Submission secrets
What to send, and what to leave out
Advice from Stewart Ferris on the proposal, the covering letter, the synopsis, and the months you spend waiting to hear back.
- 01What to submit to a publisherWhat a publisher usually wants in a book proposal: a covering letter or one-page proposal, a synopsis, and one to three sample chapters.
- 02What to put in your covering letterThree things belong in a covering letter to a publisher: you, your book, and the reasons their risk in publishing it is small.
- 03How to write a synopsisHow to write a synopsis for a publisher: one paragraph per chapter, one or two pages, with enough left hanging that an editor wants the whole book.
- 0410 ways to leapfrog other submissionsTen ways to leapfrog other submissions: name the right editor, address them personally, and give the publisher a reason to say yes.
- 05GimmicksWhy gimmicky book submissions are rejected, and why a proposal should be printed plainly on standard white paper.
- 06Generating a cover designWhen a cover design helps a book proposal, and when it puts an editor off. Even publishers judge books by their covers.
- 07How long to wait for a responseHow long to wait before chasing a publisher: at least a month. Keep sending new submissions instead of waiting on one reply.
- 08Copyright protectionCopyright protection for writers: your work is already yours until seventy years after you die, and how to prove you wrote it.