--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The manuscript you submit [should not]…" description: "\"The manuscript you submit [should not] contain any flaws that you can identify - it is up to the writer to do the work, rather than counting on some st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/richard-north-patterson-25352_counting_the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-con_719345.jpg" --- # The manuscript you submit \[should not\] contain any flaws… ![“The manuscript you submit [should not] contain any flaws that you can identify - it is up to the writer to do the work, rather than counting on some stranger in Manhattan to do it for him.” quote by Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/richard-north-patterson-25352_counting_the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-con_719345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/richard-north-patterson-25352_counting_the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-con_719345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/richard-north-patterson-25352_counting_the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-con_719345.jpg) > “The manuscript you submit \[should not\] contain any flaws that you can identify - it is up to the writer to do the work, rather than counting on some stranger in Manhattan to do it for him.” [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers must ensure their work is free of identifiable errors; they cannot rely on others to fix mistakes they could have caught themselves. **In simple terms:** Check your work yourself, don’t depend on strangers. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for your own writing. Themes responsibility quality self-reliance Mood determined reflective Type advice instructional When to use this quote - academic writing - novel drafting - self‑editing - peer review Key Concepts editing accountability craftsmanship Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance self‑editing with seeking feedback? - When is it appropriate to delegate proofreading? A Different Perspective It may be impossible to catch every flaw without external help. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Flaws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaws/) [Manhattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manhattan/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [A thing may in itself be the finest piece of writing one has ever done, and yet have absolutely no place in the manuscript…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-forche/a-thing-may-in-itself-be-the-finest-piece-of-writing-one-has-ever/) [Carolyn Forche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-forche/) > [Sometimes I do work on a longer manuscript in tandem with one or two shorter pieces - whether it's a short story or an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-sneed/sometimes-i-do-work-on-a-longer-manuscript-in-tandem-with-one-or-two/) [Christine Sneed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-sneed/) > [Instead of taking a year off, I started 'Dreamers of the Day' exactly 36 hours after I sent the manuscript for 'A Thread of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/instead-of-taking-a-year-off-i-started-dreamers-of-the-day-exactly-36/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [It is not as easy to emigrate with steel mills as it is with the manuscript of a novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golo-mann/it-is-not-as-easy-to-emigrate-with-steel-mills-as-it-is-with-the/) Golo Mann > [A manuscript not submitted is a book not published.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-poynter/a-manuscript-not-submitted-is-a-book-not-published/) [Dan Poynter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-poynter/) > [All writing seems to me worse in the state of proof than in any other form. In manuscript one's own wisdom is rather remarkable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/all-writing-seems-to-me-worse-in-the-state-of-proof-than-in-any-other/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [If you invent two or three people and turn them loose in your manuscript, something is bound to happen to them -- you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-invent-two-or-three-people-and-turn-them-loose-in-your/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I think once you have done all you can to a manuscript, let it find its way in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-think-once-you-have-done-all-you-can-to-a-manuscript-let-it-find/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Books are like your children. They take nine months to write; the manuscript weighs six pounds and...you send them out into the world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-buchanan/books-are-like-your-children-they-take-nine-months-to-write-the/) [Edna Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-buchanan/) > [You should be writing for the love of the story, and when it comes time to return to the manuscript, everything else belongs behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-koryta/you-should-be-writing-for-the-love-of-the-story-and-when-it-comes/) [Michael Koryta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-koryta/) > [Would you please publish the enclosed manuscript or return it without delay, as I have other irons in the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elinor-glyn/would-you-please-publish-the-enclosed-manuscript-or-return-it-without/) [Elinor Glyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elinor-glyn/) > [There is never finality in the display terminal's screen, but an irresponsible whimsicality, as words, sentences, and paragraphs are negated at the touch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-is-never-finality-in-the-display-terminal-s-screen-but-an/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [I began writing 'Matterhorn' in 1975 and for more than 30 years I kept working on my novel in my spare time, unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marlantes/i-began-writing-matterhorn-in-1975-and-for-more-than-30-years-i-kept/) [Karl Marlantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marlantes/) > [To me, all the juice of a book is in an unpublished manuscript, and the published book is like a dead tree - just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/to-me-all-the-juice-of-a-book-is-in-an-unpublished-manuscript-and-the/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [A good deal of editing a manuscript looks like mechanical work, as if anyone with time on their hands and a magnifying glass could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-harris/a-good-deal-of-editing-a-manuscript-looks-like-mechanical-work-as-if/) [Oliver Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-harris/) ## More by Richard North Patterson > [“I have a life. A real one. And not all of it is with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/i-have-a-life-a-real-one-and-not-all-of-it-is-with-you/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [“he knew that men were too complex to be defined by the worst moment in their lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/he-knew-that-men-were-too-complex-to-be-defined-by-the-worst-moment/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [“his legacy, if there is one, is that I try to do my best to see people whole, for who they are and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/his-legacy-if-there-is-one-is-that-i-try-to-do-my-best-to-see-people/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [“whatever you do - his father continued - dream big, take risks, and work harder than whoever else is doing the same thing. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/whatever-you-do-his-father-continued-dream-big-take-risks-and-work/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [Before Bin Laden did everything but advertise. Yet he had to blow up the Twin Towers just to get the attention of anyone outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/before-bin-laden-did-everything-but-advertise-yet-he-had-to-blow-up/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [The writer must always leave room for the characters to grow and change. If you move your characters from plot point to plot point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/the-writer-must-always-leave-room-for-the-characters-to-grow-and/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [Aggressiveness is good in a combat leader. Combining that with ambition and insecurity becomes more problematic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/aggressiveness-is-good-in-a-combat-leader-combining-that-with/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [Morally repugnant and tactically stupid are a lousy combination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/morally-repugnant-and-tactically-stupid-are-a-lousy-combination/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [Write what you care about and understand. Writers should never try to outguess the marketplace in search of a salable idea; the simple truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/write-what-you-care-about-and-understand-writers-should-never-try-to/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [“If someone really interests you, you'll learn about them yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/if-someone-really-interests-you-you-ll-learn-about-them-yourself/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [The only judgment that truly matters is the final judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/the-only-judgment-that-truly-matters-is-the-final-judgment/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [Writing is rewriting. A writer must learn to deepen characters, trim writing, intensify scenes. To fall in love with the first draft to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/writing-is-rewriting-a-writer-must-learn-to-deepen-characters-trim/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [Writing seems like the only job where what you think and feel really matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/writing-seems-like-the-only-job-where-what-you-think-and-feel-really/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [“who says they're all criminals? -he parried- some might actually be innocent. others may need someone to explain them. there are reasons why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/who-says-they-re-all-criminals-he-parried-some-might-actually-be/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [No one should be judged by the worst moment of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/no-one-should-be-judged-by-the-worst-moment-of-his-life/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) [Explore all 23 Richard North Patterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) ## More Counting quotes > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [We have to be innovative, we have to be fresh, we have to be new. People are counting on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-barthel/we-have-to-be-innovative-we-have-to-be-fresh-we-have-to-be-new-people/) [Sarah Barthel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-barthel/) > [There is us living the Cuban experience that we believe is ours. We do not believe that it is perfect, but it has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/there-is-us-living-the-cuban-experience-that-we-believe-is-ours-we-do/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. That is when I start counting, because then it really counts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-don-t-count-my-sit-ups-i-only-start-counting-when-it-starts-hurting/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [They're counting on your patriotism to distract you from their plunder. They're counting on you to be standing at attention with your hand over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/they-re-counting-on-your-patriotism-to-distract-you-from-their/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [“were counting on her. She couldn’t let them down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-leclair/were-counting-on-her-she-couldn-t-let-them-down/) [Laurie LeClair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-leclair/) > [Suddenly the full long wail of a ship's horn surged through the open window and flooded the dim room - a cry of boundless,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/suddenly-the-full-long-wail-of-a-ship-s-horn-surged-through-the-open/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [One foot in front of the other, counting tiles on the floor so I don't have to focus the blur of painted smiles, fake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/one-foot-in-front-of-the-other-counting-tiles-on-the-floor-so-i-don-t/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Why do I tire of counting sheep?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owl-city/why-do-i-tire-of-counting-sheep/) [Owl City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owl-city/) > [Beware of making a woman cry. God is counting her tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/beware-of-making-a-woman-cry-god-is-counting-her-tears/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Builders insist that success may never come without a compelling personal commitment to something you care about and would be willing to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/builders-insist-that-success-may-never-come-without-a-compelling/) [Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/) > [A business must have a conscience as well as a counting house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montague-burton/a-business-must-have-a-conscience-as-well-as-a-counting-house/) Montague Burton > [The lure in art collecting and its financial rewards, not counting for a moment its aesthetic, cultural and intellectual rewards, is like the trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/the-lure-in-art-collecting-and-its-financial-rewards-not-counting-for/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-best-part-of-our-lives-we-pass-in-counting-on-what-is-to-come/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [For was that all, she thought bleakly, that love ever was? Something that saved one from loneliness? A sort of insurance policy against not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/for-was-that-all-she-thought-bleakly-that-love-ever-was-something/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) Browse all 454 Counting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The manuscript you submit [should not] contain any flaws that you can identify - it is up to the writer to do the work, rather than counting on some stranger in Manhattan to do it for him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard North Patterson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-contain-any-flaws-that-you-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Counting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-contain-any-flaws-that-you-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/richard-north-patterson-25352_counting_the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-con_719345.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/richard-north-patterson-25352_counting_the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-con_719345.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/richard-north-patterson-25352_counting_the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-con_719345.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The manuscript you submit [should not] contain any flaws that you can identify - it is up to the writer to…” — Richard North Patterson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Richard North Patterson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The manuscript you submit [should not]...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-contain-any-flaws-that-you-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-contain-any-flaws-that-you-can/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```