What's the next largest reason I reject a work?

You'll remember that 33 percent of queries are rejected right off the bat because of lack of research.

Concept comes in second, with 18 percent.

How do you know if you have a good concept? Well.

• Ask your critique partners
• Don’t just give them one concept; give them two or three and let them pick
• Most friends/CPs are too embarrassed to say “I hate that” but will pick their favorite out of a few
• Often, when you have something easily summed up in a sentence or two, you’re on the right track.

Third, after genre and concept, comes taste: 10 percent. 

These have good writing, and did some research but not enough to know our taste versus genres repped. They're essentially a more advanced version of the 33 percent--often these are writers who used only one book when finding agents. It's important to also look at our websites, blogs, interviews, etc.

So, right there, that’s:

33 percent (complete lack of research)

+

18 percent (unappealing concept)

+

10 percent (good writing, and did some research but not enough to know our taste versus genres repped)

=

61 percent of your competition’s mistakes that are 100 percent within your power to address.