Submit Your Manuscript. No Excuse.

submit your manuscript to make your book
Thank you to Manuel Torres Garcia and Pixaby for allowing me to use this image.

“Submit Your Manuscript. No Excuse”  by Joan Y. Edwards

If you want your manuscript to be a book, submit your manuscript. When? This month is a great month to submit your manuscript. Knock out your excuses. Put your best foot forward. Publishers can’t publish your work if they don’t know about it. That’s where you have to do the work to introduce your work to the right publisher.

Submit your manuscript in honor of God. God put it on your heart to write or create. If you want it published, ask him to help you. God has faith in you. I have faith in you. Display faith in yourself. Submit your work this month.

So you say, your manuscript is not ready. What will it take to get it ready?

Here are excuses.

Excuse 1 – I haven’t finished it yet.

My Advice: Finish it.

Excuse 2. My critique group read it and gave me errors they found. I’ve corrected all the errors.

My Advice:  Conquer your fear. Submit it.

Here are five books that helped me with my writing skills. Checking out a book from your local library is free.
If you want your own copy, usually you can buy used ones from a local used book store or on Amazon for $5.00 or less plus $3.99 shipping.

Noah Lukeman: The First Five Pages.
Margaret Lucke: Schaum’s Quick Guide to Writing Great Short Stories
Blake Snyder: Save the Cat
Jessica Brody: Save the Cat Writes a Novel

Excuse 3. I’ve had 50 rejections on this manuscript. It’s no use to send it out again. It’s hopeless.

My Advice: Never Give Up. Read it over again. Add a twist to help you feel this time is different.

Change the title.

Add a twist of both points of view going through your main character’s mind.

Write your response for the following what if statements. Write 5 of your own.

What if your story took place in another setting. Would make it more difficult for the main character to reach her goal?

What if your main character had a flaw that frightened other characters so much that they gasped for air? Would it help or hinder the main character from reaching his goal?

What if things got three times worse than your main character ever believed it would. Would he die or would he find some unknown way to wiggle out of the bad situation?

What if authority figures doubt that your main character can achieve his goals. Will this stop him temporarily? What three trial and error experiences does he have that leaves him victorious at the end?

Excuse 4. I can’t find a publisher who will accept unsolicited manuscripts.

My Advice: Never Give Up. Say: “I can find a publisher who accepts unsolicited manuscripts.”

50 Publishers Who Accept Unsolicited Manuscripts

You have to check to see whether they publish books like what you’ve written. But here are publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts. Check their websites for the latest guidelines to make certain they have not changed.

I hope I have encouraged you and given you a little more hope to fill your day. Accept yourself where you are. Be proud of who you are and all that you’ve done in your life.

Get yourself ready to submit a manuscript to a publisher on the third Friday of this month or a day of your choice within 30 days. Submit your article, poem, puzzle, devotion, illustration, short story, chapter book, middle grade novel, young adult novel, adult novel, play, song, or movie. Be like the little duck in my book, Flip Flap Floodle. Say, “I won’t give up.”

Get your creative work ready to send off. Go For It.

Automotive and assembly line industrialist Henry Ford said “Whether You Think You Can or think you can’t, You are Right.”

Start today to say you can. Let me hear you shout, “Yes, yes. I CAN DO IT. I CAN REALLY DO IT.”

You Have the Essentials for Submitting: Go for it. 

Step 1 Get work critiqued, revised, printed, and proofed.

Step 2 Choose the publisher, editor, agent, or contest for this writing project.

Step 3 Write the pitch, query letter, cover letter, resume, bio, and/or proposal as required by the guidelines of the editor, agent, or contest you chose for submission this time.

Step 4 Proof and Send your pitch, query letter, cover letter, resume, bio, and/or proposal as required by the guidelines of the editor, agent, or contest you chose for submission this time.

Have I knocked out a few of your excuses. Have I motivated you to submit? I hope so.

I enjoyed your visit to my blog. You can subscribe in the left hand column for an email subscription. Ask a question. Leave a comment.

Do something fun before midnight!
Never Give Up

Joan Y. Edwards
Copyright © 2010-2019 Joan Y. Edwards. All rights reserved.
Updated September 19, 2019.

11 thoughts on “Submit Your Manuscript. No Excuse.”

  1. Joan,

    I like the comparison of submitting being like a wedding. I plan to submit my riddle manuscript this month, if I get it finished in time. It is definitely scheduled as a summer wedding. I was a July bride myself; so that would suit me okay for my “baby.”

    Thanks for all your research, links, and encouragement.

    Let’s do it!

    Linda A.

  2. Thank you so much for all the encouragement! It’s hard to get going in this business! I have started writing since I’ve been on disability. I have always wanted to write, I just didn’t know how hard it really was!!! I’m going to tweek my 2nd book and submit it! I’m working on a third one but have much more to do with it!

    Thanks for all your research. I really appreciate it!

    1. Dear Terri, Thanks for leaving such a sweet comment. You’re welcome for my encouragement and my research. I’m glad it’s helping you. You are capable of great things. Believe it and do it. Good luck with tweeking your 2nd book and submitting it. You can do it!

      Joan Y. Edwards

    1. Dear Donna, Thanks for your kind words. It’s so good to hear from you. Hope your hubby and daughters are doing well. I hope you get your submission in gear! You can do it! I believe you can. God believes you can. Go for it, Donna.

      Joan Y. Edwards

      https://www.joanyedwards.com

  3. I like the helpful info you provide in your articles.

    I will bookmark your blog and check again here regularly.
    I’m quite sure I will learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!

    1. Dear Daniel Chavez,
      Thank you for writing. I’m glad the information I provide in my articles is helpful to you. Thanks for bookmarking my blog. You can subscribe and get notified by email when I post a new article. That would make me smile. Plus you’d get a free logo! Subscribe from the left hand column where it says, sign me up.

      Celebrate you
      Never Give Up
      Joan Y. Edwards

  4. Appreciating the dedication you put into your website and in depth
    information you provide. It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t
    the same old rehashed information. Wonderful read!
    I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.

    1. Dear Daniel Chavez,
      Thank you for writing. I appreciate the compliments about my blog. Celebrate you.
      Never Give Up
      Joan Y. Edwards

  5. Dear Joan,

    Your writing got me back to applications. Still, I’ve made over 500 applications in the last two years. I think I’m starting to run out of people to apply to. Like I’m sure you have, I went through the entire list at Predators and Editors and have been scouring the web for other options and lists of publishers and agents. I’m editing a second novel to start applying but it’s a daunting process to start again. I guess I’m just wondering how many people get into that situation.

    Mark Charke

    1. Dear Mark,
      Goodness. That’s a lot of submissions! I am very proud of you. You might want to look into self-publishing it, too.

      I believe the right publisher is out there for you.

      Writing another novel is a great idea. To help you with your writing skills, read “Wired for Story” and “Save the Cat.” Have you gotten through and had a request for your whole manuscript? If so, great. Your pitch must be good because it got you through the door.

      Celebrate you.
      Never give up.
      Joan

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