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All right, now I have an addendum for the tip I posted earlier: If an editor (or agent) asks for your full manuscript, send them the entire thing. Do not just send the chapters they haven't seen yet, unless they specifically ask you to.

Previously in the contest, the entrants submitted the first 3 chapters as part of their book proposal. I just got an email for chapters 4-10. Now, I was not on the initial reading committee, so I have never seen chapters 1-3. Even if I had, I wouldn't remember them since it's been several months since the initial reads. I now can't read this one until someone at BTP gets me the rest.

And as an FYI, these are blind readings I'm doing. I have no idea who the people are that are doing these things. But if it does happen to be you, remember these tips the next time you are asked to submit a full. It just makes the editor's life easier. And since I'm typing this with one hand while the other holds a sick, but fortunately sleeping, baby, I could use as much easy as I can get.

© Copyright 2006-2009 Madeline Smoot. All rights reserved. May be excerpted and duplicated for educational purposes.

Tip of the Week: When an editor (or agent -- this applies to them too) asks for your complete manuscript via email, do not send each chapter in it's own separate attachment. Send the entire work in one document.

This is not a joke. I really did get a full manuscript from the Bloom Award sent to me with every chapter in a document. I threatened to refuse to read it on principle, but I was told I had too. Remember you don't want to alienate the editor before you even get started, and having to combine 17 documents into 1 so I can load it on my reader definitely puts me in a foul mood.

© Copyright 2006-2009 Madeline Smoot. All rights reserved. May be excerpted and duplicated for educational purposes.

Tip of the Week: Always read all of the directions, and then follow them.

Now before all of the people who entered the contest worry that I'm talking about them, calm down. I'm not. In fact every single person who entered my contest had a perfect entry -- just the way I wanted it.

However, I thought of this tip because I've been reading submissions for The Bloom Award over at Blooming Tree Press, and there people have not always been as successful. Remember when it says double-spaced, it means double-spaced. Not 1 1/2 spaced, not triple spaced. Double spaced.

© Copyright 2006-2009 Madeline Smoot. All rights reserved. May be excerpted and duplicated for educational purposes.

Tip of the Week: Write the novel that's in you. Don't try to force yourself into a genre that isn't for you.

I realize that on this blog, I constantly tell people what things to write. I talk about genres that are popular and trends in publishing. We discuss different techniques and the different ways they can be used. And this is useful information to use when revising or trying to decide where to send your manuscript when you are ready to look for publishers or agents.

But, and this is a big but, none of this is remotely important when you are writing that very first draft. Then you need to write the story that is in you -- the one you need to tell. When you first sit down to that computer, typewriter, or piece of paper, you need to forget that editors want Egyptian fantasy, especially if you can't stop thinking about that teen problem novel.

After all, two of the biggest kid series in recent times -- Harry Potter & Percy Jackson -- were not written with the market in mind. In fact, when Harry Potter came out, kid fantasy was considered dead. Just think, you too might be responsible for the revival of a genre.

Remember, what's written for the heart is almost always better than what's written for the market.

© Copyright 2006-2009 Madeline Smoot. All rights reserved. May be excerpted and duplicated for educational purposes.