How will this affect my chances?

Adam_Atlantian

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I have a few questions i wanted answered.

1. will my age have any affect on my publication acceptence. (i'm 17)

2. i f i have a few mistakes in my manuscript will the publishers still want it or will they scrap it?

3. could a small word count influence my chances of acceptance?

4. finally, since i am a first time author will larger publishing companies be less likely to look at my work?

Just a few questions that have been nagging me.
 

Bleak House Books

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Adam_Atlantian said:
I have a few questions i wanted answered.

1. will my age have any affect on my publication acceptence. (i'm 17)

It may. It could be used as a marketing hook, BUT, the book should also be excellent. If you're writing something with series potential, age may play a factor, as a publisher would know you have many years left to write more installments. Again, the most important thing is the quality of the work.

Adam_Atlantian said:
2. i f i have a few mistakes in my manuscript will the publishers still want it or will they scrap it?

You should do your best to make sure there are NO mistakes in your manuscript. The type of mistake is also very important. Is it a typo or two? That can be fixed. Is it a major plot hole that you've overlooked? That's much more significant. Ultimately, if the publisher thinks that there is a chance of making money off your work without exhausting extensive resources, mistakes can be fixed.


Adam_Atlantian said:
Could a small word count influence my chances of acceptance?

This will change from publisher to publisher, what they're looking for, what their guidelines are, etc. There are certain economic rules of thumb in place that tell publishing companies things based on (1)Print cost and (2) cover price and how viable any given project is. So, to answer your question with one word--Depends.

Adam_Atlantian said:
Finally, since i am a first time author will larger publishing companies be less likely to look at my work?

Yes. And without an agent they'll be even less likely to look at your work, if they look at it at all.
 

Cathy C

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Adam_Atlantian said:
I have a few questions i wanted answered.

No problem. That's what we're here for. :)

Adam_Atlantian said:
1. will my age have any affect on my publication acceptence. (i'm 17)

Well, it'll have an effect to the extent that you're not legally able to sign a contract. Your parent or legal guardian will have to sign on your behalf. But other than that, not really. The product is what's important, not the author's age.

Adam_Atlantian said:
2. i f i have a few mistakes in my manuscript will the publishers still want it or will they scrap it?

As Bleak said above, it depends. But I'll be honest -- if you make as many grammar/spelling mistakes in your manuscript as you have in this post, probably. Let's say that an editor reads two manuscripts in one day. Both of them have good plots, interesting characters and are both potential strong sellers. But one of the books has next to no errors, in grammar, spelling and word choice. The other book has some errors on every page. Not many, but some. The first book will take a week to edit. The second book, a month. The editor only needs one book. They'll pick the one that's easiest to complete, so they can move on to the next one in the schedule. Likewise, if you have plot holes you could drive a truck through, unbelievable characters, or unresolved subplot threads, you're lessening your own chances.


Adam_Atlantian said:
3. could a small word count influence my chances of acceptance?

Depends on the genre and how SMALL a word count you're talking. Right now, single title novels are running between 80,000 to 100,000 words. Some category novels -- romance, western and detective, can drop down to 65,000. Much less than that, and yes, it'll influence your chances. If it's 50,000 or below, you need to take a serious look at the book and see if you can add in some subplots to beef up the word count. They have to be PLAUSIBLE subplots though. Complications of life or such that make resolving the main plotline difficult.

Adam_Atlantian said:
4. finally, since i am a first time author will larger publishing companies be less likely to look at my work?

I don't know that they're less likely. Every publishing house is looking for the "next big author". They LIKE new authors. But finding an agent first will definitely increase the likelihood that you'll find a better publishing house for better money.

Adam_Atlantian said:
Just a few questions that have been nagging me.

Trust me, they bother us all... ;) Good luck!