Those of you who read my chapter on iheartpresents will know it begins with my heroine, Libby in the hero's rubbish bin. She's there (literally) digging up dirt on the hero who she needs to write a biography about.
The editors thought this was a rather desperate way to behave and made Libby appear a tad unlikeable. They believed the external conflict made her appear unsympathetic to readers as she didn't behave like a professional young woman and went on to do terribly devious things in an aim to find the truth out about Matt. She goes behinds his back to get information during the novel and although she doesn't end up using this material, she's still decieved him. The editors believed her obsession to write a good article overruled her love for the hero and in a romance, this is of course, a no-no!
Basically there are things in Libby's character that make her unworthy of a Modern Heat hero and therefore she and the story didn't make the grade.
I guess what I've learnt from this little part of the rejection is that our heroine's really do need to be outstandingly special. They may have a little self doubt, they may have had bad luck in the past, but they need to be morally upstanding and likeable!!
10 comments:
Thanks for sharing the details of why your book was rejected, Rach - it's fascinating! It's amazing how difficult writing a romance novel is - and to think the vast majority of people thing romances are formulaic. Hardly!
BTW - I'm probably not coming to the Roadshow. I need to save my pennies for the Gold Coast. I'm tempted though... would just be fun to catch up with you and the other WA writers! :)
Thanks for sharing Rach! I get their point of view, but it still is a funny scene. Good luck rejigging. :)
Naughty Libby! It's amazing to view things through an editor's eyes. I was caught up in the hilarity of the situation. Now we'll have to look very carefully at my Little Miss Heroines to make sure they're behaving themselves!
Interesting, Rach. I guess the thing with the heroine is that readers have to imagine themselves as her and if she's doing something they wouldn't then it makes it hard to identify with her. Like Kate and her nosering. That definitely had to go. Sigh. Like Lea says, this is tough stuff. It ain't easy writing romance.
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback from the editors. It's another confirmation of how much we need a really good crit partner who can see through the story we're writing and get to the core in the way the editors have done.
I read your chapter and loved it but now that you've shared the editor's comments I can see what they mean.
Good luck with the next one!
Thanks Rach for sharing so much with us, I found it fascinating. It's really shown me how hard it is to get it right.
Hope your next mss is accepted :)
Your welcome everyone - I'd share more if I had the time :)
Lea - you have to come, it's gonna be AWESOME!
Eleni and Lacey - love that you thought it was funny!
Jackie - but WHY can't it be easy? :)
Amanda - great to see you here. Do you have a blog? Glad you liked my chapter!
Joanne - thanks... I kinda hope so too, but gotta write if first :)
Thanks for sharing Rachael. At least you know they love your voice and each story is one step further along to publication.
I look forward to hearing about your latest project when you've had feedback from the editors...
It's always so interesting to get the editor's pov, and I see what they mean. Having said that, Libby sounds like she could be a fab LBD heroine?
How interesting. I too got caught up in the opening scene and thought it was hilarious. I had one ms rejected largely because the heroine was unsympathetic. At the time I thought she was quite cool but on rereading it a few months later, I realised she came across as a sarky whiner. Not easy, is it?!
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