Mistaken identity for submissions reveals the importance of researching before submitting

Research the publisher, editor, or agent before you submit your work. I’ve seen this advice many times from editors and agents, and I know it’s important. I do it myself. I always make sure I have the correct name and address of an editor or agent I’m submitting to, and I try to make sure that my writing will fit their publishing house or what they represent. It shows that I’m professional and serious, and it doesn’t waste their time or my time.

I know it’s important. I know it from a gut level as a writer.

Photo: by mai_serratos @ Flickr

But now I’ve got added outside confirmation of the importance. Proof, if you will. The last two months, I’ve received four–count them, four!–submissions from writers and illustrators, to my email address. I stare at the emails–huh? Why are you submitting to me? I’m a writer! A reader. I write book reviews. But nowhere, not one place on my blog or my site, do I say that I’m a publisher or an agent. Yet I’ve received submissions. People sending me samples of their artwork and writing. People asking me to publish them. This truly confuses me.

To top it all off, all of those “submissions” were addressed to “Dear sirs” or something generic like that. Hello, is “Cheryl” a man’s name? I think not. Did they even look at my email address to see who they were sending it to? This is what agents and editors complain about. I know they’ve said it’s a turn off when people write to them generically, or worse yet, send them something they don’t even publish or represent. (Of course.) But now I know what it feels like, first hand. I never thought I’d experience that.

Probably most of you know this. But I want to reiterate. Writers, illustrators–your writing and your art is important to you, right? You’ve spent a lot of time and energy on it. So why not make sure that you’re sending it to the right person–to someone who actually has the power to publish your work, or to help get it published? Sending out your work willy nilly to people who are just going to throw it away because it doesn’t even fit what they publish or represent, isn’t addressed to them, or because the person doesn’t publish work, is a waste of your time and theirs. And I know you care about your work. So please, please spend the extra time researching before you submit. You’ll get better results. It’ll help you get closer to being published. And it’ll help you look professional.