Welcome To The North Texas Romance Writers of America Website.

THE BASICS ^©
by Judi McCoy

HOW TO SUBMIT A MANUSCRIPT

If the requirements for submission ask you to 'query first', send a personalized query letter to the editor or agent. DO NOT SEND MORE THAN THE REQUESTED MATERIAL. Disobeying the rules can set an editor or agent’s teeth on edge and cause them to immediately reject you.

IF THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINE ASKS FOR MORE

Frequently, the editor or agent will accept a query and what is commonly referred to as a PARTIAL. This usually means THREE CHAPTERS plus a SYNOPSIS. If so, sent a query letter along with the chapters or required number of pages. Put the title page (see enclosed example) on top of the pages/chapters, then add the SYNOPSIS. Binder clip the ms pages together, and binder clip the SYNOPSIS separately.

REQUEST FOR COMPLETED MANUSCRIPT

If asked for the entire manuscript, DO NOT STAPLE, USE CLIPS or BIND the manuscript in any way. RUBBERBAND the manuscript (including title page) and binder clip the SYNOPSIS separately. Send with "requested material" written in bold on the outside of the envelope.

If you wish the return of your submission, enclose an SASE (do not send cash/check for postage) You MAY include a postcard, addressed to you, which the editor or agent can drop in the mail to show proof and date of arrival at their office.

Do not phone the editor or agent to ask about your work until a reasonable amount of time has passed. What's reasonable? Usually 4-6 weeks, though some editor or agent will say it can often run longer.

WHEN IN DOUBT, GO TO THE PUBLISHING HOUSE'S WEB PAGE, CHECK THEIR GUIDELINES, AND FOLLOW THEM.

TIPS FOR SUBMISSION

USE SPELL CHECK

Spell check the manuscript, then read it line by line for the errors spell check missed (hear vs. here, you're vs. your, etc). Such common mistakes annoy editor or agent and give the initial impression that you are not professional.

CHECK EVERY PAGE

Some printers skip a page or do other quirky things such as create a blank page between chapters. Watch for these errors.

PAPER

Plain white bond

PRINT

Make sure your printer cartridge is fresh and the type is dark, clear, and easy to read

QUERY LETTER

Should be no more than one (1) page of three (3) paragraphs. Opening sentence/paragraph should sum up the work, tell a bit about yourself in paragraph two, close with a thank you for the editor or agent time and attention to your project.

LETTER W/PARTIAL SUBMISSION or ENTIRE manuscript

First two (2) paragraphs as above. In paragraph three (3), ask for any comments or advice that would improve your chances of being published. Remember to thank them for reading the project.

If you receive a letter with SUGGESTIONS and a REQUEST TO RESUBMIT: Congratulations. This is a great opportunity to polish the manuscript.

REMEMBER: This is YOUR WORK. If the editor or agent’s request is not plausible for you, accept the rejection and move on.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS

This term refers to the number of publishing houses or agents to whom you submit your work AT THE SAME TIME. You'll see this term used frequently and put simply it’s a way for the publisher to have an exclusive look at your ms without the worry of getting into a bidding war with another house. IGNORE THIS RULE :>) and submit to as many as you like at one time.

REJECTION LETTERS

What happens to my submission once I send it to and editor or agent?

This is a difficult question. In a perfect world, the editor gets your submission and reads it the same day, then phones you to say he/she would like to buy it.

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT A PERFECT WORLD! On a good day, your query will go to an assistant, who may read it or reject it out of hand. Sometimes it goes to a 'reader'. Readers can be ex-editors who freelance for a publishing house (good) or NYU English majors who want to break into the publishing world (not so good). They get hired to wade through the more than 500 mss some editors received EVERY WEEK. If they like what they read, they pass it on to the editor. In my opinion, these readers are children and all writers are at their whim. If they've had a bad day, you get rejected. If they hate sci-fi, and that's your genre, you get rejected. If they hate the name Norman, and that's your character's name, you get rejected.

In response, you may receive a typed letter beginning with Dear Author or Dear Aspiring author. Or you might receive a letter that begins with Dear Julie. Which can be a downer when YOUR name is Alice.

You could also receive a hand written rejection at the bottom of your query letter. Or you may receive a rejection that's stamped at the top, bottom or middle of your letter (they waste all of a ½ cents ink with that one.) The usual letter tells you nothing about why you received the rejection or what you can do to improve. The BEST rejection is a personal one, where the editor mentions a line or two you know was in your work. It tells you that the editor/reader actually read what you wrote.

Finally, you may hear nothing at all, sometimes after months of waiting, and when you gather you courage and call, be told they haven't had time to get to your work. They'll let you know.

If you are disheartened by rejection, suck it up and keep writing.

If you cry or get mad, suck it up and keep writing.

If you decide to stop writing all together FINE. Just remember, the surest way to NEVER GET PUBLISHED is to stop writing.

ACQUIRING AN AGENT

Agents make no money until they SELL YOUR WORK. That's why many authors say it's easier to find an editor than an agent. An agent must have faith in your writing and believe it will sell before they accept you as a client. The Writer's Guide to Editors and Agents is an excellent source for finding an agent. Follow the guidelines listed when submitting to the agents of your choice.

IMPORTANT: NEVER SIGN WITH AN AGENT WHO ASKS FOR MONEY UP FRONT.

CRITIQUE GROUPS

This is a valuable tool for any level writer. Critiquing can be done either on line or in person between two writers or within a group. If you know of an existing critique group and think you're compatible with its members, ask if they have room for one more. Many writer's groups meet one or two evenings a month or each month after a meeting. You can also find online critique groups. Investigate the group before joining. Having your work critiqued can be a painful experience the first few times. Members in the group should be committed to each other and offer their suggestions in a non-threatening and constructive manner.

CONFERENCES

A great way to network and meet editor or agent in person.

CONTESTS

There are many contests for unpublished authors. They cost money, so choose wisely. The best contests are those that promise an editor or agent will judge the winner of a certain category. This allows the finalists a chance to get their work before an editor or agent without the bother of a query letter.

MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENTS

Be suspect of ads in Writer's Digest or Publisher's Weekly that offer the services of a 'book doctor' or 'professional editor'. These services can be expensive ($1-$2 per page to several hundred dollars for three chapters) and often misrepresent the credentials of the editor.

WHAT AM I WRITING?
"What do you write?" is usually the first question an e/a will ask when they meet you. The reason for this is simple. In publishing, all the publisher or agent care about is the bottom line. WILL YOUR BOOK SELL? To answer that question, they need to know the mss TARGET MARKET, and the only way to know that is to pin down or slot your ms into a genre.

Some publishing houses put out several different genres each month, and have a monthly quota for each genre. Some houses deal specifically with romance, others publish only Sci-Fi, others self help books, etc. You (or your agent) need to know WHAT you are writing in order to sell to the correct publisher/ editor.

Following are some examples of the different genres:

ROMANCE

I mention romance first, not only because it's what I write, but because it's the biggest piece of the publishing pie. 53% - 58% of all paperbacks sold are romances. They eclipse the first runner up, mystery, which comes in at about 11%, and the second runner up, sci-fi, which accounts for about 7% of all paperback books sold.

The gist of a romance is one man and one woman who meet at the beginning of the book, join in a common goal and advance through the story to a mutually satisfying ending. A romance MUST have a happy ending in which the hero and heroine lead the reader to believe they are committed to each other and will be together. The romance genre itself is broken into many categories (contemporary, historical, paranormal, sci-fi, inspirational, mystery/suspense, woman in jeopardy, chick-lit, erotic, etc), but in each category that is the main thrust of the novel.

HORROR

Stephen King and Ann Rice

SCIENCE FICTION

Issac Asimov

LITERARY

May refer to a book that is fiction or nonfiction and tells a general story (past or present day, with or without a romance, horror, suspense element). The Lovely Bones, Cold Mountain, and Gone With The Wind are examples of a LITERARY work of fiction. This type of book will be found on the shelves under the simple heading of FICTION.

CHILDREN or YOUNG ADULT

A difficult market to break in to. Many of today's children's books are written by authors who use a pen name and write in other genres. This genre is broken into MANY sub-groups. Baby books, single story, educational, and chapter just to name a few. If you are writing a children's book, find a book on the shelves close to the type you are writing and take down the name of the publisher. Often times, you can call and ask who edited the book. Send your story to that same editor.

NOVELLA

In general, a work of 40,000 words or LESS, in any genre. Most publishing houses go to their already contracted authors and ask them to contribute.

Other genres: MYSTERY (full blown or cozy), INSPIRATIONAL, NEW AGE, SUSPENSE, THRILLER (legal and other), GLITZ and GLAMOUR, AFRICAN AMERICAN, and more.

Investigate AND READ the different genres and pin point yours. Naming your genre will give focus to your work, help to advance your plot, and aid in the selling of your ms.

E PUBLISHING (books on line)

None of what is in this list applies to e publishing, but it might. If you are interested in ebooks, you need to go to each individual publisher's website and check their guidelines and rules for submission.

There are several drawbacks to epublishing: As a general rule YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE AN ADVANCE. Epubs pay per download. The only readers who find out about these books are the ones who scour the sites, so your market is narrow. You will not be able to do a book signing at B&N or any regular bookstore because they sell only books in print. To my knowledge, you aren't allowed to bring in the downloads and sell them yourself either.

SELF PUBLISHING or VANITY PRESS

This route can be expensive and time consuming, as you are the editor/publisher/distributor of your work. Usually, once you are self-pubbed a regular house will not buy the work (this is what I've heard). If you are interested in this route, find someone who has done it and ask them about the experience.

FINAL WORD

The publishing world is full of rules, written and unwritten. Many times, there is no way for an author to learn these rules without asking. Often, they don't know who to ask or are too embarrassed to ask or feel they don't know a published author well enough to ask what they perceive to be a dumb question.

The topics I've touched on should clear up points you may have considered vague or confusing. Unfortunately, the longer you write, the more questions crop up. Feel free to email me. I was in your shoes not too long ago, and I'll do my best to help.