The Worst Ways to Respond to Publishers
It's called 'Author Etiquette'
Hey, marketeers! Hope you’ve been well!
I know many of you had recently had the chance to speak directly with publishers, literary agents and professional in-house editors (or will be doing so in the near future). And I know you act with professionalism! This post is not intended to make anyone feel bad if you have done any of the following. Just some examples of ‘authors gone wild’ in interactions with industry pros (most of these points are common sense!).
Here are some of the WORST ways authors can respond to publishers or members of their team:
Correcting the errors in their email. Unless they’ve specifically asked for input (or the point is vitally important), authors need to show some restraint! As writers, we adore the written word, and typos are our biggest pet hate. (Please don’t hate on me if I’ve made some errors!) However, the publisher’s aim is to deliver an opportunity for the author with the best of intentions, not to be put in their place about a spelling mistake. Chances are, the only opportunity the author’s criticism will earn them is a red strike across their name!
Sharing private messages with the public. I wonder how often authors have publicly shared an awful reply, or even a good news announcement before it’s been permitted? Some of those old rejection letters from publishers circulating the internet are quite funny, to be honest. But for personal conversations, I’d advise to keep these confidential.
Ignoring specific guidelines. Yeah, because, I’m the author, so it’s my set of rules, right? Wrong! If the publisher has requested a response with regard to a particular set of guidelines, it is common courtesy to adhere strictly to these to show professionalism and respect for the process.
Persistence! This is persistence of the bad variety. This is a BIG one, so take note. Hounding the publisher for a response to an assessment / acquisition meeting / manuscript edit / whatever answer you’re waiting for is a TURN OFF. There have been authors known to emailing the publisher daily!* Don’t.
*I don’t actually know of anyone doing that.
Not responding in a timely manner. On the other hand, showing no persistence at all is also a turn off! To build a positive relationship with the publisher, authors should respond promptly and cooperatively to their feedback and requests. There have been authors known to take MONTHS to get back to their publisher!* Try not to.
*I think that’s actually true, although I don’t know why.
Handling rejection BADLY. OMG! There are many stories of authors behaving badly because of rejection. No joke! There should be a TV show about that! Rejection can definitely hurt, but no, don’t abuse the messenger! The best cure is to be gracious, accept any feedback (which, if received, that’s lucky!), keep improving your work, and basically, move on.
So, authors, even if you’re good friends with a publisher, ALWAYS remember your ‘author etiquette’ and maintain respectful and professional relationships when it comes to business matters. IMPORTANT: This is a part of your ‘author brand’ that really does make an impression!
Have any more ‘what-not-to-do’s’ when it comes to responding to publishers?
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Romi x