News flash: Your book is a product, like a car, computer, or denture cream. And like denture cream (and cars and computers), not everyone in the world wants or needs your book. The group most likely to buy your book is known as your market (or audience). Think about it...who buys denture cream? People with... Continue Reading →
Whether you're drafting your first-ever query letter or have written a whole bunch of them, the truth remains the same: query letters can be tough. Each manuscript is different. Heck, each query letter is a little different! Even when you're querying the same manuscript to multiple people you still need to take the time to... Continue Reading →
Submission guidelines can sometimes be vague, especially those at publishing houses it seems. You may find their guidelines to simply say something like: send your manuscript or proposal to publishers@bigpublishinghouse.com. Okay, so at least you know the address where you are supposed to send your submission, but you want to do things the proper way.... Continue Reading →
When you're querying fiction it really is all about the manuscript. If it's great then a good bio is just icing on the cake. Sure it can be hard to talk about yourself, but it's a good idea to let the person you are submitting to know at least a little something about you. Or... Continue Reading →
Personalizing your query letter can be hard. Do you have to? Well, I've seen agents who are pretty adamant that they want to know why you're sending your manuscript to them. They want more of a reason than “I am a writer and you are an agent so I'm sending you my manuscript” or “You... Continue Reading →
Although not mandatory, it can be helpful to put published titles that compare well with your manuscript into your query. Being able to give comparable titles can help the reader of your query imagine where your book might fit into their list, the marketplace, and who your audience might be. Good comparables can put an... Continue Reading →
Sub It Club 