Drawing from my recent attendance at a writers conference, I took some notes from a publisher who related some of the most egregious mistakes committed when submitting query letters:
- The salutation reads, "Dear Sir," when the publisher is a woman.
- Crazy, non-traditional fonts, all caps, and underlining.
- Getting personal is big. If you've met them or spoken on the phone with them, remind them of that.
- It's okay to say, "I've written about a social issue," etc.
- Stay within the publisher's genre.
- Be professional.
- Have a clear, concise summary of what the book is about--don't ramble.
- Include the genre and word count. If you're not certain, check out books similar to yours at the book store--don't tell them yours doesn't fit into any established genre.
- If a manuscript is requested by mail, don't over-tape the box--it annoys publishers.
No comments:
Post a Comment