Submitting a manuscript to a publishing company is exciting but stressful, especially if it’s your first time. The most important thing to keep in mind is that there is no standard across the board. This means that each publisher may have unique and specific guidelines for submission. Always make sure you visit a publisher’s website to review this information before submitting a manuscript. An item that most, if not all, publishers expect to be included in your submission is a cover letter.
The purpose of a cover letter is two-fold: to help a publisher get to know you as an author and to provide details about the manuscript you submitted. Depending on what you write in this letter, your manuscript may or may not pass to the next level for review. For example, if you send a book of poetry to a publisher who does not accept poems for submission, you’ll no doubt receive an email or letter saying that your manuscript does not meet the guidelines, and that’s where it ends—at least, with that particular publishing company.
What is a publisher looking for in a cover letter?
Keeping in mind that a cover letter is meant to provide information about yourself and your manuscript, it is always best to include the material shown in the following list:
- Your full name (and pseudonym if applicable)
- Your physical address, telephone number, and email address
- Any details of past writing experience
- Links to any previously published works
- Links for your social media presence
- Your website address
- An estimated word count for your complete manuscript
The final item on the list is important because, as mentioned earlier, each publisher has submission guidelines, which typically include a minimum word count.
What if you don’t have a website?
You may have noticed that adding a link to your website is recommended for a cover letter. However, what if you don’t have a website? While it’s not required, you’re not helping yourself achieve success as an author without one; that’s for sure. There are numerous benefits to launching an author website. It’s a way to connect with your target audience and attract attention. It is also one way to make your query letter, manuscript and work stand out to a publisher.
Even if you think you have written a great cover letter, remember that many other would-be authors probably have done the same. All those cover letters are piled up (both digital and hard copies) for the publisher to review. Publishers want to get a feel for who you are as an author and determine marketability before investing in your work. Having a top-notch author website in place may bump your manuscript to the top of the pile.
Take advantage of available resources
It’s wise to learn more about writing a cover letter before submitting a manuscript to a publisher. The same goes for launching an author website; in fact, many marketing and publishing companies provide services to help accomplish these goals.