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 one page cover letter or query letter is sufficient. How to draft proposals to childrens book publishers dummies. A query letter is what you send to find out if there is interest in your project. I often find it helpful to imagine that i am writing the copy for a catalogue synopsis or the back cover or jacket flap. Query letter basics for the childrens book market book. William cane has a helpful website for writing proposals. Check the publication or agents web site or call to verify the name of editor or agent before sending your letter. So i thought id share samples of my cover letters for the poets who dont have much experience with them.
I am slightly confused because its appears the cover letter would only be sent if you were interested in the query letter. May 10, 2016 if you can get that from your cover letter too, youre golden. Cover letters for electronic submissions to childrens. Nowhere does this letter say what sort of book this is or what it s about. If you dont make a good first impression, your childrens book manuscript will likely get sent right back to you accompanied by one of those dreaded rejection letters. Apr 23, 2009 this vid is a nononsense guide to submitting a picture book or a longer piece of fiction or nonfiction to a children s book publisher. Sep 27, 2010 thanks, mary, for focusing on picture book queries today.
Writing an irresistible book proposal by michael larsen the golden rule of writing a book proposal is that every word in your proposal should answer one of two questions. In the beginning, you might try a few formulas and see what yields results. This vid is a nononsense guide to submitting a picture book or a longer piece of fiction or nonfiction to a childrens book publisher. How to write a cover letter for manuscript submissions. It was a little tricky finding books to showcase the letter i.
Dont assume that your work is going to sell itself. The query letter is a standalone letter that goes by itself to the editoragent without a proposal or sample chapters. All of your query letter for picture book questions, answered here. As a hybrid author, she also has published 17 books independently. Before i share the ideal structure for book queries with you, i need to make sure you understand something. These templates are available in several varieties. Its purpose is to put something officiallooking on top of your manuscript if the editor or agent has requested your work.
How to write a cover letter to a publisher pen and the pad. Here is a sample letter that you would put onto letterhead, or into email. We happen to prefer the cover letter along with the rest of the package. Writing a cover letter to accompany your manuscript submission is a mechanism that enables you to detail the most vital elements of your work. Brevity is paramount since the total length of your cover letter should not exceed one page. Guidelines for your nonfiction proposal hartline literary. Apr 17, 2017 summarize the plot of your book in the second paragraph. Both may be the only item an editor reads, unless its good. The appropriate length for a nonfiction query is somewhere between 1 and 1.
Write a letter to the publisher requesting its submission guidelines and include a. Keila is the firsttime picture book author of the king cake baby, which is a hilarious fractured version of the gingerbread man story. At the risk of sounding flippant on this, when we have internships available i receive applications that dont have any form of cover letter either as an attachment or in the body of the email. However, this cover letter format is appropriate for querying an agent. Aug 18, 2018 in an equery, you dont need to start with your address, the recipients nametitle address, or date as you would in a traditional snailmail business letter to editorspublishers. Firsttime picture book author cover letters, exposed. I wrote a cover letter to accompany the manuscript i subbed to my. Writing a cover letter manuscript appraisal agency. The purpose of a book proposal is to hook the editor into.
This bears little to no relation to a nonfiction book proposal. Booksellers are in charge with book and associated products retail. Sample book proposal from a professional literary agency it is a lot of work to create a good book proposal, but it is one of the most important aspects of landing a reputable publisher michael christian penname. Query letters for childrens book fiction musings archive for april 2003. I started writing for the childrens book market approximately 6 months. Cover letters do not get poems accepted, but they can get them rejected by knocking an editor off balance before reading them. Do not send the complete ma nuscript instead of a proposal. Remember your goal is to get the editor or agent reading your fabulous work, not your cover letter. Editors see a gazillion manuscripts every day, and the sight of certain common errors makes them sigh with impatience. That s why it s a good idea to have more than one story in the works. He loves blogging on a variety of writing and publishing topics, but hes most active with poetic asides and writes a column under the same name for writers.
The complete idiots guide to publishing children s books. To write a book proposal, provide an overview that describes the books themes, content, and organization. You will be happy to hear that cover letters arent actually too complicated to write. I will often draft a hook or pitch before my manuscript is submissionready.
Dear agentpublisher, please find attached a synopsis and three chapters of my genre novel, ms title, which is approximately 80,000 words in length. Just before we look at it, i should say that i am a real author describing a real book this letter pretends th. A book proposal is a short packet 24 pages of information about your book manuscript. The proposal includes a complete outline for the book and three sample chapters. If this is an electronic submission, please submit files formatted in microsoft word 2010 or later. This is only a barebones guide to writing a cover letter. Include any subhead or taglines that your books title may contain. We are frequently asked for a sample of a quality cover letter. How to write a picture book query the basics the layout of a picture book query. Cover letters for electronic submissions to childrens book editors. Hints for a great cover letter the steve laube agency. Your manuscript should always be accompanied by a short cover letter.
Good luck with your writing and submissions, nadia. After you know how your chosen publisher wants your materials submitted, youre ready to pull together your query letter andor proposal. Actually, its rude to go over one page in a query letter, not to mention unprofessional. Start by creating a table of contents, a formal outline, and a brief description of specific chapters. Most publishers have guidelines for how they want your material to arrive, regardless of. Smith, i am writing in regards to my 2,000word manuscript, tentatively titled, sophias cooking class. The main aim of your cover letter is to give the agentpublisher more detail about. Picture book submissions the great cover letter almost. It should reflect your great writing skills and make them.
In such cases, the query really ends up being a cover letter and doesnt have to be labored over that much. Theres a picture book query question that comes up a lot. Sample book proposal from a professional literary agency. Centipedes is a humorous story for children in the early grades that emphasizes the joy of participating in sports. When writing a query letter for a picture book you will basically have three main paragraphs, plus your signoff. Most publishers require a query for a nonfiction project or novel. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items. Writing a book is a major undertaking, and its natural to hope that once your manuscript is accepted, your work is done.
Picture book submissions the great cover letter almost an author. I read the manuscript of my book to my six children and they all loved it. Jan 17, 2011 hints for a great cover letter how to write a query letter for your bookbyline december 1, 2017 hints for a great cover letter tips on getting published rae rambles march 27, 2018 attention somehow. A cover letter introduces you and your novel to potential publishers. A query letter is a single letter asking for permission to submit your full proposal. Next, include sample chapters to highlight your writing style and overall aesthetic. You may occasionally hear someone refer to novel proposals, which typically includes a query or cover letter, a synopsis, and a partial or complete manuscript. Now, in a traditional hard copy submission, you would place your cover letter on top of your children s book manuscript. How to write a book proposal for literary agents and. She is the author of how to blog a book, the author training manual, and creative visualization for writers, all published by writers digest books. I would like to submit the enclosed picture book manuscript, centipedes play soccer, for your consideration. Now, in a traditional hard copy submission, you would place your cover letter on top of your childrens book manuscript.
A lot of writers are reluctant to give away their endings because they assume. Both may be the only iteman editor reads, unless its good. Write queries, cover letters, synopses, outlines, author. Childrens book editor underdown covers all the bases of breaking into the industry, from tips on maximizing the creative. Publishers require prospective authors to submit either a proposal a longer document providing additional editorial and marketing information about your book or a query letter a onepage letter of introduction inviting the publisher to ask for more details about your project.
Here are three common questions, answered for writers looking to pave a successful path into the world of publishing. Query letter sample literary agents and literary agencies. To some extent victims of hallucination, alcoholics who drink themselves to be no lm to make the meaning of being a. This isnt necessarily the time to get all casual or a lets hug kind of friendly. Remember, you have a business purpose and so does the recipient of your letter, so dont go overboard. Turning that manuscript into an naeyc publication, however, is a collaboration between us that will require your time and attention through production. Your business case may matter more than the writing. As this revised edition states, childrens publishing is a big business, with many kinds of publishers, many kinds of books, and right ways and wrong ways to do even such a simple thing as write a cover letter. How to draft proposals to childrens book publishers. If you can get that from your cover letter too, youre golden. Writing a cover letter the manuscript appraisal agency.
Its my impression that since whole manuscripts are sent for picture book queries the letter is more of a cover letter, rather than trying to hook interest with a bit of the. You can have the best cover letter in the world, but it wont get you anywhere without a great story to go along with it. A cover letter is what goes on top of a longer proposal and sample chapters. My book, book title will be a genre work which will center around the topic of book topic. If you are submitting by snail mail your cover letter is on a separate sheet and included in the envelope with your manuscript. I am submitting my picture book or whatever kind of book you are submitting for ages 48 titled my book title in caps. How to write a great cover letter for your childrens picture book submission to impress an editor. Some of my 1on1 author coaching clients have found it helpful to think of their query letter as an. With loads of hints and tips on how to get your letter right you want to know what a great query letter to literary agents should look like. If you are submitting electronically, your email will be your cover letter. A cover letter accompanies your proposal and briefly describes your proposal. Your himilayan adventures can go into the author profile. Electronic submission is preferred, but paper proposals are acceptable. Nov 20, 2019 in the beginning, you might try a few formulas and see what yields results.
If it is a snail mail query, then use standard business letter formatting. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items and should be attached as a single file to an email with submission. A few of childrens a how to write book proposal the first phase of the. It tells the story of briefly capture the book synopsis in one or two sentences here. One of our clients has graciously agreed to let hers be the example. Picture book submissions the great cover letter almost an. Sep 30, 2015 a query letter is a single letter asking for permission to submit your full proposal. It was well written and caught his attention immediately. Why should a publisher invest in your book, and why are you the person to write it. To some extent victims of hallucination, alcoholics who drink themselves to be no lm to make the meaning of being a lady, finding ways to make. A terrific cover letter never sold a bad manuscript, and many lovely books have sold in. Instead of writing the entire book, then trying to interest an editor or agent which is how it works with novels, you write the proposal first.
A cover letter is essentially a business letter introducing your story and yourself to the editor. As more children s book editor and agents want files they can read onscreen either on readers at home or on computers at work, more and more authors will be emailing instead of mailing submissions. Presumably, youve researched and read the submission requirements for the particular editor you are submitting to, and you are following those requirements. Remember the old saying, there is more than one way to skin a cat. If you can send the book proposal along with the query, you should. Read a sample literary agent query letter with hints. Do you prefer a query letter be sent via email with the book proposal and sample three chapters or a cover letter sent through the mail with an attached book proposal and sample three chapters. Hes the author of solving the worlds problems and smash poetry journal.
The main aim of your cover letter is to give the agentpublisher more detail about your manuscript and you, the author. Many book publishers do not accept unagented books so you must check the publications guidelines before sending an unsolicited manuscript. In this version, keila takes the story to new orleans and centers it around a local custom during the mardi gras season where a plastic baby is hidden inside a king cake leaving everyone wondering who got the baby. It includes more samples of cover and query letters and guidance in writing them. It helps if the editor can tell you put a bit of thought into. To make it easy for authors, we have a variety of unique eyecatching, readytouse childrens book templates. You can add a brief description of your publishing history, but stick to the basics. How to write a cover letter for a picture book manuscript. 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. She is a nonfiction book editor and doctor, proposal consultant, and an author coach and trainer as well as a book and blog coach. Cover letter also formatted like a business letter. Give the title of the book and the number of pages involved. The captivating features and vibrant colors of a childrens book are what will attract a child to pick it up.
The cover letters that grab my attention generally. This letter should do more than pique an editors interest. How to write a book proposal for literary agents and literary. May 30, 2019 to write a book proposal, provide an overview that describes the book s themes, content, and organization. How to write cover letters for books and papers, so see samples, formats, and get tips in this free video clip. How to write a darn good query letter ny book editors. About robert lee brewer robert lee brewer is senior editor of writers digest, which includes editing writers market, poets market, and guide to literary agents. Sample cover letters for poetry submissions writers digest. Their duties depend on the size and type of retail unit they are working for, and usually include. Jun 20, 2008 actually, all the cover letter really does is prep the editor for the submission. Remember, agentseditors can differ in what they expectwant from a query letter or cover letter, so please always check submission guidelines.
Always find out the guidelines and follow them to the letter. Summarize the plot of your book in the second paragraph. 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. Query letter sample below reveals how you can double your chances of getting the attention of book agents and publishers. The first step in learning how to write a book proposal for any type of book, is realizing that a book proposal is basically an expanded much longer version of a literary agent query letter.
The synopsis should identify your key characters, the core conflict, the setting, the timeframe, and the resoution. Childrens books need to be engaging and pleasant to the eyes. 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 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 a fiction submission, ensure the letter is more about the book than you. Mar 05, 2016 remember, agentseditors can differ in what they expectwant from a query letter or cover letter, so please always check submission guidelines. I undertook the writing of this book after discovering stumbling across a newspaper. A letter to an editor accompanies your manuscript submission. Nowhere does this letter say what sort of book this is or what its about. The cover letter otherwise known as a query letter, by comparison, should actually be pretty simple. Consult a written or online guide to children s book publishers. A proposal is generally appropriate only for longer nonfiction books.
Ms title is the story of josie, an eccentric child, growing up on a remote cattle. If a word doesnt help answer one of those questions, delete it. How not to write a darn good query letterdont go beyond one page. But after some research and running the books by the kids to make sure they were winners, i found eight. A book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product. I make no guarantees or warranties about any of the templates provided here. What should you do while youre waiting to hear from a publisher. It acts as a business case or business plan for your book that persuades a publisher to make an investment.