I am attempting to get a picture book publishished, but for some reason cover letters and queries are killing me. What exactly are they supposed to look like and what is supposed to be in each?
2006-06-20 11:51:55 · 8 answers · asked by hecatesmoon 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Hi there. If I were you, I would forget about sending letters directly to publishers. Your odds of even having the letter read are almost nil. Why? Because the biggest hurdle in getting a book published is finding a reputable agent to show your books to publishers. That's how the business works these days.
Most agencies have thousands of manuscripts sent to them every year and typically, they only select a few that are worthy to represent. You can check on legitimate agencies at the Preditors & Editors website. They keep an up to date list of current agents and any problems writers have had with them.
Now, once you find an agency, you WILL need an excellent query letter to get their attention. Search the web for examples. If your query letter is sloppy or has misspelled words, you're TOAST. Get a qualified copy editor to help you, if you can afford one. Then, once the agency reads your query and agrees to look at your manuscript, MAKE SURE IT IS PERFECT before you send it off. Again, bad formatting, grammar problems or poor spelling will doom you from the start. Pay an editor to proof your work--it's worth a few hundred bucks to get your foot in the door with an agent.
After that, be prepared to wait up to 3 months for an answer from the agency. DO NOT submit to more than one agency at a time. That's the kiss of death. If your work is good, an agency will then offer you a contract. From there, it's another 3 month wait (often) for them to find you a publisher. Once you get a publisher, it takes about a year to actually see your book in print.
I hope this helps. If you're serious about getting published, you can make it happen. It takes time, patience and a lot of luck. And as a note of reality, of all the fiction books published in a given year, only about 13% ever sell more than 1,000 copies. Most (75%) sell fewer than 500. Contrary to popular belief, most authors don't get rich. I know--I'm a published author!
Jon Baxley, author, editor, proofreader and ghostwriter
THE SCYTHIAN STONE (a medieval fantasy eBook)
THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY (a medieval fantasy epic in hard cover from Thomson Gale)
2006-06-20 12:16:32 · answer #1 · answered by FiveStarAuthor 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out Charlotte Dillon's website. There are a ton of links on there for writers that answer a myriad of questions.
Once you get to her site, click on Resources for Romance Writers (don't worry, there's info there for all writers), scroll down to Writing a Query Letter, click & be amazed at the resources listed as well as a sample Query letter.
Charlotte's site can't be beat for writer info - it's been in Writer's Digests 101 Top Web Sites for several years in a row and is constantly being updated.
IMO, a cover letter is different from a query. A Query letter is used to inquire if the publisher would be interested in seeing a portion of your manuscript. It includes a brief blurb of what your book is about and a paragraph on your writer accomplishments. A cover letter, on the other hand, is usually used as a "cover" for a manuscript that has already been requested. It reminds the agent or editor that they asked for the manuscript, whether or not you're giving them exclusivity and for how long, thanks them for their time, etc.
Good luck!
2006-06-21 09:50:54 · answer #2 · answered by cb 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cover letter is essentially a framework to what you've done and accomplished as a writer. (Think of it as a job resume.)
This will give you more leverage with agents and publishers (when they ask for it), as they will be able to tell whether or not your are qualified to write the genre you're pitching.
A query letter is just that: A query to agents and publishers as to whether or not they would be interested in what you've written, and whether or not it will sell well to the mass market as a whole.
When people tell you that you have to go look at those stupid writer guides, they don't know what you're asking, for one.
Secondly, those "guides" won't help you either.
There is no such thing as the "perfect" query or cover letter.
Believe me, I've tried the "agent train" for six years, and finally decided that I've had enough of this 'stick and carrot' baloney.
It doesn't mean my books lack excitement or promise, but it simply isn't what the industry needs. They're in it for the money, not the writing craft.
2006-06-20 21:28:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Writer's Market has both a book and a website. The book will help you figure that out. The website is current with where to send it. Also they have online classes and tips. If you buy the book (around $30) you get the website free for a year.
You might also try finding an agent. They'll already have the contacts you need with the publishers.
2006-06-20 20:29:08 · answer #4 · answered by Lori A 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pick up the 2006 Writer's Market Book. Comes out annually. You can find it at Borders or B&N. They have examples of cover letters.
2006-06-20 18:53:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try looking at some websites.
2006-06-20 18:55:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out www.writerswrite.com .
2006-06-20 19:57:54 · answer #7 · answered by Rainbow 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry....he cant answer you now
he is sleeping.
Are you Jen?
2006-06-20 19:13:57 · answer #8 · answered by seffertanner 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋