Impressing publishers and agents

So you have completed your opus – how on earth do you impress an agent or publisher?
Well, appearance is important when submitting manuscripts- a tatty, dog-eared effort does not get the reader well intentioned to your work.

Here are some tips

The manuscript should be neatly and clearly typed. Make sure your printer is producing clean copy, without smudges

Print double spaced on one side of the paper only. Double spacing and adequate margins leave room for copy editing and note-making by the publisher

The title page should contain the following information: title of the work, your name and your address

Start each new chapter on a new page, give the chapter number and title (if any), and space before beginning the text.

Number each page consecutively throughout the manuscript. Do not begin each new chapter at page 1

Do not staple pages together - the publisher needs to be able to read it. Better go for rubber bands

You may make minor corrections to a manuscript by printing neatly and legibly in ink but any page with more than two or three corrections should be re-typed/printed

When you submit a manuscript, provide some general information such as whether you've been published before and something about your background

Enclose a self addressed, stamped envelope, but be aware that publishers are under no obligation to return manuscripts

 

Submit an outline of the story. An outline of two pages should give the publisher a clear idea of what the book is about.

Good luck!

 

John Dean