Austin SCBWI

Most manuscripts are first reviewed by a reader, who is usually an associate editor. If he/she doesn’t see any promise in your manuscript for their publishing needs, she will return it with a form rejection letter which usually says something along the lines of, “Not right for our list.” Don’t be discouraged if you’ve done your homework. Keep sending it. If you get several rejections, see this FAQ. Also, don’t worry about copyrighting your unpublished work. The law is on your side, and legitimate editors do not steal manuscripts. Besides, you cannot copyright an idea, only your version of that idea. There are no original stories, only original ways to present them.