Minor Details… Are They Really?

I recently took a promotion that made me a people manager versus an individual contributor. I say 'people manager' because that's what I feel I currently do. One day, I hope to say I am a people leader—quite a big difference between the two, at least in my book. Only time will tell.

Anyway, in my new role, I've come to notice that there are a great many of us who quite simply miss the details. I include myself in this group although admittedly after a very humiliating experience (which I might share another day) in my past, I've gotten much better. And you, what's that? 'Not me' you say? Of course not. Many of us writers would like to believe we pay attention to the details because we all know how in reading agents' and publishers' blogs we completely shy away from the horror tales.

Oh you know what I'm talking about. Those lists that agents and publishers put out that mention things that annoy them—many of those things being stuff they specifically warn us not to do in either their blogs or submission criteria. So what happens? Well, quite simply we miss the details.

I'd like to say I've never had one of those embarrassing things happen to me, but I'm not that fortunate. The one thing I can say is that I learn from my mistakes and that alone can be a huge deal. There's hope for me yet.

So here are my thoughts on making their (agents and publishers) lives and ours, a bit easier. Do your research. This is a business so research is a given if you want to follow directions and make an impression. Next, slow down. A rushed job can many times be a botched job. Even the little errors add up if they are plentiful. Lastly, pay attention. When submitting material, don't miss the small details, they sometimes make all the difference in an industry where you need every inch you can to move head and stand out.

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life, Writing Topics