Perhaps you've been trying to write your novel for years and you are finally done with your big masterpiece. You are ready to submit it to a publishing company and you're excited about the prospects of calling yourself a published author. But you quickly realize that your novel isn't what the agencies want, as rejection letters start piling up. The worst part about it is that you don't know what you did wrong even though you feel that your novel packs a punch. You begin the first page by presenting a conflict and you use language that definitely sets the scene for a dramatic and action-filled scene.
Many manuscripts are actually turned away because many authors assume that writing crime is using over-the-top writing and harsh words. Your word choices mean more than you know and many Editors and publication companies actually turn down works because they're simply over-the-top. Perhaps you want to capture a new audience who enjoys reading odd words that describe the scene but the mass-market is not interested. Publishing companies simply won't take anything that has over-the-top writing or content that is packed with extreme language. Don't believe me? Check out the works that are bestsellers and find the over-the-top writing in these books. There are no such words.
Extreme language is an issue
Editors are revealing that extreme language within a manuscript is a huge issue. Many authors are turned down because they simply can't hold themselves back. Extreme language is language that describes anything from torture, agony, misery, and overall fury. This kind of language is simply not balanced within the novel when it is packed into the first few pages.
Some authors tend to put everything on the first page, sometimes in the first paragraph. They want to start their novel with a punch, so they think that by adding all of this language into the first paragraph, they shock the reader.
Strong language is, of course, vital when you're trying to explain the scene or when you are trying to set the tone for something.
But moderation is everything. When authors cram everything into the first page and then continue adding odd word choices and extreme language throughout most of the book, it is simply too difficult to read and readers don't get a chance to breathe and take it all in.
Relatively easy fix
While many authors want to open the book with the bang, there's a balance to it all and using extreme language to set a tone isn't necessarily the right way to do it. It is easy to fix in theory because you simply have to rewrite the beginning of your novel if it is only your first paragraph or page that is packed with extreme language. But others warn that if you have received this feedback, the issues may continue throughout the book because it is often linked to poor word choices in the entire story.
It is your responsibility as the author to determine whether you want to fix these issues for the sake of publication or standby your extreme word choice and know that your work may not be suitable for the mass-market.
Have you ever received feedback from an editor over your extreme language choice? Do you stand by your own language decisions or do you think editors have a point?