Okay, so you've gotten the editing done and your work is as polished as it can be. What is the next step? Most new authors make grievous mistakes when it comes to what to do next, because they don't realize there is a formula that most agencies and publishers look for when they are seeking new authors to represent. They are almost always looking for someone who has "done their homework" or learned how the industry actually works.
Often, a new author will write a query, good or not, and just start sending them to every agent's name they find online. This will, of course, earn them multiple rejections, and they most likely will not even understand the true reasons behind those rejections. The truth is, most authors who have either never published a book or taken the time to learn about the publishing side of this industry will never get that coveted acceptance letter from a reputable publisher. But this is not because the publisher or agent does not want new authors in their list of clients. It is actually because the authors did not prepare themselves for what they need to do in advance, so their query was directed to the right person and written in the manner that would grab attention. The following is a list of the most common mistakes authors do that cost them the interest of an agent or publisher:
The first mistake is the most difficult for authors, and yet it is the most common problem of all the mistakes made - the query letter. You have to remember this is the very first thing any agent sees as introduction to your work. They haven't seen that next best seller you have written, nor have they been following all your months of hard work on FB, Twitter or anywhere else. You are a complete unknown to them. So the query should be a top priority as far as form and presentation, not to mention how well-written it needs to be. Many authors put far less thought into their queries than they do their writing, because they underestimate its importance in the grand scheme of getting recognized. Simply writing a letter to an agent saying "I have written a novel and it's great. I want you to read it" will get you a very quick NO! Every query must be carefully crafted with key points in it that the agent is looking for - professionalism, skill, credentials, and a brief summary of what the story itself is about. The entire query should never be more than a page long, and all points need to be covered in that one page. See my article on "The Art of the Query Letter".
The second mistake many authors make is in not doing their research about the agents they approach. It is a common mistake to think that all agents represent every genre. This is most certainly not the case, as they only have so many hours in a week to devote to clients. Each agent represents only one, two, or very occasionally three genres, so they can focus on finding new quality material and new authors to publish. This is so they can give quality attention to each new client they take on for representation. So when an author is preparing to query, they should be looking at the bio or "about" section of each agent before they send out a query, to see if they even represent the genre the author writes. They also need to be sure that agent is presently open to submissions when they go to query, because each agent can only take on so many projects at a time. Once their calendar is full with new manuscripts to walk through the process, they stop accepting submissions until they get another opening. Think about it. If you were one of those clients, wouldn't you want your agent to give your work the quality attention it deserves to get it through to completion?
The third mistake authors make is to try submitting to publishers without the solicitation of an agent. Most publishers do not accept unsolicited submissions, and will only accept new works through an agent. This is because the agents act as a filter that "sifts out the wheat from the chaff" or removes those who are not ready and finds the ones who are. This is not a matter of picking their personal favorites. That has absolutely nothing to do with it. This is a process that is all about who has finely honed their skills and who has not... Who is ready to take that next step and who is not. A query is very telling as to who is prepared and who still needs to hit the practice room floor.
The fourth mistake is querying way too soon. Simpy writing a rough draft and running through it on a once over, calling that the "edit" is definitely not going to score you representation. There are so many things to be certain of in a manuscript, and the average writer when they first finish a story doesn't necessarily know all the nuances of formatting and layout, editing, or even how to look for things like conflict, flow, telling vs. showing and the differences between the two, or even the importance of those differences. The writer often tries to query long before they have honed or perfected their skills, and no agent or publisher will ever accept a written work that is not finely tuned.
One final word on this - almost everyone who writes dreams of being published one day. Most of them will either never be so, or will self-publish because they think their work is already good enough. Lowering the standards of the written word has never been okay, and should not be the goal of any author. Taking the time to learn how to properly hone your skills and prepare that written work to be published should be what every author strives for. Getting published is possible for anyone who takes the time to learn. achieving a goal in this industry is no different than in any other - learn your craft, perfect your skills, and above all... be patient. You can be a mediocre writer who only sells a handful of books to their family and friends, or a world-renowned author who has sold books all around the globe. It's all up to you. Good luck!