CHAPTER 12

Submitting a Manuscript

Reaching the submission stage is a very exciting time. You have worked very hard to write and revise, and have developed a list of publishers that might provide a good home for your book. Now you need to bring the two together. This chapter will help you do just that.

Preparing the Manuscript

Preparing the manuscript for submission is not difficult, but it is important. Basically, you just want the manuscript to look clean and professional. Make sure it is typed in a double-spaced standard font, such as Times New Roman or Courier, with one-inch margins on all sides. Also, make sure the color is black, and the font size is 12. Keep italics and bold to a minimum and use them only if absolutely necessary. Nothing should distract readers from the content of your story, so keep the format plain and simple.

Add consecutive page numbers either at the bottom or top right-hand corner of the page. Do not start a new sequence with new chapters; continue the numbering all the way through, as in a published book.

Print the manuscript on white paper; refrain from using bright colors to bring attention to your manuscript. The paper should be good quality, not the flimsy computer paper that is easily torn. Your manuscript will likely pass through several hands and you don't want the final (and probably most important!) person to miss sections or have difficulty reading it.

Last, but not least, make a copy of your manuscript, formatted exactly like the one you are sending off. Email the copy to yourself as an attachment. This will protect you against hard drive crashes.

Picture Book and Early Reader Layout

If you are submitting a picture book or early reader, present the text as if it were a continuous short story. In other words, don't display a single line per page. Most of the time, editors will determine where to insert page breaks. Occasionally, you may have a strong opinion about the location of a break. In this case, simply hit return on your keyboard, and leave one blank line in your text.

Do not turn a page over or upside down in the middle of your manuscript in a sneaky attempt to see if an editor has read it all the way through. This trick tends to alienate editors since they know what you're doing. Plus, this isn't a very professional way to conduct yourself; you might as well sign your cover letter “Amateur.”

Place your name, address, and telephone number in the upper left-hand corner of the first page, single-spaced. In the upper right-hand corner, type the approximate word count. Most word processing programs will tell you what your word count is. Microsoft Word shows you the word count at the bottom of the page. Center your story's working title about one-third of the way down the page. Skip a couple of lines and begin your story. Because these books normally do not have a lot of text, it wouldn't look right to have a separate title page.

Chapter, Middle-Grade, and Young Adult Books

If you are submitting a chapter, middle-grade, or young adult book, you should follow the basic guidelines from the previous section unless the publisher has its own specific guidelines. However, you may also want to add a title page to make your submission look more attractive. Just as you would do with picture books and early readers, place your name, address, and telephone number in the upper left-hand corner of the title page, single-spaced. Place the approximate word count in the upper right-hand corner. Type your working title in all caps almost halfway down the page. Type your byline just a couple of lines beneath the title — this could be your real name or pen name, whatever you want to be published under.

On the next page, begin your story. Center the chapter title down a couple of lines from the top, and begin your text a couple of lines beneath that. Always double space your text. For each new chapter, start a new page. Number your manuscript pages beginning with the first page of the first chapter; do not number the title page. Again, number the pages consecutively, from the first page of the book to the last. Some publishers may require that the author's last name appear at the top of every page; check the publishers' guidelines for these specifics.

Package Appearance

You will want to create a submission packet with the appearance of professionalism and quality. Do not bind your manuscript using staples, a three-ring binder, glue, or string. Editors prefer to have unbound submissions, fastened only with a large clip.

Now that you have your manuscript ready to go, you are almost there. You also need to include a cover letter and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) (we will discuss these later in the chapter).

Some writers enclose a self-addressed stamped postcard and ask the editor to return it when she receives the manuscript. While this may sound like a good idea, it can actually cause a great amount of frustration on your part. Not all editors will return this card, even though they have received the manuscript. Look in the submission guidelines to see if there is mention of a confirmation postcard.

If your packet is just a few pages long, as most picture book and early reader submissions are, you can use a regular business-size envelope for the submission. Anything more than a few pages long should be sent in a standard manila envelope. You can either print out address labels or handwrite the mailing address very neatly. Don't bother sending the packet express delivery. You will have to wait quite a while to get a response anyway, so there's no point in spending the extra money. Just send it first class through the U.S. mail.

Submission Guidelines

Always, always, always follow submission guidelines specific to individual publishing companies! You should have this information already, having thoroughly researched the publishing companies on your list. However, if for some reason you don't have this information, get it now. It may feel like the different publishing companies are making you jump through hoops by requiring different formatting, but this is one easy way for them to weed out manuscripts. People who don't take the time to read the publisher's rules are clearly not serious about finding a home for their book.

While some publishing companies accept unsolicited manuscripts, many of the large ones accept agented submissions only

It is unlikely that “we accept unsolicited manuscripts” will be the extent of a publishing company's submission guidelines. Often you will find other requirements concerning issues such as multiple submissions (discussed later in this chapter), sample material versus full manuscript, query letters, mailing address, envelopes, formatting and layout, illustrations, and confirmation postcards. Of course, the requirements vary from publisher to publisher, so some may cover more issues than those we've mentioned, while others may not cover any.

Guideline Do's

There are several things submission guidelines will tell you to do. For example, let's say you have found a publishing company's submission guidelines posted on its website. This company does accept unsolicited manuscripts, but it has separate guidelines for different categories of books. You read through the categories and determine that your picture book fits in with the company's needs. You skip to the page or paragraph that gives you the guidelines for this category.

The guidelines specify that you should send in a completed picture book text, along with a cover letter; a query letter is not needed. You are told to submit it on 8½″ × 11″ plain white paper, unbound. The manuscript should be typed and double-spaced. Include your name, address, and telephone number on both the cover letter and the manuscript itself.

While you can probably gather submission guidelines from already compiled lists of publishers such as the Children's Book Council's list of members, you should also visit each individual publisher's website for updated guidelines.

The guidelines may also tell you to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with your submission. You can either include the postage required to mail the entire manuscript (otherwise it will be thrown out), or you can include a single first class stamp on a return envelope. In the latter case, you may want to state clearly in your cover letter that your SASE is for “reply only, please recycle the manuscript.” These days, with electronic files and e-mail, requesting a reply only is perfectly normal. Of course, if you prefer to retain the full manuscript, you may.

Many publishing companies have guidelines similar to these. As you can see, it isn't so difficult to follow the guideline do's.

Guideline Don'ts

Sometimes publishers also include guideline don'ts, and these should be followed just as stringently as the do's. For example, you may learn that this publishing company does want to see completed picture book text, but does not want you to send in illustrations to accompany it. (Illustrations will likely have their own set of submission guidelines outlined elsewhere on its website.)

You may also learn that this publisher does not want you to send the manuscript via e-mail or fax. Further, they do not want bound books or manuscripts laid out in book form. You may also be instructed not to include a confirmation postcard, as these are often lost in the shuffle.

While these are just an example of guideline don'ts, they should give you a good idea of what to expect from a publishing company's guidelines. Remember to follow the guidelines to a T. Any negligence on your part could result in your manuscript being returned with a rejection letter.

The Cover Letter

The cover letter is very important to your submission packet. The cover letter is what the editor will read first and can determine whether the editor actually reads the manuscript or simply returns it with a polite rejection letter. Like the manuscript, your cover letter should have a clean and professional appearance. Keep in mind that you must make a good first impression.

Be sure to watch your spelling and grammar in the cover letter. This is the editor's first introduction to you. The last thing you want to convey is that you are a poor writer. Proofread it yourself and then have someone else proofread it for you.

Elements of a Cover Letter

The cover letter should be formatted and typed like a standard business letter. If you have letterhead, use it. If not, start the letter with your name and address, followed by the date and the publisher's name and address. Beneath this should be your salutation and then the body of the letter. Finally, add the closing, leaving room to write your signature above your typed name. Some also add an “Enclosures:” note at the bottom telling what is enclosed.

The body of the letter is very important. You want to keep it brief and to the point. Do not go beyond three paragraphs. State that you are enclosing your manuscript and give the working title. Give a brief description of your book without going into much detail. You want to entice the editor to read the book, not give a full summary.

Include relevant background information about yourself such as any published works, credentials, or expertise on the topic you have written about. If you have none of these, certainly do not announce it or apologize for it. Instead, you may choose to include a personal experience or reason why you wrote the book.

Do not include a resume or any cutesy gimmicks with your manuscript. Resist the temptation to include your life history, sad stories that stir sympathy, or “joking” threats (“Publish my book or you'll be sorry!”).

You may also include a statement regarding how your book would fit in well with the publisher's list. It is always a good idea to include something that shows you have done your homework and are familiar with the company's book list.

You should never state that your family and friends — or neighbor, mail carrier, hair stylist — thought that this was the best book ever written. Stay away from judging your own book. Obviously you believe it is quality stuff or you wouldn't have sent it. Allow the editor to make up her own mind.

What's in a Name?

If, during the course of your research, you have located the name of a specific editor, and you have double checked that she still holds the same title, then go ahead and address your query letter to her. This shows that you have put special care into researching the company, and are not sending blanket query letters to all publishing houses. However, writing to a specific editor is certainly not required. So if you don't have a name, don't sweat it.

It is quite acceptable to address the package to “Editorial Department” or “Submissions Editor.” Often the submission guidelines given by publishing companies will ask you to mail your submission to a generic title or simply a department.

Query Letters and Proposals

If you have written a nonfiction work, chances are publishers' submission guidelines will request that you send in a query letter or proposal before the editor will agree to read the full-length manuscript. If an editor is not intrigued by your query letter or proposal, he will not ask to see your manuscript. However, keep in mind that even if an editor does ask to see the full manuscript, this does not mean you have sold a book — it means you've passed the first test.

Query Letters

Basically, a query letter is a letter asking an editor if he would be interested in seeing your work. Sounds easy enough. However, some writers find this to be the most difficult phase of the entire publishing process. Considering that this letter is your one shot at getting your foot in the door, you can see why it can be a little nerve-racking.

A query letter, like a cover letter, should be set up as a standard business letter. Place your name and address at the top, followed by the date and then the publisher's name and address. Open the letter with an appropriate salutation. “Dear Editor” will work just fine if you do not have a contact name. Following the closing, sign your name and print your name beneath the signature.

The body of the letter should make the editor want to read your manuscript. While this is certainly a sales pitch, avoid making extravagant claims. State the working title and what type of book you have written. Give a brief, but intriguing, description of the book. You also should provide market research and explain how your book will stand out from those currently available on the same topic. If you can give a reason why your book would fit in well with the particular publisher's list, add this too.

If your query letter has done the trick, an editor will ask to see either the full-length manuscript or a proposal. So even if the publisher's guidelines do not ask for proposals, it is usually a good idea to have a proposal on hand just in case — especially for nonfiction.

In today's publishing world, selling the author can be just as important as selling the story — this is especially the case in adult nonfiction books, but it can play an important role in children's book publishing as well.

Provide relevant background information about yourself, such as why you are qualified to write this book and whether you have published other books like it. This information helps an enthusiastic editor sell your book proposal to her company's board of directors who must give the final go-ahead. If you have any credentials or expertise in the book's specific subject matter, certainly mention them as well. For example, if you have written a book about chicken pox and you are a doctor, let the editor know. If you are the author of other books on topics similar to that of the current book, also let the editor know. If you have none of the above, a human interest story or personal experience always works well to add some flavor.

Proposals

Proposals are what fall between a full-length manuscript submission and a query letter. Normally, proposals are requested for works of nonfiction. While writers have been known to sell books on the proposal alone, it's best that you have a completed manuscript before submitting a proposal, especially as a first-time writer.

A proposal includes sample chapters of your manuscript, a cover letter, a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline, a marketing plan, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The cover letter should be very similar to a cover letter submitted with a full-length manuscript. Again, keep it brief and professional. In fact, it should be an automatic response in sending anything to a publisher.

You will also need to provide an outline of your entire manuscript. Normally, this is somewhat similar to a table of contents. Divide your outline into chapters and then either give a brief description or list the topics that will be discussed for each chapter — if your work is nonfiction. (If you are submitting a proposal for a novel, then your outline should be replaced by a book synopsis. Think of the brief summary or blurb on the back of a soft cover book. It tells you what the book is about, and makes you want to read it. A synopsis is like an extended blurb. This is hard to write and deserves your best effort. How long should it be? A brief one will be one to ten pages; a longer one will be about one page for every 25 pages of the novel's text. Use your chapter summaries for reference, and tell the story of your book. Include bits of dialogue. Make it spirited and enticing. The synopsis must compel your reader to take a look at your sample chapters.

Next, you need to include a marketing plan. This includes market research on books like yours that have been published recently and have done well. Check the publishers' websites for recent titles — also check recent Newbery and Caldecott award winners, and any children's books featured in Publishers Weekly. You have to be able to convince editors that your book fits into the current market, but that it is not too similar to what is already out there. If this sounds tricky, it is. Basically, if you are turning in a nonfiction book proposal, you need to show that there is an eager market for your type of book (your subject matter and style) but that the market is not being satisfied by what is out there now. This section also shows editors that you are serious and have taken the time to find out what is going on in the book industry.

A proposal also includes sample chapters from your work. Check the publisher's submission guidelines for specifications. This gives you the opportunity to back up your fantastic book idea with a demonstration of your writing skills. Make sure the chapters you submit are your best work, well-edited.

Multiple Submissions

You have your list of potential publishers, you know what their guidelines are, and you have prepared your manuscript for submission. You are all ready to go, but should you send your manuscript to all of the publishers on your list at the same time? This is a common question for first-time writers. Unfortunately there isn't a straightforward answer.

While you may choose to send multiple submissions, you should never create a one-size-fits-all form letter. You need to make your cover letter specific to the company you are sending it to. Also, keep in mind that different publishing companies have different submission guidelines, so it wouldn't be wise to create one submission packet that you photocopy over and over to send to all publishers.

As you will see, editors and writers have differing views on multiple submissions. Sometimes publishers will state in their submission guidelines that they want an exclusive submission or that multiple submissions are fine. But this isn't always the case, so it essentially boils down to what you are comfortable with.

The Editor's Side

While most editors are becoming more tolerant of multiple submissions because they understand the strenuous process writers are put through, some still want exclusive submissions. They want to know that the writer has taken the time to consider different publishers and has chosen to send them the manuscript first. This forces the writer to make the difficult decision of where to submit a manuscript, thus weeding out those who haven't done their homework.

You must also consider that editors are weighed down with a very heavy workload. It is sometimes difficult for them to keep their heads above water, and they can't always get to your manuscript right away. When it arrives, your manuscript must first meet the standards of a reader who will pass it along to an editor if she believes it is worthwhile. At this point, it may sit on the editor's desk for weeks — or at least until he can get to it. Once he finally does, and finds that he will be able to turn it into the next bestseller, his excitement turns to sorrow as he reads another letter from you saying that a competing publishing company has bought the book.

You can imagine his frustration. This is why many editors prefer exclusive submissions. Editors want the chance to buy the promising manuscripts waiting on their desks without having to worry that someone else has already signed them. But this isn't quite fair to the writer.

The Writer's Side

Now let's see it from your side. Let's say you have four publishing companies at the top of your list for submissions. You have thoroughly researched each and are confident that your book would fit in well with their lists. However, each requests an exclusive submission.

You finally make your decision on which to send the manuscript to first. That publisher spends four months with your work only to send you a polite letter declining the book. You move on to the next; this one also spends four months and returns the manuscript. On to the third. Again, another four months pass by before you find out the editor doesn't think it would work well on the list. A full year has gone by before you are able to send your manuscript to the fourth publisher. At this rate, you may die of old age before you are able to see your book in print.

Multiple submissions can be a tricky thing. If you are interested in sending out multiple submissions, you may want to divide up your list of potential publishers into small batches of, say, five or six. This will make it easy to keep an eye on who has what and will give you time to revise before sending your manuscript on to the others if the first batch doesn't make a sale.

This is why so many choose to send multiple submissions. Of course, you need to be careful with multiple submissions. You don't want to have your manuscript out with so many publishers that you can't keep them all straight.

Editors sometimes make comments on those manuscripts that are good but not fit for a particular list. If you receive personal comments with a returned manuscript, you should take them very seriously. You will probably want to take these suggestions into consideration and maybe do a little revising before you send the work off to the next publishers on your list.

Tracking Submissions

You will need to keep track of your submissions — especially if you choose to send multiple submissions — for several reasons. First of all, it is just good to know where your manuscript is. By noting the date you sent it, you can keep track of how long it stays with a particular publisher. Second, if your manuscript has been declined several times, you don't want to make the mistake of sending it to a publisher that has already seen it. Finally, if your manuscript is accepted by one publisher and is still out with three others, you will want to let the three publishers know that they need not consider it any longer.

Getting Organized

Set up an organizational system that works for you. Many writers use Excel spreadsheets or Word documents listing all the relevant information. Create a file and e-mail it to yourself — this way it will always be available to you.

Regardless of how you decide to set up your tracking system, there are certain things that you will need to include: title, type of submission (query letter, proposal, full-length manuscript), publisher's name, editor's name (if you have a specific contact name), date sent, date returned, and any comments that accompany the returned manuscript. You may also choose to add information that pertains to each submission. For instance, if you sent along a confirmation postcard, you may want to note the date the editor received the manuscript. Or maybe you decide to send follow-up letters or make phone calls and want to note these as well.

Once you get involved in the submission process, you will be able to design an organizational system that suits your needs. In the meantime, consider using the following table to get you started.

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