Why has my submission been rejected?

Why has my submission been rejected?

Alexandra Pringle (Editor in Chief) gives expert video advice on: My rejection letter was very short - what does this mean?; My rejection letter was full of detailed criticism - what does this mean?; My manuscript was returned really quickly - what does this mean? and more...

A book can be rejected by a publisher for many reasons. Usually, it's because the publisher doesn't think it's right for them or for their list, and that might be a matter of taste, or it might be a value judgement: they don't think it's good enough. It might be that it doesn't suit the list at the moment because the publisher has to balance their list. For example, next year, we've got a very, very full fiction list, so to get another book slotted in next year would be very difficult for someone, whereas another publisher might be looking still for books. There are lots and lots of different reasons for rejection, and sometimes if we've loved the book, we can say that we're not able to publish it for whatever reason and can ask to see the author's next book. Publishers try to be as encouraging as possible and as frank as possible about why you work has been rejected.