I emailed camilla directly, after seeing her manuscript wishlist on a website, having looked for agents who enjoyed the genre i thought i was writing. This is a great opportunity to highlight to the journal editor what makes your research new and important. A query letter is a type of cover letter that is geared specifically toward literary agents. Today well talk about the killer, knock the socks of an editor cover letter. Aug 03, 2015 we talked about novel submission part 1. Cover letter template for journal submissions author services. Here are three common questions, answered for writers looking to pave a successful path into the world of publishing. Even if you are submitting via email, your cover letter should follow. When i see a picture book query done well and when i write my own picture book pitches, in fact its usually very simple. When your book is as polished as it possibly can be, youre ready to submit and draft up a cracking cover letter. Now, in a traditional hard copy submission, you would place your cover letter on top of your childrens book manuscript. It doesnt matter how good your synopsis and sample chapters are, if this vital document fails to impress an editor or.
This letter should do more than pique an editors interest. Research the agents youre going to send your manuscripts to and tailor your cover letter. Cover letters for electronic submissions to childrens book editors. And heres the opening page, showing what the page header, chapter header, spacing, paragraph indenting and a scene break should look like. First, read any submission guidelines the publisher may have. Smith, i am writing in regards to my 2,000word manuscript, tentatively titled, sophias cooking class. The synopsis should identify your key characters, the core conflict, the setting, the timeframe, and the resoution. Dec 27, 2016 cover letters can be anywhere from 30 words to 2. Answers to writing questions gotham writers workshop.
They should shake the agent or publisher awake and make them want to read your book. How to write a cover letter for a poetry submission. Since most agents ask that the picture book manuscript be included in the submission, writing a really meaty query letter for picture book, especially for that short a manuscript seems a bit silly. Enough time to market it by using a wonderful reserve protect. Below, please find a sample cover letter for a blogger with similar skills and experience. How to write an author cover letter the balance careers. The opposite of this mistake but still a mistake is a letter that tells the entire plot, or in case of a picture book, a synopsis that is as long as the manuscript. A cover letter introduces you and your novel to potential publishers.
You definitely need to end the cover letter with a list your submission poems. Sep 30, 2015 the three items i submit are a cover letter, proposal and formatted manuscript. Any presentation package to an agent or a publisher has three parts. How to write a poetry cover letter the watering hole. Well, terry deary was right a great book proposal goes a very long way to kick starting a writing career. The cover letter is an important document that must do more than tell the editor that you are submitting your manuscript for consideration.
Jul 22, 2016 i recently received a submission with a cover letter that began. A query letter is a onepage letter sent to literary agents in an effort to get them excited about your book. Ms title is the story of josie, an eccentric child, growing up on a remote cattle farm in outback queensland at the turn of the century, from her humble beginnings to her rise to become one of the most wellrespected. It would look like a standard business letter with the date, contact information, and the actual content of the letter. Also, you will have a much better chance of acceptance if some of the. A cover letter is essentially a business letter introducing your story and yourself to the editor. For example, the atlantic monthly is interested in looking at my very first book. A cover letter that accompanies a manuscript or a manuscript synopsis is also known as a query letter, and it should contain a compelling overview of the work, details about the writers background and publishing history, and it should follow the publishers guidelines for submission. Research your market before submitting and think about how your book sits in the market. This saves you time if the story or poem gets accepted somewhere else and. Over the past few weeks, weve had some commentary and questions on what makes a good cover letter for a literary submission, so i thought id address that. Special feature guppy books ya open submission competition. Writing an effective cover letter a writers wings august 3, 2015 hints for a great cover letter best cover letter ever resume tape may.
Jan 21, 2008 how to write cover letters for books and papers, so see samples, formats, and get tips in this free video clip. The top contemporary poetry magazines and journals do not charge poets to submit, but a smaller lit mag may ask for donations to help stay afloat. Cover letters should be short one page or a page and a half and to the point. I recently received a submission with a cover letter that began. How to write a cover letter for a book submission book. For large publishing companies such as andrews mcmeel publishing, youll want to write a pitch or proposal rather than a.
Submission guidelines for unrepresented authors albert. How to write a cover letter for your literary submissions. Jan 20, 2008 therefore, the cover letter should be straightforward and concise. Jul 25, 2018 a cover letter that accompanies a manuscript or a manuscript synopsis is also known as a query letter, and it should contain a compelling overview of the work, details about the writers background and publishing history, and it should follow the publishers guidelines for submission. Because the submission process seems so mysterious, cover letters are viewed as talismans or lucky charms, the magic object that will open the door leading to publication, fame and fortune. Long, unnecessary paragraphs will irritate the editor, and an irritated submissions editor is. The term cover letter is generally used to refer to the letter of introduction that accompanies your poetry and prose submissions to literary journals and magazines. I try to only read them after ive done with the submission. Writing a cover letter the manuscript appraisal agency. We are frequently asked for a sample of a quality cover letter. If you plan to submit to a journal more than once, save that letter separately under the journals name. A query letter is a single letter asking for permission to submit your full proposal. Hints for a great cover letter 36 pieces of advice about writers conferences the steve laube agency september 22, 2014 hints for a great cover letter novel submission.
If you are submitting electronically, your email will be your cover letter. For one of these samples, i used one of my favorite books. An impressive list of awards and pro credits mighton a rare occasionentice a slush reader whos already on the fence about. Cover letters for electronic submissions to childrens book. Writing a cover letter for journal submission download our cover letter template. However, to submit your poetry book to literary presses, youll want to tailor the letter and make it longer, so you can give a synopsis of the work. Only in a query letter, cover letter, or synopsis do you get to single space your writing. For help with your resume, check out our extensive blogger resume samples. Explain how your manuscript is different from these books. If the submission is electronic, either attach a digital copy of the formal cover letter or write an email with the same level of formality, including your full title and contact information. Click on the actual articles to see an example of how to format your manuscript. The very best cover letter wont do you any good if youve irritated the editor or submission manager, so treat their rules with respect. Covers letters and query letters are a source of great anxiety for writers.
When you submit your article to a journal, you often need to include a cover letter. It takes a different set of skills to put together a good submission package than to write a book. Both may be the only item an editor reads, unless its good. Obviously, an electronic letter is going to differ in several ways. You have one page and 300 words or less to woo a literary agent into falling in love with your story and then requesting your manuscript. How to write the best journal submission cover letter. That piece is where you tell the whole story of the novel in a maximum of three single spaced pages. The cover letter should be no longer than two a4 pages preferably one and made up of a few brief paragraphs, see below for the breakdown of what should be in the cover letter and can appear in any logical order you choose.
For nonfiction, platform and qualifications are very important, so your query should be 60% about the book, 40% about your platform if your book is about surviving in the himalayas, your adventures are relevant and important. Cover letter template for journal submissions author. The key to selling your book is the cover letter iain broome. How to write a cover letter andor a query letter for. Apr 17, 2017 summarize the plot of your book in the second paragraph. Book submission cover letter fundamental accounting principles with homework manager, 18th edition wild, larson, and chiappetta, published by mcgrawhill irwin homework manager with cd, published by mcgrawhill irwin. In general, its usually best to keep the cover letter a page long. Hints for a great cover letter the steve laube agency. Theres a very specific standard for query letters that you should not deviate from, when possible. How to write a cover letter to a publisher pen and the pad. Their submissions category will tell you the format they want you to use.
How to write a cover letter for manuscript submissions stick the lead. How to write a covering letter to a publisher, editor or agent the first thing publishers see when they open your submission package is the covering letter. How to write the best journal submission cover letter wordvice. An impressive list of awards and pro credits mighton a rare occasionentice a slush reader whos already on the fence about a submission to bump it up to the editor. Highly sensitive christian women need a book that integrates the concepts of quiet. In preparing for a how to hook an agent event i got to thinking about the sort of things that put me off in a manuscript submission, and how so many of these read more. As well as introducing your work to the editor you can also take this opportunity to explain why the manuscript will be of interest to a journals readers, something which is always as the forefront editors mind. It was well written and caught his attention immediately. Sep 27, 2010 since most agents ask that the picture book manuscript be included in the submission, writing a really meaty query letter for picture book, especially for that short a manuscript seems a bit silly. Format with your address at the top of the page, right justified. Jan 17, 2011 hints for a great cover letter 36 pieces of advice about writers conferences the steve laube agency september 22, 2014 hints for a great cover letter novel submission. If a publisher requests query letters first, before full submission of the manuscript, then this will be your query letter. A cover letter accompanies your proposal and briefly describes your proposal.
Use the letterhead paper of your institution, if the publisher requests a paper submission. How to write a cover letter andor a query letter for submission. Picture book submissions the great cover letter almost an. The cover letter should explain why your work is perfect for their. Writing a cover letter manuscript appraisal agency. The most important fact to remember about cover letters is this. How to write a cover letter for a book submissionyou have composed our next excellent web pageturner. How to write cover letters for books and papers, so see samples, formats, and get tips in this free video clip. The beginning of a cover letter is the same as the query letter with regards to format, headers, etc. For some of the samples, i made up book titles for imaginary manuscripts. How to write a darn good query letter ny book editors. You might find that the submission system for your chosen journal requires your cover letter to be submitted into a text box rather than as a separate document, but it is still a good idea to draft your. A good submission has a fairly brief cover letter, carefully written, and includes.
How to write a cover letter for a poetry submission 2020. For more information on what it takes to be a blogger, check out our more complete blogger job description. Cover letters a good cover letter can help to sell your manuscript to the journal editor. The last segment will include a free downloadable template submission cover letter with detailed howto explanations and some useful phrases. These should be books that have a similar audience to your book and that you feel will compare with your book in the marketplace. I undertook the writing of this book after discovering stumbling across a. The query package, but now lets get more specific and discuss how to actually write a cover letter and fyi, writing a novel cover letter is different than a short story cover letter, in fact there are some publications that dont even require a cover letter for short story submissions the following post is an accumulation of what i learned from. Feb 11, 2020 the very best cover letter wont do you any good if youve irritated the editor or submission manager, so treat their rules with respect.
Cover letters for electronic submissions to childrens. Once you have the reader hooked, its time to delve into what can be expected. Picture book submissions the great cover letter almost. Dear agentpublisher, please find attached a synopsis and three chapters of my genre novel, ms title, which is approximately 80,000 words in length.
If you need further help to write a cover letter for a journal, you can download and use our sample standard cover letter template as a guide. I thought it might be helpful to share the original submission letter which i sent to my lovely agent, camilla at darley anderson. For nonfiction, platform and qualifications are very important, so your query should be 60% about the book, 40% about your platform if your book is about surviving in the himalayas, your adventures are. If you are submitting by snail mail your cover letter is on a separate sheet and included in the envelope with your. One of our clients has graciously agreed to let hers be the example. Now, please bear in mind i wrote this letter a couple of years ago, when i was young and fairly naive but it did get me an agent, so i thought still worth sharing in case anyone out there finds it useful although if im honest, it makes me cringe a bit now. This saves you time if the story or poem gets accepted somewhere else and you have to write to withdraw your submission. How to write a cover letter for a literary journal submission. The query package, but now lets get more specific and discuss how to actually write a cover letter and fyi, writing a novel cover letter is different than a short story cover letter, in fact there are some publications that dont even require a cover letter for short story submissions. Your himilayan adventures can go into the author profile. A good cover letter can help to sell your manuscript to the journal editor.
You can read our basic guidelines below, but i can recommend the book how to write the cover letter for your submission to a publisher. Literary agent federcia leonardis offers some handy dos and donts on writing a cover letter to accompany your manuscript submission. It should capture the editors attention, provide information about the novelty and importance of your findings, and indicate that all authors have approved of the submission and the manuscript has not. Sep 29, 2012 the cover letter is an important document that must do more than tell the editor that you are submitting your manuscript for consideration. If you are submitting by snail mail your cover letter is on a separate sheet and included in the envelope with your manuscript. When i submitted my novel a kill in the morning to transworld publishing and the terry pratchett prize this is what the cover page looked like. Oct 03, 2017 i attached the letter to an email, along with a synopsis of my book which gave away the ending you need the full, summarised plot and the first three chapters. There are a lot of reasons for this, unconscious bias being chief.
How to write a cover letter for a poetry submission read. In these kinds of submissions, you include the story, essay or poems along with the cover letter. This letter is your first point of contact between you and a publisher, therefore, it is crucial that aspiring authors know how to write a decent cover letter. A cover letter accompanying a submission to a journal or magazine can be short and simple. Treat your cover letter as a business letterafter all that is what it is. The three items i submit are a cover letter, proposal and formatted manuscript.
Address the letter to the appropriate editor by name. A query letter is meant to elicit an invitation to send sample chapters or even the whole manuscript to the agent. How to write a proper short story cover letter alex. Learn how to write a query or cover letter to pitch a book of poetry or a collection of poems to publishers and literary agents. Include a cover letter in the body of your email please see individual category guidelines for cover letter tips.
Mar 05, 2008 the term cover letter is generally used to refer to the letter of introduction that accompanies your poetry and prose submissions to literary journals and magazines. You will be happy to hear that cover letters arent actually too complicated to write. For a fiction submission, ensure the letter is more about the book than you. Nowhere does this letter say what sort of book this is or what its about. For example, some presses may ask for only a partial in order to get a sense of your style.
A lot of writers are reluctant to give away their endings because they assume. Summarize the plot of your book in the second paragraph. While your research papers role is to prove the merits of your research, a strong introductory cover letter is your opportunity to highlight the significance of. How to write a covering letter to a publisher, editor or agent. If a publisher requests query letters first, before full submission of the. Indicate that youre submitting the work for consideration, but dont say muchif anythingabout the work. Keep your first letter as a template, making adjustments for each journal.
Brevity is paramount since the total length of your cover letter should not exceed one page. How to write a cover letter for manuscript submissions. Nov 20, 2019 keep your first letter as a template, making adjustments for each journal. How to write a cover letter to an agent or a publisher susan swan.