5 things editors want

There's more to glean from Mr. Brean. Let's see if his assessment of publishing trends from1936 is still relevant today. My summation of his main points are below.
Editors want:
1) a formula that doesn't look like one. ( Are publishers going to be more conservative and look for sure bestsellers with the current economy? Worth considering. I prefer to think of "structure" instead of "formula" because it allows more originality--which everyone wants. )

2) a story that throws the characters into the action quickly. ( I suppose Henry James doesn't have to follow these rules. In some of his books, there's hardly any action outside of psychological rumination. Come to think of it, there's plenty of modern literary fiction in which nothing physically happens. Maybe we should modify this one: If there is going to be action, get right into it.)

3) a story with as few characters as possible. ( In other words, if you describe the clerk at the 7-11 in chapter one, you'd better have a pivotal role for him in chapter eight! This is a tough one for me--I like quirky walk-on characters.)

4) characters with strong desires and for them to be torn between them. ( I can't argue with that. Can you think of any books that have apathetic main characters?)

5) a very clear main character. (Multiple point of view books are a bit of a high-wire act. You have to be really good to make each of your characters equally interesting. Admit it--you've skipped a section to get back to the "good" character when reading, haven't you? Maybe editors don't like books with dull parts! )

Keep writing!