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Checklist for submitting a book to agents/publishers

You only get one shot at submitting your book to an agent/publisher, so make sure you get it right! Use the following checklist to guarantee that your submission will be taken seriously. 

The manuscript

  • Is it as good as you can possibly make it?
  • Are you absolutely sure it’s as good as you can possibly make it?
  • Has it been carefully (ideally professionally) edited and proofread?
  • Is it formatted sensibly (e.g. a standard font, 12 point, double-spaced)?
  • Are your name and the book title in the header?
  • Have you included page numbers?
  • If emailing, is it saved as a .doc or .docx?

 The synopsis

  • Is it as good as you can possibly make it?
  • Are you absolutely sure it’s as good as you can possibly make it?
  • Have you introduced the central theme(s) of the book?
  • Have you introduced the central character(s) of the book?
  • Have you shown when and where the book is set?
  • Have you outlined the story – the key events – including the ending?
  • Have you written it in a straightforward manner; no blurb/sales pitch attempt?
  • Have you proofread it carefully?
  • Is it formatted sensibly (e.g. a standard font, 12 point, double-spaced)?
  • Are your name and the book title in the header?
  • Have you included page numbers?
  • If emailing, is it saved as a .doc or .docx?

The covering letter

  • Is it as good as you can possibly make it?
  • Are you absolutely sure it’s as good as you can possibly make it?
  • Have you proofread it carefully?
  • Have you addressed it to the correct person (not Dear Sir/Madam)?
  • Have you given the title of the book?
  • Have you indicated the genre of the book?
  • Have you indicated the target reader for the book?
  • Have you described the basic premise of the book (one paragraph max)?
  • Have you conveyed what makes this book special?
  • Have you explained, briefly, any relevant writing experience you have?
  • Have you included your name?
  • Have you included your postal address?
  • Have you included your email address?
  • Have you included your phone number?
  • Is it formatted sensibly (e.g. a standard font, 12 point)?
  • Does it fit on one side of A4?

The list of target agents/publishers

  • Have you done as much research as possible into possible agents/publishers?
  • Are you approaching only those who are interested in your kind of book?
  • Have you sorted your list by order of preference? 

The approach

  • Are you following individual agent’s/publisher’s instructions for submission?
  • Are you tailoring submissions carefully? (No blanket emails or mail merges.)
  • Are you logging which agents/publishers you’ve submitted to?
  • Are you submitting to just a few, or even one, at a time, then waiting for responses?
  • Are you being patient and not hounding agents/publishers?
  • Are you taking on board any feedback offered?
  • Are you being a consummate professional in all correspondence?

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