Submitting Your Manuscript to A Publisher: What To Do; What Not To Do

Concerning Cover Letters, Query Letters, and Manuscript Submissions 

Publishers have certain expectations when it comes to manuscript submissions. 

Most manuscripts are denied before a single word is read solely because of how it was submitted! 

I find writers not only continue to purposefully stray from the norm when submitting work to a publisher, but will argue over “creative freedom” ad nauseam as if it's the only factor setting them apart from all others with access to ink. This practice, the attempt to draw the attention of those that sift through the piles of stories looking for that one golden ticket, has been overplayed to the point there are talks of manufacturing shredders on a super-sized scale for easy and constant feedings of 500+ pages per nanosecond.

I say it over and over, repeat it again, say it once more, but writers are a stubborn breed and insist being different will gain them an edge over the competition. It. Will. Not.

The transparency of these “Look at me!” maneuvers sickens publishers. Coloring outside the lines as a “creative decision” does convey a message, but it is one you should avoid if you ever hope to publish.

It tells a publisher: “I find you too stupid to see I am trying to manipulate you” or “I'm going to be a constant pain in your ass once you risk representing me/backing my name with yours” or “I am too immature to follow rules and am far too entitled to be taken seriously as a writer.”

Do yourself a favor and follow protocol. Don't ruin your name before it even means anything in the world of writing.

Altering your work to stand out from the crowd merely demonstrates a lack of professionalism and the inability to follow instructions. It is the most efficient way to ensure hundreds of pages of breathtaking prose poured from your aching soul is crumpled up and used as kindling for one kickass devil-envied bonfire beneath a star-filled moonless sky as Penguin and HarperCollins lounge about with a glass of bourbon in one hand and a manuscript in the other. One that is not yours. One that was sent to them correctly and professionally.

Fancy fonts and floral-bordered colored paper are the most common methods used by writers to sway a publisher into opening their story before all others; thus, it's the most common mistake made by submitting writers. It's adorable that any writer thinks there is even one publisher that has yet to see it all. Even the smallest and newest publishing companies can see through the smoke and mirrors. Matter ‘o fact, they'll be the first to call bullshit because they too are in the stage of defining their name. They won't sully their reputation for your “creative” preference.

There is literally nothing you can do that hasn't been done before. Nothing. Don't be the fool that believes there is a publisher naive enough to be influenced by grade school magic tricks. Don't be the writer that tries to prove these words wrong. How many publishers will you alienate along the way? Weigh the costs carefully.

Submitting manuscripts is not a difficult procedure. Follow the formatting guidelines as outlined by each individual publisher. Don't stray from the guidelines. See? Simple.

Submission of a manuscript is more than half the battle of getting published. Every publisher lists their submission guidelines on their website, preschool-easy to understand, damn-near-do-it-for-you simple I mean, yet day after day after day manuscripts pour in revealing total ignorance of said guidelines by beginner and veteran writers alike.

Even I have standards for which submissions I will publish on my page and which I will not, for when I do so, I am putting my name behind yours and it reflects on me as a writer. I can promise you, I will not publish anything unworthy of my own name, nothing from one who takes no pride in their work. I have goals too, and equating myself with unprofessionals is not one of them.

Submissions of first draft quality equate to spitting in a publisher's face. Polish your work before sending. Submit only that which you would be proud to see in print.

It cannot be stressed enough: Follow the formatting guidelines as outlined by each individual publisher. Do NOT stray from the guidelines.

If you are a writer that enjoys the sharp pangs of rejection, then I highly recommend you continue ignoring the detailed format criteria given by publishers. If you want a fair shot of getting your words before the all-seeing, ever-probing eyeballs of the publishing gods, follow me…

The Cover Letter

The cover letter is easy. Let's keep it that way. Though it is not a necessity, it is regarded as rude and unprofessional to send a manuscript without a cover letter.

Cover letters are not the same as query letters, but it is the first impression you make on a publisher. It is the hello and handshake upon meeting a potential employer, one you greatly desire to work for. The cover letter is the equivalent to looking someone square in the eye when introduced. It sets the tone for the relationship that will ensue, be it one of mutual trust and respect or one of worry and fear your lawyers will soon come banging on their doors in the middle of the night.

Long story short —send a cover letter. One page. Three paragraphs. Simple. Direct. Signed. That's it.

• Paragraph One
• description of the book
• title
• genre
• word count
• target audience (eg, young adult /YA/, or horror fans, or readers of true crime, you get the idea)
• Paragraph two
• Introduce yourself
• interesting details of your life or experience if relevant to your submission

• published works
• literary awards
• writing organization memberships or affiliations
• any pertinent info on why you qualify to be the writer of your book
• Paragraph Three
• brief author bio (300 words is sufficient)
• Sincerely,

A Respectful Professional Writer

The Query Letter

A query letter… well, that's an entirely different beast than the cover letter. Don't confuse the two. It's the pickup line, the light, enticing touch of a lover's lips on an earlobe, the fingernail lightly tracing well defined ab muscles, the tantalizing strawberries and cream waffles with whip cream.

The purpose is to make the publisher want more. Make them beg for more. Polishing a query letter to a glistening sheen is time well invested, but don't make the mistake of losing your professionalism in the process.

On the not-so-romantic angle is it is a tactic used by the publisher to cut the number of manuscript submissions, thereby creating another difficult hurdle for the new writer. Not only does your work need to be next-to-godly-high-quality, but your query letter has to seduce the only people on the planet sick to death of being seduced.

Your query letter should be short yet contain a strong sense of your writing style and the story you're pitching. The problem is fiction is a matter of taste so the letter needs to be targeted expertly and individually to each publisher. Do not rely on the one-size-fits-all tactic.

Do not query unless your manuscript is complete, polished, and ready for publication. Querying prior to this stage shows a publisher you don't understand the basics of the profession, and they will shy away from your future queries. Do consider including an excerpt from the manuscript, the beginning paragraph if it's a stellar hook, but be sure the guidelines do not prohibit doing so.

In Short…

• One Page
• Times New Roman, 12pt
• Single Spaced
• Approximately 200-400 words (see below “elements “)

Brevity is best. Get in, get out.

Elements of the Query Letter 

• Personalization
• Customize the letter for the recipient
• The What
• Genre
• Category
• Word Count
• Title /Subtitle
• The Hook (100-200 words for most novels)
• Protagonist
• Protagonist’s Conflict
• Protagonist's Options
• The sizzle
• Bio
• Third Person POV
• Fiction Writing Credits
• Nonfiction Writing Credits
• Writing Credentials (education/memberships)
• Special Research
• Major awards/competitions.
• Thank you
• Closing
  

I highly recommend reading more detailed info on Query Letters here.  Outstanding reference, instruction, and techniques!) 

Industry Standard Formatting Guidelines for Manuscript Submissions

The preferred formatting method of most publishers for manuscript submissions is as follows, but, again, read the guidelines as outlined by each publishers on their website before sending a single word. One mistake could cost you the deal of a lifetime!

Do not treat the choice of a publisher to not define a particular font as an open invitation to be creative. If not specified, it's because the publisher expects the writer to know the industry standards regarding formatting. Show them you do. Show them you are professional and intelligent. Show them respect and they will return it. It doesn't mean they will publish you, but it does mean you leave a favorable impression on them for the next submission. Make that a primary goal.

• 1” Margins (top, bottom, right, left)
• Double Spaced
• 12pt Courier or Times New Roman *
• Black Ink on White Paper, Always
• Left Align (Do NOT justify align)

First Page

• Header

Upper Left Corner:

• Legal Name
• Address
• Phone
• Writing Society Memberships (if applicable)

Upper Right Corner:

• Word Count (rounded to nearest 100th; example: 54,635 should be written as 54,600)

• Midway Down Page:

• Title (centered)

• Two Spaces Below Title:

• Byline (pen name if used)

• Two Double Spaces Below Byline:

• Start Story

All Following Pages

• Header

Upper Right Corner:

• Last Name
• Title
• Page Number
• Begin first paragraph of each chapter or section at the margin
• Indent all succeeding paragraphs

Bottom of Story Ending Page

• “THE END”  (some of you don't want to do this, some outright refuse, but remember, one single page removed or out of order, something easily done in the hands of another, and you get to stand at the finish line but never cross. Publisher suggestion. Not mine.

So now you know the correct way to submit your work to a publisher, but let's take a look at all the things not to do, the things they don't list on their page but expect us all to know.

After all, knowing incorrect procedures is equally as important as knowing correct ones. I am speaking of common mistakes made by most writers, things you should avoid if you hope to ever have a chance in the world of traditional publishing. And yes, traditional publication should be your goal; self-publishing a last resort, but we will cover that at another time. For now, just read and absorb, rinse and repeat, then save for future reference.

First and foremost: Lazy, unprofessional, and /or arrogant writers that don't bother learning the basics of their craft will be outright rejected by a publisher. For good reason. If a company chooses to publish your work, they are choosing to represent you. They do not wish to attach their name to a writer who will drag it through the mud and piss-flooded snow, for you represent them once the deal is struck.

For those that enjoy the thrill of rejection, please allow me to show you the way…

What NOT To Do:

The How-To List for Ensuring Swift and Brutal Heart-Wrenching Soul-Crushing Rejections

First things first… Make sure you read the heading above this sentence correctly. Now double check. Okay then. Onward…

• Write in mangled English.Manglish. (Cool word!) But you know. Like you ain't got no schooling and shizz, whatevs, and stuff.
• Use punctuation incorrectly or eliminate it altogether because that one gigantic sentence manuscript is bound to please the crowd especially if that crowd is a crowd of publishers which of course is your dream and now that you have their attention you need to wow the hell right out of them and what battery way to wow them than by not letting them catch their breath because of they catch their breath they might have time to say no and we don't want to hear that big fat no so just keep going and see how long it takes them to turn purple and pay close attention at that point because that is just about the time all those words on top of words will be set on fire
• B sur ur cover leter an manscript is overflowig w spelin errs, sintax mis-takes, and nerve-severing txtn slang cuz ez
• WRITE EVERYTHING IN CAPS SO THEY CAN HEAR YOU IN THE BACK
• Paste entire manuscript in the body of an email. For fun and a little extra luck, send it to the wrong address with an obscene selfie.
• Retell Harry Potter and send via the most regal of owls from the owlery, but do prepare yourself for the howler, dear. You can bet your sweet wizarding Quidditch playing bum it's coming.
• Don't bother learning anything about the publisher. Who cares if they don't publish self-help cooking combo genres? Why worry yourself with reading up on who's looking for what? Since when do writers research? Pfft. Puhlease. Just send send send and pray then send send send again then again then send some more. Make damn sure they remember your name and the had reflex that accompanies it.
• In the most self-righteous manner possible, point out the fact that your masterpiece is gonna either make them or break them so they beat choose wisely!
• I believe it goes without saying, always ignore submission guidelines as stated on publisher websites and, instead, opt for eye-blistering neon-green ink and pretty pink glitter and hand-drawn faeries on the paper edges because… You. Are. Fabulous. And. Unique!

Remember, one tiny error can equal denial of a potential bestseller. We don't want that, now do we? Nope. We didn't bleed and sweat the essence of our very existence all over those pristine white pages with dainty little black squiggles just to have them fed through the shredder by a bobble headed intern did we? Hell no!  

Now is not the time to start coloring outside the lines! Remain professional at all times. Follow all procedures with expert zeal. Earn your place on the publisher's desk!

*Courie seems preferred by both publishers and editors as it is monospaced, meaning easier to catch errors when reading. Times New Roman preferred when submitting to competitions or when no editing will be involved. Look for this specification specifically when reading a publisher's formatting guidelines. If none are specified, which is a rarity, it's probably best to choose Courier.