A writer’s willingness to work with an agent or editor will show in how a manuscript is submitted.
When submission guidelines are established, how well the writer follows those rules and how well they are carried out, tell a potential editor or publisher how well they will be able to work with that writer. More than that, it tells them how much a writer is willing to cooperate and work with them.
For example, if the guidelines say not to use paperclips or staples and a submission arrives with a huge paperclip, this is a red flag to an editor. Chances are, after rough handling in the mails, the paper clip has bent the paper so badly that the sheets jam the editor’s photocopier. Many editors may not make copies, but what if the story is so exciting that a group of judges want to sit around and discuss it? They certainly aren’t going to do that over one single copy.
If an editor says he or she likes your story but says changes are required, your willingness to improve the story will show way before you’ve gotten your submission past the point of being read. It shows in how well you follow guidelines.
When an editor calls for the first chapter and the guidelines say not to fold your submission and you send a dozen pages folded in thirds and crammed into a number #10 envelope, your submission will either be returned unread or tossed.
If a writer cannot follow directions, it simply says that the person is not serious about his or her work. The writer probably places little value on instructions and thinks the submission will be read anyway because it’s so darned good, not realizing that the #10 won’t even be opened. This also shows a person who is too lackadaisical about keeping supplied with the proper materials of the trade.
A similar theory about following directions holds true in certain therapeutic practices. In administering therapy, the therapist may unexpectedly ask a client to do something, like move their chair a little to the side. This is a test of how well the client is willing follow directions. Whether or not they cooperate is a measure of how much they will submit to therapeutic techniques.
Like the patient that repeatedly arrives for therapy but refuses to cooperate, you choose whether or not to follow submission instructions. In order to receive more acceptances than rejections, or to have an agent or editor ask for your entire book manuscript, writers must be willing to play by the rules. So, follow directions and guidelines to the letter.
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