A good cover (or sometimes query) letter is an essential part of any submission to a publisher. However, many authors find the cover letter as difficult (or even more difficult) to write than the manuscript itself. The good news is that more you do it, the easier it becomes! The following general rules apply:
· Present your cover letter in a standard business letter format: Your details on upper right, the date, addressee and subject on left. Include your email address for ease of contact.
· Publishers’ guidelines on their websites will usually tell you to whom the submission should be addressed. Sometimes it is The Editor, sometimes The Commissioning Editor or Editor of Children’s Books or any number of variations on these. Find out what it is for your chosen publisher and follow it exactly.
· Open your letter with Dear Editor, unless you are absolutely sure of the name of the current children’s picture book editor. (Be aware that assistant editors will read most texts first, and that editors tend to change frequently within publishing houses.) Remember that you really can’t go wrong with Dear Editor and this is always acceptable.
· The first sentence should contain the genre, title, target audience and word count. This will allow the editor to see at a glance if your manuscript fits their current needs.
· The synopsis should follow: a brief description of what the story is about. One or two well-written sentences should be ample to describe the theme and story of a picture book text.
· An alternative and equally effective first line is a “hook”, including a line from the text and a sentence about the story. This would probably eliminate the need for an actual synopsis of the story later in the letter.
· Finally, include a brief description of any relevant publishing experience or items from your resume.
· Show gratitude and sign off with the standard Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely.
· Keep it short. Most editors agree that if a cover letter cannot fit on one page it is too wordy.
· Do not include any personal anecdotes.
· Avoid any self-appraisal of your manuscript.
· Do not say that your kids, sister, neighbour, second-cousin’s-kindergarten-teacher etc. liked the manuscript. They won't care.
· Editors do not appreciate gimmicks designed to get their attention. No fancy fonts, colored paper, clip art. They scream "Amateur!"
· Unless specifically requested by the publisher in their submission guidelines, do not make suggestions regarding the marketing of your text.
· Spell and grammar check your letter. Proofread your cover letter as diligently as you would your text. Let someone else double-check it for you. Then proof it again! Remember that the cover letter is an editor’s introduction to you as a writer. If it has errors they may not bother to read your manuscript.
· Sometimes a cover letter must double (with a few small changes) as a query letter. Some publishers, when seeking submissions, require a query first. Always, always, always check on each publisher’s specific submission guidelines and follow them closely.
Some more resources:
SCBWI will also have resources I'm sure. Become a member today!
You MUST check out Editorial Anonymous' query letter competition. Very good insight to how an editor reacts to queries, and most of them are for novels, many of them fantasy. Really, you should read this blog as often as you can, if you're not already.
Books:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown also has great advice.
Good luck all!
Oh no. :0(
I did not include a cover letter when I submitted my manuscript. Only the manuscript and a SASE. I did some research on a website and it said nothing about a cover letter. I did think about whether or not I should include something, but decided simpler is better. I sure hope that this does not affect thier decision to use my story. I am even more anxious now.
Thanks for the info! :0)
lol I was going to suggest underdown but I see you have it listed. Harold Underdown has been a wonderful help to me. He's always answered my questions on SCBWI.org and his site has helped me out numerous times.
You should have definitely sent a cover letter. Get a copy of the childrens writers and illustrators market. That book is a tremendous help when sending out manuscripts. Its lists over 700 publishers, agents and art reps. Tells you how they want you to submit your manuscript and what they are looking for. Good luck.
Quoting peasntatersmom:Oh no. :0(
I did not include a cover letter when I submitted my manuscript. Only the manuscript and a SASE. I did some research on a website and it said nothing about a cover letter. I did think about whether or not I should include something, but decided simpler is better. I sure hope that this does not affect thier decision to use my story. I am even more anxious now.
Thanks for the info! :0)
I would be wary of relying on a Writer's Market for accurate and up-to-date information. Although I am unsure if this applies to the children's book publishing industry, in college I was always warned against using the traditional market guides. The head of our creative writing department, who was also an editor himself, said he knew of fellow editors who would submit old or false names to these guides to make it easier to spot amateur submissions. Something to keep in mind.
www.homecareerinfo.com/0838
I think the CWIM (Children's Writers and Illustrators Market) is a good place to start just to browse, but once you find some publishers you like, go to their websites to check out the up-to-date criteria for submitting. You have to remember that the CWIM is pretty much outdated by the time it is published, especially with the turnover of editors and other personnel they have been having lately.
When Eight Just Isn't Enough
- MarloG
on Jan. 17, 2008 at 12:56 PM