SUBMISSION LETTER

Question: What did you write in your submission enquiry letter?

Remember this – I was brand new  to the publishing world when I finished my novel. I was in Spain. It was January 2020. Before the invisible, but big bad wolf took us in its teeth and changed lives, for some, forever.

Bullet points:

Strap line

Who you are – YOUR writing credentials

What the book is about in a nutshell (one paragraph)

Don’t ask questions

Be polite, courteous, human, honest.

I used my careers as part of the reasoning / inspiration for writing the books. I told them what the book was really about in a paragraph, and now I’ve learned if your voice is similar to well known authors tell them. Apparently this is really useful. Makes sense now I have had time to think about it. Publishers will immediately know where you sit on the bookshelf.

If you are already on social media: Tell them.

I didn’t have any influence or friends on social media at the time. I blogged. For myself and for budding writers.  www.wifeinthewest.com I was writing for budding writers.

I’ve expanded my blogging to posting new releases from Authors. Happy to do this…

Be polite. Be honest. Being rude won’t score you brownie points. Telling them you’re the best thing since sliced bread won’t tick their boxes either.

Be prepared to listen to them. They are the experts. They are in the business for a reason and they know who they want to work with. They don’t want lazy. 

I’ve heard so many times ‘it’s the editors job to sort out my novel.’ 

NO. LAZY ATTITUDE. Who wants to work with lazy.

Even if you are Shakespeare’s reincarnation.

Make sure your work is as bright, shiny, and the best it can be. Of course they will want to improve your work.  Be prepared! 

But first you need to: 

FIND A PUBLISHER

Research and more research: 

Get the Writers and Artists Year Handbook – they are in your local library, there’s a ton of information in there to help you.

Find books in your genre and double check the publisher is open for submissions.

Don’t waste your time sending to a publisher if they are closed to submissions. Just keep them in your pending tray and check regularly to see if they’ve opened again.

Make sure you have the exact publisher that will fit with your book. OBVIOUS? Apparently, not to some.

Don’t submit to a Fantasy publisher when your work is Romance unless it crosses the genre.

Don’t send non fiction to an erotica publisher… Get my drift?

Research your publisher thoroughly. 

Find the persons name you are going to address it to, if you can. Sometimes you can flick through the reams of their submission information about who, and what editor would suit your writing. They will help by posting about themselves so you get a feel of what they are about.

Research:

Decide if you can identify your work alongside others authors – huge ones are good – if you can say you write in the voice of… and your work would fit in the same category this will be a major plus. Why? Because instantly the publisher will be able to know if they can market your book. It’s all business. 

Note: this may be the first major step to getting through the front door.

Research. I’ve seen lately publishers expect you to have read some of their books, published by them, in your genre. If this is the case you will need to be able talk about it. 

Be positive in your approach, be human, be professional, be polite. 

Tell them why your work would sell. What makes it interesting for readers. 

A bit more about a strapline:

If you can have a strap line like being in the ‘in the lift’ scenario: 

What do I mean?

Imagine you’ve met your dream publisher in a lift and have 5 seconds to tell them about your book and you want them to be interested without boring the pants off them!

Example: Secrets, Shame and a Shoebox is: ‘1950s London and everyone has a secret.’

It immediately tells the publisher its historical, a mystery, maybe more. Which my novels are most certainly are. Though mine has been lumped with historical romance, which I am a bit disappointed about, but then somethings are an exception to the norm. Hey, I can’t complain.