How to present a manuscript to agents/publishers

Emily , is there any hope for me? Just curious matt

Difficult to tell - I'm just a writer who does sales and marketing for a living so I'm no great authority. I think it's just a case of getting your work out there and hoping it's right for the market at the right time. Sorry not to be more useful Cheers Em

emily ... is it your first novel?

Yes. I've had poems and articles published before but never a full book so any advice would be gratefully received

based on my own experience ... ahem ... i think maybe with a first novel it might be advisable to finish the whole thing before sending any of it out ... i think it can be offputting/blocking to send out the first few chapters of a novel if it is the first ... people will probably disagree with me in their thousands .... but ... the first novel is such a PROCESS ... *aware am sounding like a bit of a tosser here ... * but ... it is what i passionately believe ...

There's no difintive format or presentation look. Just make sure it's neat, double spaced on one side of A4, page numbers at the bottom and all titles are in bold. Make sure there absolutely NO spelling errors or grammatical errors. Approach the agent/publishers beforehand either by email or letter - never phone. They will then ask for the stuff and SAE. AFter about a month you'll get a little card saying bugger off! Apparently people get accetped and go on to have publishing deals. I think this is a lie. I reckon there's a bloke in Exeter who sits in a bedsit and writes EVERYTHING! Getting work, especially novels, is incredibly hard. The trick is to target the right market and persistently bombard agents and publishers with your work. Do lots of networking - if you know anybody with even a vague link to a publisher then become that persons best friend, wine them and dine them etc until they agree to give their mate a sample of yuor work. Just be professional in everything you send. Make it look as if you've been doing it for years and that you've got a future - no agent/publisher will take on a one book deal. Make out in your letters that you've written ten books and theirs another fifty to come. Don't be afraid to lie. Best of luck.

What the hell am I doing in this thread? Anyway, just a thought. Wouldn't publishers prefer submissions on disc nowadays (CD rather than floppy)? Recordable CDs are so cheap now surely you would be better off in terms of time and finance to invest in a CDRW (£150 approx) which will last for years to come. Sending out 50 manuscripts at once becomes feasible. No more printing, photocopying, bulk postage etc. It would also save the publisher space and, perhaps, make them more likely to read your work. There again, what do I know ..... never tried it myself. I'm off to Exeter to complain about the book I'm currently reading.

Why do you have to comment in such a way ha!

I think if the books don't work individually then you're going to find it very difficult (even compared to the general difficulty of getting your first book published). A friend of mine is currently working on a series of five books about the end of the world. The first one, which runs to 330,000 words, just about sets the scene. It's great stuff but not a great plan for tempting a mainstream publisher. Self-contained books of around 80,000 words are generally the way to go, I reckon.

Just out of interest... d'you think it's better to go for agents or publishers? Or are they all complete b*****ds? Also- is there any point to finishing a whole novel and sending off just three chapters, only to have the whole thing rejected, when you could just send off three chapters for universal rejection and save yourself a considerable amount of time? PS. I hope anyone reading this doesn't form the opinion that I am a bitter, pessimistic failure of a writer... although if the cap fits...

i WISH ONE/SOME OF THE (secret Agents) that are meant to secretly looking at work one this site would look at least one of my stories and tell me what they think of it. ! ! ! ! ! ! !

well curua ... it depends what your reason for writing it is ... i mean would you really write it if there is no prospect of publishing ... i would still write i think because it isnt about that for me (and seeing as i never send anything anywhere this is more or less the situation anyway) and if you WERE only writing it for that reason would this mean you lacked conviction in the work which would itself legislate against it possible success? i know i am again sounding like a wet romantic tosspot .. i think i better get off to Ta Chucks again ... hilda has a lunchtime special on ...

I would definitely write anyway, but having virtually no spare time as it is, it would take me approximately twelve thousand years to finish a whole novel. I only want to get published so I can spend more time doing it... and perhaps get to lie in in the mornings too...

>..but anyway, I genuinely want to know, what's the best format for submitting work to publishers (specifically, a novel) Is it the 'first three chapters and a synopsis' thing I've heard about or should I just finish the entire book?! As there are people who've been published on the site, any advice would be great (and yes, I know I can ask the publishers/agents that ABCtales know but I figure the more places I get advice from, the better Pretty much - I've done a publishing postgraduacy and worked at a book publishers, and stuff presented that way will at least get initially taken more seriously than a manuscript with 'here is my manuscript' as a covering letter. Have a CV attached as well and if it's a novel, go to agents first. Certainly it's very rare for a big publisher to look at non-agent submitted material.

i have so little time to write the novel i want, i am thinking about investing in a deLorian and a flux capacitor so i could start in 1958. while i was there, i would have a crack at marty mcfly's mum ;o)

Good idea, except it would involve an entire re-make of Back to the Future I, II and III, which we can all do without...

This may seem like an incredulous question, but bare with me because i'm brand new at this. Do publishers charge a fee before publishing your work? I would have thought they would charge commission off the sales of the work. What is the right answer here?

Hello everyone, I've just read all of the above and it's taken ages because I keep checking websites and stuff mentioned. I've been having a hard time trying to get my second novel published. I gave up trying to get my first one published. I'm not going to repeat the sorry truth that eats away at all of us about rejection, broken dreams etc, but I would like to thank everyone for their helpful hints and a certain solidarity that emanates from all of the above. It's good to know I'm just one in a sea of failing authors. Where I've always come particularly unstuck is with writing a synopsis. I never know what is needed in the synopsis or how to start writing one. I gathered after many years of trying to get published that it isn't supposed to be a summary of the story, so I started making comments about the style of my work. Then I heard it should be something about characters and genre etc and what's the book about. I find it really hard to even attempt writing these things, although I've written, and re-written several, which have obviously got me nowhere. Does anyone know what a synopsis is supposed to be and how to write one?

Dear Juno The following may help. I think the third is the best. http://www.capcollege.bc.ca/magic/cmns/synopsis.html http://www.fictionwriters.com/tips-synopsis.html http://www.writing-world.com/publish/synopsis.html For good measure I'll E-mail you the recently completed synopsis of my novel.

If you go back to 1958, why not write Jamie Oliver's cookbooks, Harry Potter, most of Steven King's stuff and retire loaded ? Plus, write the script to Star Wars, lodge it secretly with lawyers in 1972 then clean up when the film is released with exactly the same plot as your masterpiece. And if you want critical acclaim, I'm sure there have been some of your favourite books that you could 're-write' before they were ever published. From Andrew, who thinks about time travel more than is good for anyone. I have hundreds of schemes to make my life better, but they all involve me inventing something impossible.

www.dubberley.com - all you could possibly want to know (and more) about Emily.

hi emily, all. there are some good advice in this forum from some very smart people emily. i wish you well with your novel. my question to you is, where is the best place to send poems/verses, i wrote short stories and poems / verses for fun, but yes if they got published that would be great. thanks take care all t x

As well as writing Jamie Oliver's cookbooks, you could also kill him whilst still a baby, thus preventing any of those extremely annoying Sainsbury's adverts about Buffalo Mozzerella being made...

cheers for info david - will check it out :-)

In the excellent book Time and Again (forget who by) the hero murders his enemy by travelling back in time and interfering with the enemies parents first meeting. The manager of my local B***lays still refuses to answer my letters politely enquiring how his mother and father got together.

I'm a soon-to-be published novelist (www.karingillespie.com) with Simon and Schuster. The best way to approach an agent is with a query letter. See http://www.jennybent.com/letter/index.html for a good example. Then, if an agent wants more information, he or she will request the first fifty pages or so. Don't send a synopsis unless an agent requests it.

Don't we seem to be losing the plot here. The poor girl only asked for some advice. Emily, listen to Matt, the boy talks sense. Finish the book and then bombard agents and publishers with a synopsis and two or three chapters. Don't listen to people who say that you must take one publisher at a time. If it takes three months to get rejected(it could be longer) that's four publishers?agents a year - it could be a long wait. Don't bother to lie. they will only ask to see copies of published works and the names of the publishing houses.

Thanks to everyone for the advice - I'll get on it! (may even post some of it to the site under my real name to see what you think - if I feel brave enough!)

I HAVE HAD MY STORIES ON YOUR WEBSITE FOR TWO YEARS ANDNEVER BEEN PUBLISHED,NO-NOT EVEN BEEN CHERRY PICKED. Am I THAT BAD.............THAT MY STORIES ARE SUCH RUBBISH. [%sig%]

For Emily: I have just submitted my first novel to a publisher. As it has a Birmingham background to it, I sent it to a publishing house that promotes people and things Brumegem. I finished the novel but only sent three chapters and a synopsis (I even forgot to send a covering letter). I'm advised that I will know in three months what's going to happen to it, perhaps I'll be able to tell you more then!! Afterthought: I did contact the publishing house via e-mail to check on the format before submitting M/S. Their spec was: double spaced, one side of A4, paragraphs indented but not spaced, and good wide margins (for them to make note on what's wrong with it).

Hi there I have just found your website by browsing the internet. I have recently completed a first book that is an alternative humourous travel story. Several journalist friends and others have had a look at it and say that it certainly is alternative and humourous. I have started submiting the manuscript to agents represented in The Writer's Handbook (all in acordance with their requirements) - AND am being rejected out of hand. It is depressing because I am getting no constructive critisism of my documents. Any advice you can give would be most appreciated. I don't seem to find many websites of other authors is my predicament. Kind Regards Ken Barnes

Apparently so. Especially if you don't even recognise the necessity of a question mark at the end of your enquiry. Sorry, couldn't resist that one.

The following is the information I received from both a book reviewer and a publisher. It is the one I use and I hope it helps you. 1. Courier New Type 12 point 2. 1 inch margins all around 3. Left margin should be straight, the right not 4. Start New Chapters 6 returns from top and the first paragraph 2 spaces below that. 5. Make sure you have close to 250 words per page except for the first page of a new chapter. 7. Check your spelling and puncuation carefully. Note: If a publisher wants your book, the publisher will make the necessary changes he wants before printing it. Once the agent or publisher accepts your book, you may have to make changes, but as for anything else they do it. Thats why they get the big bucks. Good luck. If this is not the correct format then I just blew my three books. But I am sure it is. The other thing is that make sure when you place the Chapter in you make it look as the following. Chapter One - Title of Chapter They say thats important. Take care. [%sig%]

In answer to you question, you will need to send a query letter in the first instance, with out line of what you propose, the title, how many chapters. and include any publications you have had. Hope this helps.

We put a couple of links together explaining how to format your manuscript best. They can be found here: http://www.pabd.com/about/links_manuscript.php

Out of interest, why did you choose a local publisher? I've yet to send any of my work off (some of it is here on ABCTales.com), and I have this impression that if you can't get the big publishers interested in your work, the local publishers will. That aside, all the best.

Emily asked: "Is it the 'first three chapters and a synopsis' thing I've heard about or should I just finish the entire book?!" You should not submit anything at all until your novel is complete! If you're attempting the traditional route, try to find an established agent because very few big houses wil deal with an author direct for many sound reasons. Unsolicited proposals will hardly ever even be glanced at. Agencies, and those small publishing houses who will look at an unsolicited proposal from an author, all have different submissions requirements, so find out before wasting your time and theirs (we, for instance, ask for a tight synopsis -- including your ending -- first chapter, an inside chapter ... and an assurance that the work is complete). This final condition is so that we know we're not wasting our time. It's generally thought that only about one in five hundred books started with the best of intentions is actually completed -- so you'll take the point that busy publishers and agents don't want to be bothered with works in progress. Editorial assessment reading time is too precious to risk on work that the odds suggest might never be finished. Hope this is of some help. Good luck -- Neil neilmarr@bewrite.net

I maintain a small press in Montana, devoted to the Western genre and literature of the western U. S in the main. I'm one of those rare birds who prefers the complete manuscript, and while a synopsis is helpful, I've learned there are folks accomplished at hyping a work. Once it's arrived, I then find I bought the sizzle, not the steak. A synopsis does lend one an impression of the author's sense of structure and process and displays his or her narrative style. I also find the synopsis useful in determining if the author has defined the work's premise, often a serious omission and one bedeviling even seasoned writers. Two-three pages defining premise first, then plot, characters, a snatch of dialogue and narrative serve. The first three chapters are not that useful with my method as I typically read the ending first. Then, armed with an idea of where the thing is going, I go back and read the opening chapters, usually five or six. Many ms are in trouble by then, and I've learned the pattern. So, by the time I've read 60-80 pages of an average length ms, I pretty well know what we've got here. My system seems to work for me, though I know there are requirements that are becoming routine and more or less an industry standard. Other houses may not take this kind of time. Style is usually a determining factor. Yes, it's unfair and akin to a beauty contest: Does the most deserving candidate win? But most of us have learned this over the years: If there's a problem with style, then the most engaging plot and intriguing characters are hard pressed to redeem it. Thanks for the opportunity to respond. Just my two cent's worth.

I think it's best to ring the agent or publisher up and ask. OK, it's not very nice when they reply that they aren't interested in any submissions whatsoever, but it saves a wasted effort. Generally, they seem to want thirty to fifty pages plus a cover letter and a one- or two-page synopsis. E-mail queries should be shorter, probably with a brief introduction, premise, summary, and four or five brief tasters. In my experience most agents won't work through e-mail, but some do, and it's worth asking about that because it saves time magnificently. I got my agent through e-mail - she asked for twenty pages, then fifty, then the whole book, over a three-month period.

Hi Emily: You can increase your chances no end by following some simple layout guidelines. It's always best to follow the more subtle *specific* requirements of the house or agency you plan to submit to, but some basic rules are standard ... and quite amazingly overlooked by new authors nomatter how many books they have read. Pull any two novels at random from your shelf and study form. You will find: ***the first word of the first paragraph of a chapter or chapter section is kept tight to the left margin. The first word of all following pars is uniformly indented. ***there are no line spaces between paragraphs -- only between section breaks and chapters. ***punctuation is followed by only one space. ***there is a great difference between hyphens and dashes. ***words in all caps are rare. Words in bold are rare. Check to see whether your work should be presented with dialogue in double or single quotes. Check to see whether your target house uses stops (periods) after abbreviations like Mrs, Mr, Sgt. Double space hard copy submissions and leave wide margins for hand written edit notes. Do NOT -- for cosmetic or other misguided purposes -- attempt to close each page at the end of a paragraph. This plays merry hell with things. But do try to avoid word widows and line orphans if pos. Another important tip -- do NOT present your work in fancy fonts ... not even title and byline. Check to find what font is preferred for text and use that everywhere in whatever point is demanded -- usually ten or twelve -- even in title and chapter heads. Do NOT staple pages together. The best way to offer your manuscript is on loose leaves, first page uppermost in the plain old box your A4 paper came in. The reader/editor reads one page from the top and lays in face down in the box lid ... less chance of mix-up or mishap. Sometimes you might need two boxes. If you are submitting only a synop and taster chaps, this may not be practical. In that case do NOT fold your paper. keep pages together with a paper clip and use a sturdy A4 envelope. Do NOT forget those two wee words *THE END*. You'd be surprised to hear that about fifty percent of novel manuscripts (and an even greater percentage of short stories) don't include this vital kiss off and an editor can be left wondering if maybe he's lost some pages. Another common failing is that authors neglect to include their byline after title. This can see your manuscript trashed. The problem is that covering letters and mss are often filed separately and what they contain is seen weeks or months apart. No agency or publishing house has time for the detective work necessary to identify a missing author. Silly, innit, that folks will spend so long writing a novel and then forget to say who wrote it! Happens all the time. The layout basics here apply to traditional print publishing (though most good ebook companies present work according to these well established rules). If you are submitting for print publication, but making the submission electronically, also follow these guidelines. And do remember to ask if a house prefers pages to be numbered and with headers and footers. Should you plan to self-publish (especially without professional editorial intervention as so many authors must because of the high cost of pro editing) also stick to these layout rules to produce a better result. Online publishers have yet to establish a standard, so it's always as well to ask first. But most -- for ease of screen reading -- tend to differ greatly from their pals on the print side by losing paragraph indentation and by spacing between pars. Hope this is of some help, Emily and other developing authors. I'm sorry if I come across as a grumpy old school teacher. But these are very important basics that everyone should be aware of. You'd be quite amazed at how many manuscripts are terribly presented. An editor can see glaring layout errors at a glance. They suggest a lack of professionalism, care and that most basic of author requirements ... observation. Very often the way you present your manuscript will make the difference between whether it's actually read or immediately slush piled. Good luck -- Neil neilmarr@bewrite.net

Hello. Don't bother sending manuscripts to a publisher. That way of working is long dead (unless they're your dad/auntie/brother of the publisher like the two fuckers I met the other day whose first novel is coming out with them having a £20,000 advance). (This IS NOT true of small independent publishers who you can find on the web.) I have an excellent agent who represents my screenwriting although I have never managed to land a fiction writing agent. I convinced a couple of media boys to pay for a vanity publishing deal (avoid at all costs unless you can arrange a similar Author-doesn't-pay-a-penny deal. NB this is extra good cos I fell out with the pair of them and now just get a small but worthwhile royalty check here and there. Check it out: www.tiredetc.com. Also a personal webshite is invaluable, a small cornish publisher read my work on my website and has arranged for a small run(1500) of my recent collection. There are many ways, all hurt, all involve extreme faliure, it's hard, horrible, theres rubbish everywhere, plough through it. 'fail, fail again, but fail better' - Beckett

chris can you forward the name, e-mail and address of that publsiher as i've on something that's set in cornwall ta v much pete

Emily I recently bought 'From Pitch to Publication - Everything You Need to Know to Get Your Novel Published' by Carole Blake which I am only half way through but seems to provide a lot of insight into what agents and publishers look for in a submission. Carole Blake has been a literary agent for 30 years so it's a good insiders view. Good luck! Al

your e mail is **** - ******* shitt

Start with a one-sentence premise followed by a one-sentence plot summary. Then a few words about your word-length, genre, target audience, and about yourself, then a one-paragraph summary - keep the whole thing under a page. Include the first few pages of the manuscript in the envelope. If they like your one-sentence premise and plot summary, which in my opinion are crucial, they might go there. For an e-mail letter, I suggest a different approach: after the one-sentence premise and plot-summary, give four short snippets from the book, demonstrating variety and your best writing. Keep the whole letter short (two screen lengths). Of course, there are many approaches, but this is mine, which at least got me an agent.

Hello. I am interested in having some of my poetry published in legitimate magazines and books anywhere in the world. If anyone has any suggestions on how to go about doing this, could you please email me at redrockerjr5150@hotmail.com with your helpful tips. I have been writing poetry for nearly 15 years, but have never once attempted to have any of my work published. I thought I would ask for some advice. Thanks so much for your time. GOD BLESS! Chucky Jonesboro Arkansas, USA! redrockerjr5150@hotmail.com

I'd say it's either literary fiction or non-genre popular fiction. They are valid categories - but phone first, so that you don't send it to people who aren't interested in that type of stuff.

Any new writers here had any luck with getting a novella published? I hear they're harder to sell to publishers than novels.