Whether I'm editing an unpublished manuscript or reading an already-on-the-market book, I find myself reaching for the red pen a bit too much these days.

Considering that most writers utilize some form of word processing program to write their novels (gone are the days of the hand-scribbled manuscripts), some of these mistakes are unacceptable. Of course, not even the spelling & grammar checker can catch all mistakes, which is why editors have not been pushed out of the market yet. Sometimes, you just need a good eye to locate the blatant mistakes that - although they have eluded the author - will leap off the page and smack your reader in the face.

Here is a quick run-down of the most annoying mistakes currently plaguing manuscripts across the world:

Spelling

Nothing bothers me more than incorrect spelling. Some readers may not catch this, but if you have intelligent readers - which, let's be honest, are the best type of readers - your work may not see the light of day again.

Occasionally, autocorrect takes on a mind of its own (It's become Self Aware!), and changes misspelled words into the completely wrong word.  For example, one manuscript I had been reviewing used the word technology where it clearly should have said technically.

Wordiness 

Nobody wants to read through a barrage of unnecessary words. Wordiness refers to one of these issues: whether it’s redundancy, stating the obvious or packing a sentence with excess detail and unnecessary modifiers. Cut the fat - nobody wants to muddle through it to find the story.

Story Inconsistencies 

Oh heavens, does this drive me insane! The biggest inconsistency that I see in my editing and/or reading is incorrect character names. If Rebecca and Paul are the only two in the room, but the next line says that Ethan has left room - I will most likely put the book down (unless I am editing it, in which case, you'll be seeing red.). This goes for places, character descriptions, and back stories. You need to make sure that your details all match up because your reader will notice immediately if they don't. Of course, hopefully, your editor has noticed the error before it lands in a reader's lap... but that's another story.

Voice 

Similar to the story inconsistencies - voice inconsistency is another huge no, no. While an editor is most likely to have caught this and demanded a full-blown re-write, the self-publishing tool has now allowed this one major issue to creep onto the market. When writing or editing, you want to make sure that your book flows - and that begins with the narration. Do not flip flop from first-person to third-person narration, or switch perspective without any obvious breaks.

While editors are there for a reason, being a writer does require having some command of the English language. Remember, in most cases, the editors work for the publishing house (unless you've independently hired one for a self-pub). You want to put your best foot forward any time you send in a manuscript.

So what have we learned today?

If you have an editor, it is best to edit your own work before you send it in. If you are self-publishing, make sure to hire a reputable editor. It's one thing to make your editor pull their hair out, it's quite another to make your reader do it!

Whether you've written your first book or you're an established author, you're probably trying to decide what to do with that spectacular, unpublished novel. With so many choices in the literary market these days, who do you go with? There's so many indie publishers, small presses, traditional publishing houses - not to mention, there's always the self-publishing route.

While self-publishing may work for some, it doesn't always work for everyone... and the same can be said for the small press and/or traditional route. With traditional publishers, the author tends to lose most creative controls, but they do usually receive an advance, albeit lower royalties. A small or indie press generally gives out lower to no advances, but a slightly higher royalty rate than a traditional. Creative control with a small or indie press can vary by company, but generally the author still loses a large portion of control regarding what happens to his or her manuscript. Self-publishing is the best way for authors to retain full creative control, however, it requires you to be responsible for all cover designs, formatting, copyright filing, etc. And all marketing falls on the author.

So what makes European Geeks Publishing different?

European Geeks was born from the realization that authors haven't been getting the best treatment from their companies. We aim to publish a much smaller catalog than most companies each year, allowing us to spend ample time with each author and body of work - making sure it is handled accordingly.

As a small press, we do not offer advances. We do, however, offer highly competitive royalty rates at 50% for print and 55% for eBooks. While we handle editing, cover art, and layouts in-house, everything is cleared and approved by the author before publication. Marketing will be a joint effort between author and publisher at EG - with both parties being equal partners in the marketing campaign and promotions.

European Geeks strives to be author-friendly.

We have an open door policy for all authors - ours and others - at European Geeks Publishing. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions! [email protected].

Have you ever picked up a book and it just felt cheap? 

Or how about when you start reading and the words run together in places or disappear into the binding?

No matter how great your writing is, a cheap feel or terrible layout can be the death of a good book. This is why it is very important to have an understanding of book formatting, even if you are not doing it yourself. There are bounds of tutorials across the net that will help you garner a working understanding of this process, as well as explaining paper types and guidelines in explicit detail.

Formatting is like your business card. Regardless of who does your formatting - a publisher, a freelance book designer, or you - the only thing a reader associates your book with is YOU, the author. Your book's formatting and feel will determine how a reader sees your work - whether as legitimate or as one of those amateur self-published books that have earned such a nasty reputation over the years. Remember, while you may not consider yourself in the same league as Stephen King, JK Rowling, and James Patterson - the reader lumps you all together. If they have to bend the spine backwards to read words that trail off into the bindings... well, it's likely that they won't read much further and will return to one of the larger known authors with professional formatting.

What a lot of authors don't realize is that they need to spend as much effort on the formatting as they do on the writing for the book to have any shot at being a success. If you're doing it yourself - invest the time and money into a layout software like Adobe InDesign. This professional style software will allow you to tweak settings that are unavailable to you in a word processor. If you're not computer savvy, it is best to hire a professional. There are plenty of experienced book designers available all across the internet. You're bound to be able to find someone to fit your budget. If you're being published by a legitimate publishing house - chances are they have professionals using software such as InDesign and will handle it for you - but make sure that you get final approval and peruse your sample copy with a fine toothed comb to ensure no detail is missed. Your book depends on it.

While we are all told "Not to judge a book by its cover" while growing up - as an author, you need to face facts. We all do it. We're all guilty of it. And your book will not be treated any differently. You've seen how people select books while browsing bookshops - they pick them up, turn them from front to back, inspecting the covers before flipping through a handful of pages. If your book does not meet or exceed the industry standards - it will go right back onto the shelf. And your royalties go with it.

Make sure your book doesn't meet the same fate... Focus on your formatting.

As an author myself, I know how terrifying the query process can be. I suppose in some ways, it's the same as awaiting college acceptance letters or eagerly expecting a phone call after a job interview. It's nerve-racking, exciting, and terrifying all at the same time. Now that I am lucky enough to have expanded my reach into the publishing industry, I spend a lot of time perusing manuscripts. I personally hand-select each manuscript that is accepted by European Geeks - so let me just assure you that I spend a large amount of time reviewing queries and manuscripts.

Because I was an author first, I opened EG with the intent of being author friendly. I want to pull back the velvet curtain and expose the wizard - to shine some light on the darker corners of the publishing process, so that my fellow authors understand the industry better - perhaps giving them a heads up on what we publishers look for. If I can help just a handful of authors with the opening of European Geeks, I'll be happy, regardless of whether they are EG authors or not. I have and will continue to maintain an open door policy at EG - whether I'm answering questions for my own authors or others.

With that said, here are some tips to help you stand out when submitting to smaller publishers.

Take Time With Your Query Letter

Do not rush through your query letter!!! I cannot stress this enough. It does not have to be exceptionally personalized... you don't need to creep around on my blog or Twitter account to create a query. If you happen to follow and feel there is something worth mentioning, that's fine... but there is no need to go crazy with the personal research. What is most important is that your query letter contain all of the important information - your name, background & basic resume, synopsis, and genre information for your book. Pay close attention to the publisher's requirements. If they ask for X amount of chapters to be pasted into the body of the email, include EXACTLY that amount: no more, no less - and make sure not to include it as an attachment, unless requested. Most publishers won't open an unrequested attachment which ends your query before they've even read your submission. The most important thing to remember is spelling, grammar, and tone. If your letter is misspelled or poorly written, you can bet I won't be reading your included work.

Send Your Best Work

While this may sound like a no-brainer, you would be surprised at how much this piece of advice is ignored. While writing the last page of your manuscript is a momentous experience - in no way does that mean it is time to hit the send button! Small and Indie publishers usually operate with a smaller staff, which is why their royalty rates are the most competitive. However, this generally means that they won't take on a piece that will need heavy editing or story development. Once you have finished writing, put it away for a week to a month. Give your brain a break from it. Then pull it back out and go through your first round of edits. Then, give it to someone you trust - whether it is a friend or family member who is critical and excels in English or a freelance editor or fellow author - to do another round. Of course, one more round yourself will help catch any major errors that were missed in the first two rounds.

Because EG is run on such a small staff (allowing us to offer 50% royalties on print and 55% on ebooks) we won't take on a project that chock full of errors. We do understand that there will be some mistakes - but if I have to spend too much time with a red pen, chances are I won't be taking on your piece.

Set up a Professional Author Website with Accommodating Social Media Accounts

Once I have read your letter, I will check out any links you include in your query. If you don't include anything, my next step is most likely to Google you. It is important to show an online presence in today's literary world, as this is where most of your readers are. With websites such as Wix or Square Space out there now, there is no excuse when it comes to an author website.  You can build a professional, eye-catching site in a matter of minutes. If your site is poorly designed, written, or maintained... well, you know the drill.

Keep an eye out for more tips from the founder of European Geeks Publishing, Elisha Neubauer. You can reach Elisha through email, at [email protected], on any of our social media accounts, or by leaving a comment below. Happy writing!