Writing a novel is like running a marathon. It’s a hard slog. There are times when you fly, and times when you limp along. There are times when you think you won’t make it and feel like giving up.
Then towards the end, you need to dig deep for that final push.
Pleased to report, I crossed the finish line on novel no 2 ahead of my publisher’s 31/12 deadline.
And If you’re at the stage where you’ve completed and polished your draft and you now have a publishable novel – congratulations! So what happens next?
Preparing your manuscript to submit to agents and publishers
In my last blog, I outlined some techniques for writing a novel and getting it in a state to send to publishers. In this post, I’m going to show you how to prepare your manuscript to send to agents and publishers.
Once you have what you feel is a publishable draft, there are several ways of getting published, the main ones being
- Finding an agent to represent you to publishers
- Submitting directly to small independent presses
- Self-publishing.
I’m going to deal with the first two here as I don’t know enough about self-publishing. If that’s the way you want to go however, there’s a wealth of information out there.
Finding an agent
What is an agent?
A literary agent is someone who will take you on as an author and pitch your work to publishers. They will then help you negotiate a publishing contract. They are there to represent you and find you the best deal possible.
To get an agent to take you on, you have to pitch your book to them, usually by sending a covering letter, novel synopsis and sample chapters.
Where to look for agents
A good place to start is the Internet, where there are numerous listings of literary agents seeking authors, such as AgentMatch – Jericho Writers and 21 Top Literary Agencies that Authors Should Know About – Writing Tips Oasis
You can also
- Research authors you like or whose books are similar to yours, and find out who their agent is. Most authors include this information in their author websites.
- Start following a few agents on Twitter, they will often tweet about what they are looking for. You can engage with them this way too.
- Sign up for writers events and conferences where agents are present (many of these are currently online)
- Look for schemes which introduce writers to agents. Writing East Midlands does this at its annual writers conference.
You’ve found an agent you like the look of – what next?
- Check out their website, likes and dislikes and whether they are currently accepting submissions
- Make sure your book is in line with what they are looking for. If someone’s looking for crime novels, don’t send them romance!
- Follow their submission guidelines to the letter- giving them a 2k word synopsis when they’ve asked for 500 is a sure fire route to rejection
- Establish whether they are happy for you to send multiple submissions (ie contact more than one agent at once), most are, but some like you to let them know.
- Make a note of what they say about response times. If they give a time period by which they’ll respond, and you haven’t heard by that date, give them a nudge. But don’t badger!
- Prepare for a long haul and multiple rejections. This is normal. Don’t get disheartened.
Finding a small publisher
Some authors – myself included – prefer to go direct to publishers and cut out the middle person. There are hundreds of small indie presses out there who don’t require you to have an agent.
A good place to start is mslexia’s Independent Press Guide. From this you can research the sort of publisher who might be interested in your book. Also check out the Writers and Artists Yearbook
Once you’ve identified a few likely publishers, you should:
- Check out their websites and the genres they are interested in.
- Note whether they are accepting submissions and make a note of any submission windows to aim for.
- Check out some of the titles they have on their list to see if your novel would be a good fit.
- Scour their submission guidelines and make sure you follow these to the letter.
What do agents and publishers need in your submission?
Requirements vary, but as a general rule, agents and publishers require:
- A synopsis of your novel – this can be anything from 500 – 2,000 words. Unless they specify otherwise I’d aim for 1,000 words or less. This needs to outline the main plot but doesn’t need to include everything that happens. It should, however, include the ending.
- Some sample chapters – usually the first three chapters or 1,000 words.
- A covering letter giving some basics about the book – ie length, genre, and a brief description of what the story’s about. You can include a line or two about you, but don’t make it all about you.
- Some will also ask for a one line pitch.
It’s crucial to get all these elements the best they can be. Don’t rush this process. Make sure you proof-read your submission and if you can, give it to someone else to check over.
Prepare for rejection
Querying agents and publishers is a long haul. The likelihood is you’ll get a string of rejections before anything approaching a hopeful response.
This is normal. Don’t get disheartened.
If an agent or publisher gets back to you asking to see the full manuscript, take that as a success – you’ve crossed a massive hurdle. But bear in mind it may still be a no. Important to consider carefully any feedback they give you.
We’ve all heard stories about best-selling authors getting rejected multiple times before someone gives them a go. Remember this as you play the waiting game. Some authors even frame their rejections!
The crucial thing is, don’t take it personally, and keep going! You could be just one query away from that all important contract.
Where to get more info
That’s a whistle stop tour of the basic steps to approaching agents and publishers. There are lots of resources online to research this in more detail.
