I was talking to a friend today about a rejection that I got from a publisher and he said something that completely slipped my mind. And for any writers who are trying to publish their first book, it is really important to remember this.

When a publisher does not wish to pursue with your work, it does not necessarily mean that your script is bad or not worthy.

Publishers have their own list with specific genres that they’re looking for. If you’re sending a children’s book script to a publisher while it’s looking for young adults books or picture books, it will more likely to be rejected.

For any of your submissions, make sure your script is submitted to the right publisher. Pick them well, accordingly to the genre of your book and its audience. Do some research online, read all the guidelines, you need to know a few things:

• The type of publisher you’re submitting your work to
• What type of book they’re publishing
• What genre they are looking for
• For what audience

Most of the time, publishers who are looking for specific book genres will mention it in their submission guidelines: don’t ignore it and read it carefully if you want to give your submission the best chance to be spotted.

At a first glance, your submission needs to fit the guidelines of a publisher. Then they will look at it and decide. 

Do not despair when you receive a rejection because it will happen. A lot. Do not take it personally either. It’s not turned against you.

Read the submission guidelines very carefully and follow them. To the letter.