through the submission process?
How can I help these new and emerging writers? I’ll give you a take on reading submissions from my vantage point – as one of several people who reads all CKP submissions word-for-word. Maybe my reactions will give you a start into the submission process.
A stupendous number of manuscripts arrive during an open submission period. Reading such a quantity of material (in a limited time) evokes many reactions: joy, amazement, goose-bumps, and (dare I admit) ENVY. The best part of my job is to start reading at 9am and find I’m still at it until noon. My stomach is grumbling for lunch but I can’t stop. I can’t put the manuscript down. It has engaged me totally. I don’t hear the phone ring. I’m in another world –on the Santa Maria with Columbus, in the straits with Magellan or with Neil Armstrong on the moon. I’ve hit the mother lode — another accomplished and exciting writer’s work is in my hands.
The worst part of my job is when I’m struck (ahem) by a dreaded paralysis or brain freeze when reading. Sometimes I want to cry. When brain freeze or paralysis sets in and it becomes near impossible to turn to the next page, it’s apparent the writer has not worked enough on the manuscript, and hasn’t consulted with a strong writer. It’s valuable for emerging writers to consult with writers/editors who are far more experienced than they. You need to show your work (and work with) people who are fiercely honest. It’s not enough to elicit opinions from your mother or dearest friend. You want feedback and advice from at least one published writer who has been thoroughly involved with the art and the craft of writing for many years.
You may be talented, but that’s not enough. Whether you’re a first-time writer or even have some work behind you – going forward requires a lot of work. We want to see work that’s (almost) ready to go to press. Sometimes the process of creating the manuscript seems to have halted too soon. The writing signals that the writer hasn’t self-edited, reviewed, re-read, re-read and self-edited as often as necessary.
Remember those manuscripts that keep me enthralled and away from lunch? Because CKP publishes 5-6 books year and so many submissions are outstanding, you can stay in the running only by submitting the best possible work. You should know that CKP would love to publish more of those outstanding submissions but we work within a budget and its restraints. CKP does not run contests; the $20 handling fee covers only some of the costs for handling, reading, and documenting submissions.
You’d be surprised how many writers submit their manuscripts to CKP without taking time to read CKP’s Submission policy and Guidelines. The website is more than a place to highlight our books and authors. It’s where you get information. Did you know the website says, “The theme, LIVES BROUGHT TO LIFE, resonates from all CKP titles?” If you submit a manuscript based on your travels to Yosemite and it’s a delightful read about wildlife and the natural sciences, you’re submitting to the wrong publisher.
I know you’re busy, you can’t read everything but if you’re submitting to CKP, it might help if you read at least one recent CKP book. Better yet, read two or more. I’m not trying to make money and fill your bookshelf. The point is that you’ll “get” the CKP sensibility. Reading Gray Jacobik’s, Little Boy Blue: A Memoir in Verse; Baron Wormser’s, The Poetry Life: Ten Stores or emerging writer Marcus Jacoson’s, Neighborhood Register will tell you more about what CKP is looking for than a thousand words from me and the publisher.
Last but not least (a cliché to set my teeth on edge when written by someone else, but hey, this is my blog):
If you haven’t read your work out loud, you’re not ready to send your manuscript anywhere. Read it aloud – to yourself. And listen. Tune in. Does the poetry or prose fall neatly on your ears? Are there clinckers you didn’t know were there? (What’s a clincker you may ask. You’ll know when you hear it.) Are there detours that don’t make sense? Do you stumble and hesitate as you read because the words don’t flow? Even business writers who care about getting through to a specific “audience” will take time to read aloud or charge someone else with that task so they can hear what they’ve written.
Finally —
Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself and your writing. Take the time and effort that your manuscript needs. And don’t give up. Make your manuscript as strong as possible. Keep strong yourself. Remember that writers as world famous as Dr. Seuss, Rowling (Harry Potter), Emily Dickinson, and many more that we revere and have read for years were rejected, rejected, and rejected again.
Good luck,
Florenz
0 comments