Give Readers What They Didn’t Know They Wanted

I read so often on industry blogs how we must obey certain rules when creating stories for our readers. Agents and publishers are often looking for certain “marketable” stories. If an acquisition editor can’t compare it to other successful stories or identify the specific bookstore shelf on which to place a story, they sometimes feel a bit lost and end up rejecting a well-written, perfectly told story that readers would have loved.

I’ve seen this happen. I have friends who have beautifully wri...