How “clean” should your writing be when submitting it to literary agents and publishers? What if you have some typos? What if your grammar isn’t perfect? How good… is good enough?
Although I won 1st place in my school’s spelling bee in the first grade (I got a ribbon and a trophy), I still make plenty of mistakes as a writer: spelling mistakes (though hopefully not in today’s article since I’m stressing the importance of not making mistakes), extra words (caused by too much cutting and pasting or changing the structure of a sentence during the editing process), and grammar goofs (I’m good enough to get by, but I’m definitely not a grammar guru).
What about you?
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The Down and Dirty Dish
When it comes to submitting your work to literary agents and publishers (query letter, book synopsis, book proposal, chapter outline, sample chapters, and/or complete manuscript), I have good news and bad news. Let’s do the good news first. If you have a few typos and mistakes in your manuscript, it shouldn’t be a deal breaker (as long as they’re not on the first 5 pages). That’s the equivalent of walking into a meeting with spinach in your teeth.
Now the bad news…
If your writing has typos or poor grammar throughout, you might say it’s like a single man with a hairy back trying to find true love (at least here in America where hairy backs aren’t popular at the moment—I’m not sure they’ve ever been, actually). Don’t be offended, hairy guys. I used to have a bit of growth back there myself (more about that later). And don’t leave comments below telling me that back hair is sexy.
No, it’s not.
Chest hair?
Maybe.
But not back hair!
Yes, I know…
There are a lot of great guys with hairy backs. They have good jobs and great personalities and love their mothers. They’ll even cook fettuccine for you and massage your feet if you let them. But they might not get a chance if you see the bush on their back during your first date to the beach.
You might get turned off.
Ugh. That’s too bad. He seems like such a nice guy. Why doesn’t he get that thing waxed? Hmm… I wonder what else is wrong with him. Does he use deodorant? Shower regularly? Clip his toenails? Brush his teeth? Floss?
Now, I’m not superficial (although I do appreciate
physical beauty and pretty, perfumed writing).
Yes…
I’ll still love you if you’re hairy
(or not a super clean writer).
But, let’s be real.
Other people are going to judge you (in publishing, dating, and every other area of life). How you present yourself matters. In fact, it matters so much that I recently decided to clean up my act.
I’m not just talking
about typos, either.
When it comes to the writing I do for my 1-on-1 coaching clients (like query letters), I’m a perfectionist. A neat freak. But I used to slack off with my other writing, like content for my website. I’d tell myself that typos, grammar mistakes, and missing or extra words weren’t a big deal.
I’m busy. I don’t have the time… or patience… to review that article again. Besides, I’m pretty sure I caught everything. If there’s a mistake or two, people can see past that. It’s the content that counts. If someone’s going to judge me over a typo, I don’t want to work with that person anyway.
I’m betting you’ve had similar thoughts at some point, unless you’re a spelling wizard and grammar god. Here’s the problem. You and I get paid to write (or at least that’s your goal). So we need to do everything we can to make a good first impression. That’s because good first impressions create the trust that’s required to get to second base or third base.
Or hit a home run.
In other words, literary agents and publishers aren’t going to respect you if you’re too lazy to fix simple mistakes… or get help fixing them if you’re not able to see them. And it’s going to put ants in their head.
Gee. A typo on page one. Improper use of a semicolon on page two. If that’s the case, I wonder what else is wrong with the manuscript. Is it well-organized? Is there a logical progression? A satisfying conclusion? I don’t know.
So…
I want to invite you to join me in stepping it up. Take the quality and cleanliness of your writing to the next level–and mine. Are you game???
As far as my work is concerned, I’m a former literary agent for crying out loud. And I was the Marketing & Licensing Manager for a well-known publisher. Can I really afford to have dozens of mistakes on my website? And, even if I could get by like that, do I want to?
Hell, no!
It’s embarrassing.
That’s why I took time this month to review my entire website, again. I even paid someone to help me. What am I too blind to see? Show me!!!
Finally, I thought I’d caught everything.
Then, two days later,
someone else emailed me.
Pointed out a typo.
Damn it.
So now I’m desperate.
How desperate???
I’ll pay you $10 for every mistake
you find on my website.
Seriously.
Some of you are salivating right now
because you know I make
a lot of mistakes.
Good.
I need you.
So, here’s the deal.
* * *
Proofreading Rules
There are two main areas on my website:
- My literary agent blog posts (85 of them)
- My main literary agent website pages (125 of them)
What I’m Looking For
Help me find these mistakes:
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Missing words or extra words (usually a by-product of
cutting and pasting during the writing/editing process)
I’m NOT looking for hair-splitting differences of opinion about things that are subjective… like starting a sentence with the word “and”; my usage of ellipses and parentheses; which words I capitalize in titles, headers, and subheads; or whether you think I use more (or less) commas than necessary.
Those things are stylistic and I do them on purpose.
Additional Exclusions
The following areas of my website aren’t eligible:
- My Directory of Literary Agents with agent bios, etc.
- My Coaching Testimonials page
- My Terms pages
- And the many thousands of comments on my website
Lastly, if you find one mistake that’s repeated on a page I’m only going to count it once. And, if you and I disagree about whether something is a mistake, I’m going to email my editor and let her be our mediator.
Sound fair???
* * *
How To Get Paid
If you find any of the mistakes mentioned above (on any qualifying page or post), leave a comment for me here… underneath this article. Make sure you copy and paste the actual mistake AND the webpage url so I can check it out and fix it. For example, if you find a mistake on the homepage of my website… include this link: https://literary-agents.com/ (that’s my homepage).
I’ll pay you $10 for each mistake you find
(if you’re the first person to point out the mistake).
* * *
Final Thoughts
I don’t know if you’ll take me up on my offer to find mistakes
on my website. But I do hope I’ve inspired you
(at the very least), to take a closer look
at how clean your writing is.
Nobody wants to read
a dirty writer.
Unless
[insert dirty
joke here].
Now, I told you at the beginning of this article that I was cleaning up my act and I wasn’t just talking about typos. Remember? Well, it’s true. Six months ago I got my back waxed for the first time (I know, too much information). But you know what they say. Good writers find a way to turn their most painful life experiences into valuable content.
So, here I am.
In fact, I published this article just minutes before
leaving my house to get my back waxed again.
That means there’s a good chance that a woman
named Heather is causing me pain right now
as you’re reading this article.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiip.
Yes…
I’ll do practically anything to help you
grow as a writer and get published.
Even if it means talking about
my personal hygiene and
grooming habits. 😉
What about
you???
– Mark
* * *
* * *
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 
Poor Fudge with his stitches, and poor you with your red back. You and kitty can console one another. I have hired a copy edition ( she’s givin me her friends discount rate.) to spot typos and lapses in my novel. I’m a terrible copy editor, so I’m not going to bother poring through your site to find mis steaks. 😀
Hi Laura, happy holidays! Fudge and I and the whole family are doing great… and we hope you are too. I’m glad you’re working with an editor and I love your sense of humor. Keep doing what you’re doing and enjoy the day. Love and light to you and yours. Mark
Literary agents read thousands of submissions
This quantity of print can sure affect their vision
They’re due and owed respect for all the ink they have to read
And if a query’s dirty, then the query won’t succeed
I’m sure their eyes get bleary while their neck and back get tight
Especially if their posture in their desk chair isn’t right
And so I give them loud applause considering their task
A query that is blemish free is not too much to ask!!!! 🙂
Hi Lynn, I love the idea of “dirty queries.” A good image. Here’s to making agents happy so they’re eyes don’t get bleary. And have a wonderful holiday season! Thinking of you. Mark
Thanks as always Mark. Just like Mardell, I can’t afford a professional editor. I am so sick of reading my own work I can’t even see the mistakes. At the writer’s conference I was told to put my manuscript in a drawer for a month and not look at it. When you take it out all the mistakes will be jumping off the page at you. But now I don’t even like my work anymore because I have evolved as a writer (I guess)
I’ve about given up on agents, I’m so disgusted. Starting to doubt my own ability now
Hi Debbie, I know… we go blind after a while. Why not find someone in your local area, or online, that will look at your work and you can look at theirs. Whatever you do, don’t start doubting your ability. You’re better than most, just need to recommit yourself and decide you’re going to do it. You have what it takes. I mean it. And happy holidays!!! Love and light from us to you and yours. Mark
Hi Mark
Fair play for waxing your back. When I was 15 and 16 I worked on a nudist campsite. There was one man with so much hair over his entire body that he looked more like a gorilla than a man. Sometimes my work feels the same. It is full of mistakes and even when waxed many still remain. I don’t have the money to pay someone to check my manuscript. So I have to keep going over my manuscript over and over until I get sick of it. As long as my story can help1 person it is worth it. Thanks Mark
Hi Anouk, that is too funny. I can only imagine what that must have been like, to work there. And at that age. I hope you write about it someday. Here’s to your success in the new year and keeping your work clean. No gorillas in your manuscript, unless you put them there on purpose. 🙂 Enjoy the holiday season! Mark
Also, if you look in your local area or online you might be able to find someone to help you with your work if you help them with theirs… Mark
…Anyway, I learned my lesson about typos. While the content was great, I was in too big of a hurry to share my work and rushed without checking and double checking, then having someone else check it. A really good lesson for me and a great reminder from Mark. THANK YOU for everything you do… and Fudge too 🙂
Fudge says hello, he’s actually saying a lot of things this morning because we just put him on a low-calorie diet. Merry Christmas Fudge. He’s not so sure. Wants the old stuff. Mark 😉
Hi, Mark! Great article and graphics. “Laugh out loud” funny commentary on an important topic. You really are putting your money where your priorities are with this offer. Yes, we are frequently judging content and value in what we read by the way it’s presented.
So sorry to hear about Fudge but relieved it was nothing serious. I hope he has a quick recovery. In his honor, I’ll be making fudge for the holidays. I hope you and all your loved ones have a wonderful time at this fun time of year.
Hi Irene, thank you for that. And happy holidays to you and your family… hope you are enjoying the day. I’m taking a few minutes to reply to comments before sending out a Christmas video. 😉 Fudge is doing better, thank you for asking. Love and light to you from both of us. Mark
Oh yes! Indeed you are correct and in your spelling too….
I re-read my query after sending the first one out and Yikes, typos everywhere 🙁
Next, I realized, my Proposal was riddled with typos and due to it being copied from a sample in a different language format, it was impossible to run spell check on it and get accurate corrections. Oh, my, I had to comb every page line by line and make corrections to clean it up. I still find a typo occasionally and cringe. Check – Double Check always!!!
Hi Mardell, happy holidays to you and your family! Here’s to a new year filled with success and void of mistakes. Mark
Very helpful article. However, in the section that announced the winner of this week’s gift card, something caught my eye: “comment to eligible” From the context of the sentence where this was found, I would take it that this was supposed to read, “comment to be eligible.”
KLT
Oops! I just re-read what I posted and found a typo. I hit the ‘period’ key after typing ‘eligible’ the second time, but it obviously didn’t take. Merry Christmas! Best wishes for a Happy New Year!
Mark…you clever fox! What an ingenious way to get people to read your site — of course all the pages are very helpful to us writers. I applaud you!
Grammar, spelling, punctuation is not being taught in school to the extent it was pounded into my mushy little brain. Back then it wasn’t imperative I ‘feel good’ about myself, so my tiny mistakes were accented by big red marks that screamed “wrong!” How I would have loved the purple ones they give now.
On the hairy back, we can agree to disagree
Hi Madge, you caught me. That was definitely one of my motives for writing this article… although I think most people won’t bother reading the rest of my site. Here’s to writing that’s free of mistakes and to physical bodies with the exact amount of body hair that we like. 😉 Love and light to you and yours. Mark
Thank you for sharing. I hate typos–especially the kind that a simple spell checker would catch. That appears lazy to me. Being a little obsessive about it, I am always horrified, when I find one in my own writing. Especially, after I thought I had checked it.
I think texting has deteriorated my ability to recognize typos and grammar mistakes. I am becoming used to incorrect spelling and grammar, so I don’t ‘see’ it, even when it is blatant.
Glad your cat is on the mend.
HI LR, just wanted to wish you a happy holiday season. Here’s to a new year that’s void of typos and filled with good health. Fudge is doing well and says hello. 😉 Mark
Hi Mark. I just stumbled across your site and enjoyed the article. I understand the desire to put one’s best foot forward and, as a writer who continues to find mistakes after twenty plus proof-reads, also understand the temptation to sigh in exhaustion and submit, mistakes and all. Thanks for the reminder of how important first impressions are. I’ll check back in later for more helpful hints. For now, I’m off to proof-read yet again, ugh!
Hi Elizabeth, welcome… and happy holidays! I hope you and your loved ones are enjoying your time. Thanks for taking time to say hello. And I look forward to seeing you more in the new year. Here’s to us both making fewer mistakes! 😉 Mark
HA! That’s a brilliant idea. I often find typos in others work, but rarely do I see one in my own. Either I’m too close to my work, or I have the “mote/beam” syndrome.
It’s true, if I find a typo on an agent’s or publisher’s website, I question whether to submit my book to them. In the writing business, if it’s pointed out, you should probably fix it.
I saw a typo awhile back, and I didn’t mention it, because I thought “Mark’s tired of hearing the editor in me.” Now I won’t hold back.
Hi Jen, in addition to getting authors to pay closer attention to their work… I figured this article might get people reading more of the content on my website. Ha ha ha. Hmm. Maybe I need to raise the price from $10 per mistake found to $20 (or more). And please don’t hold back. I do appreciate. We should all want to keep improving, and you were part of the reason I cleaned up my act. 😉 Mark
You’re on; but you should know by now not to start a sentence with a coordinate conjunction or dangle fragments.
I must move in 7-8 days, so you’re amongst shooting, packing and moving. Czech team is here skating. Olys are hotting up so I am chasing hockey as well.
Since you insist on waffling and squatching, I hate to inform you that ellipses, coordinate and alternative conjunctions have their proper uses which are not a matter of subjectivity. I have reference books to cite, but not CSM.
Hi Frog, happy holidays! I like fragments and coordinate conjunctions. I know that a lot of people don’t but I don’t a lot of other things people do in their writing. And yes, there is often more than one way to do something in writing. Some things are subjective. Even the guides disagree. So. Anyway, I hope your move went well and you’re enjoying the holiday season. Warm wishes to you and yours. Mark
There was a typo on the blog post I sent you the other day. I tried to fix it but it was too late! Cringe.
Best to Fudge!
Hi Wendy, that’s okay… it happens and I certainly know what it’s like… so I don’t judge too harshly. Especially here. When I was agent, more so. Happy holidays to you and yours! Mark
thanks for the article.. yes, I’m one of those too
Hey Jerry, thanks for reading it… and taking time out of your busy schedule to comment. Here’s to all good things in the new year and I hope you’re enjoying the holidays! Mark
The thing I enjoyed here was the feeling I got that “Mark is a guy like me. We’re in this thing together.” I need to hold myself to a higher standard like Mark has opted to do. We both make mistakes. I can make a little cash by fixing Mark’s errors or make a lot more long-term cash by fixing my own. Two fun options for improving and learning to spot little mistakes.
As for the “hairy back analogy,” it went on for a while but it worked. I don’t want my writing to look like a hairy back.
Hi Shane, just wanted to send you a quick note to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Here’s to making as few mistakes as possible in the new year, making more money, and keeping ourselves (and our writing) well-groomed. 😉 Mark
Mark, first let’s take care of the elephant in the room, er, I mean cat. Poor little thing – here’s to a lump-free life (lives?). Second, this: “I still make plenty of mistakes as a writer: spelling mistakes (though hopefully not in today’s article since I’m stressing the importance of not making mistakes)”.
Your use of HOPEFULLY! I know, I know, it has been in use as a modifier since the 30’s, but it still makes me cringe. Third, calculators & computers make us lazy, and writers can’t be lazy!
I think grammar gurus like you and I are losing the debate on hopefully. And hosted. And myriad things. And starting sentences with “And”. (I’m guilty of breaking that last rule a little too liberally.)
JEN:
English is a living language. Some things that were not acceptable in the past become acceptable.
I personally cling to the old usage of “I shall, you will” except for emphasis (in which case it is “I will, you shall”). However, we have been so inured to lawyers, that somewhere along the line we decided that “will” is the standard form, and “shall” shall be used for emphasis.
Harold
Harold,
That is so true! English is a living language, and American is wild. I speak and write American. 🙂
Hi Jen, I’m sure not an expert on language the way that some other people here are… but… I know that writing the way you want something to “sound” to the reader… or the way you want them to read it… is helpful. It governs my use of commas. And that’s why I like the use of words like “and” at the beginning of some sentences. Anyway, thanks for chiming in and reading my stuff in spite of my mistakes. And happy holidays! 😉 Mark
Oh, and the data show (not “shows”) that “data” and “criteria” are plurals — and I actually have used “datum” (the singular) in a sentence, though it’s very hard to do. I have given up trying to persuade anyone in information technology that my usage is correct — it’s a lost cause.
Harold
Hi Harold, I love catching little things like this as well… although I’m clearly not as good at this as you are. It’s a gift, thank you for making us all a bit better. My little secret. I simply Google everything I’m not sure of before I use it, or rewrite a sentence so I don’t have to use it. Doesn’t happen often, but it’s better than writing the wrong thing. 😉 Happy holidays!!! Mark
To be honest, some of my usage is a bit pedantic, and I would not be too critical of others for using the more common forms, even if they seem incorrect to me. I hold on to them, because I am concerned that if we get too lax on such things that English will lose some of its beauty and charm. Put another way, I don’t want English to sound too much like a computer language, instead of the beautiful natural language that it is.
Hi Claudia, Fudge is doing well… thank you for asking. Here’s to you and yours staying healthy as well, clean writing, and (hopefully) all good things for the new year. Ha ha ha. Had to use your favorite word. Seriously though, warm wishes to you and yours. Mark
I agree with you, Mark. Typo’s and grammar errors will jeopardize an author’s chances to have an editor review their work. These errors cause a flag to be raised from the onset and so it’s crucial that before submitting any kind of manuscript, the writer checks carefully to ensure these errors are not present. I run a writing competition on LI and these are the two most common and consistent errors, aside from the misuse of punctuation, and I’ve written about this several times on my own blog.
Hi Ronnie, glad to hear you’re doing your part to raise awareness. Send me a link to the LI competition you referred to. Always curious to see what other people are doing and support them when I can. And happy holidays! Mark
The group is called Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition and Discussion, and I’ve sent you an invitation to join so you can see what we do there.
Thank you Ronnie and have a wonderful holiday season. 😉 Mark
And here’s a well wish for FUDGE! (I read your piece from your blog earlier, and then just received your newsletter and thus saw the cat update). And as always: You are a gift and so helpful with your advice and expertise! Thank you so much! Hugs to You & Ingrid, and the Kitties!!!
Fudge appreciates the well wishes, his nose is warm so he’s still healing. We all send you our love. 😉 Mark
Indeed hair should be vanished! Whether “man-scaping,” ear hair, we gals’ streamlining of such things too, or even my DOGS, I want all things sheared or absent altogether! I once dated a man who was COVERED in hair, like a wolf, all over, & wanted me to shave him! OY! That’s going into a book somewhere, but I cringe now (not at the wolf but at the writing of mine I shared with you) & hope it wasn’t “Typo City!” Ahhh! Off to smoke Chilean sea bass in the fantastically beautiful snow! Cheers!!!!!!
Hi Leah, I agree… although at least one person has responded by saying she likes back hair. Go figure. Someone for everyone, right? Ha ha ha. And don’t worry about your writing. Content is still king. Looks are just surface, they don’t count for all that much! But it’s good to do what we can. Here’s to hygiene and happy holidays. Mark
While I was thinking about submitting error free manuscripts, I remembered seeing other writers’ proofs from publishers prior to print. The proofs tended to be peppered with corrections requested by the writers, many resulting from editing errors of all kinds. Therefore, it is very important to submit clean manuscripts so that editing errors become more evident in the final review. Editors can be more of a problem than writers themselves in this regard, as I experienced as a news reporter.
Hi Joel, thinking of you this morning… wanted to send you warm wishes for the holiday season. Here’s to your success in the new year, and no typos. 😉 Love and light to you from Mark and Ingrid