Comments on: What is more important to a publisher: your story (plot) or your writing?

By: T M

T M — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:40:59 +0000

Brenda makes a good point.
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By: » i.m.me ;)

» i.m.me ;) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:06:59 +0000

the plot. You can improve on the writing later – just WRITE, WRITE AND WRITE that great idea of yours. Finish it. Don’t stop until you do. Don’t give up.

Once you’ve finished you can read it over again and then edit it. Keep editing it until it sounds perfectly good to you.

good luck!
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By: Brenda Coulter

Brenda Coulter — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:30:59 +0000

While my first completed manuscript was snapped up by a major N.Y. publisher and did not require any revisions, my second, third, and fourth manuscripts (completes, not proposals) were rejected before I started selling again. Here’s the salient fact: my writing DID NOT CHANGE. It was the stories themselves that were deemed not good enough for publication.

It’s true that a certain level of competence in writing is necessary for publication. But after that, the story is king. How else can we explain the fact that while literary types criticize Dan Brown for sloppy research and poor writing, EVERYONE has read The DaVinci Code?

The story’s the thing.
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I’m a published novelist.

By: Sela C

Sela C — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:21:59 +0000

Here’s the thing, they kind of go hand in hand. If you’ve got a great plot, but you’re too poor a writer to make it as interesting as it could be, then you don’t have a marketable manuscript. If you have a weak story, but your writing is beautiful, then you don’t have a marketable manuscript.

You need to develop both in order to be a successful author.

And your publisher and editor don’t have time to babysit you and fix all the little things that you ought to know. They want professional work, so know the tools of your trade, i.e. your language, grammar and vocabulary.
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Published author

By: Psychotic

Psychotic — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:53:59 +0000

Your publisher would probably look over your work and then in more cases than not will try to tweak it a little bit, but it is very unlikely they will make you write a better story, also if you have a great idea then your writing will be better…

So good luck, hope i helped a little bit lol xoxo
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By: HOPLITE2501

HOPLITE2501 — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:09:59 +0000

Marketability and profit are the main concerns of any publishing house . Your assigned editor will proofread and make recommendations accordingly .
Keep on keeping on .
:0)
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By: marti

marti — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:22:59 +0000

Publishers look for both, but moreso at the plot.

However, if your basic writing is horrible, they’re just going to throw your story on the trash pile. If they can’t get past the first 2 pages without finding a ton of mistakes, then your story won’t matter. It will get tossed.
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By: ashley h

ashley h — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:45:59 +0000

It’s not a stupid question at all…I think to a publisher both your writing and the plot is important…The plot because that’s what will make the story sell,so it has to be good enough to pop out at people…Then your writing may only be average but with the right plot you can make it great…I think you making the deadline would be more important then anything.
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By: dj jake

dj jake — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:11:59 +0000

Well, publishers look for quality in both, but the plot has to be especially good. If your writing is not good at all though, or even just average, publishers will (most likely) not accept your book
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By: Disgusted At Yahoo Answers

Disgusted At Yahoo Answers — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:48:59 +0000

the plot and the story is more important they can rework the writing aspect sort of when like when they edit a movie
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disgusted at yahoo answers.