Why Editors Pass

This came from my retreat this weekend with Juliet Grames of Soho, and is therefore somewhat mystery-focused, but I think it probably applies to almost every editor and author:

1. Doesn’t fit my list for international crime fiction.

2. Motive. Why is the protagonist investigating?

3. Beats too Familiar. Story feels clichéd. This book has been written before. (Try unusual pov—character development.)

4. Wandering point of view, in particular depicting the villain (which confuses the reader).

5. Coincidences

6. Interesting Monsters. (Remember the World Around them.)

7. Small Stuff (Sloppy Forensics, Sloppy Plotting, Sloppy Research)

8. Pacing (Cutting Volume without Cutting Content)