Submissions

Hello Fellow Writers!

Today is a big day for me. I finally got up the courage to put a query letter, synopsis, and SASE in the mail to Harlequin for my Silhouette Desire targeted romance "The Movie Star's Very Personal Assistant".

I went over and over that query and synopsis, I showed both to several writers that I trust, and the actual manuscript is ready to go should they decide they want to see it. There was no point in stalling any further. So out in the mail it went. I'm so terrified I feel like I could scream.

I know it's not that big of a deal. If they don't want to see the novel, then I can always try and submit it to some other places. By the time I get a response either way from Harlequin, I'll have another book ready to pitch to them ("Snowed in With a Millionaire"). So it's not going to be the end of the world. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Here is an excerpt from an article entitled "How to Submit a Manuscript" by L. Shepherd.

Read the whole article here.

Sending a manuscript to a publisher is an exacting task that must be done according to the specific manuscript submission guidelines of each publisher. Each publisher will have a number of requirements that you must follow or risk having the manuscript rejected upon arrival.

1. Find out exactly what the publisher requires. Many publishers require a few preliminary steps before they will accept a full manuscript. Publisher's guidelines can be found in part in The Writer's Market. This is a book that is updated yearly, as well as a website that contains information about thousands of publishers.
2. A query letter is a common first step to getting a publisher to read a manuscript. This is required of most book publishers and many magazine publishers as well. This letter is usually a simple one-page typed letter that details both the contents of the manuscript and the market available for the work. Publishers love to hear exactly who would be interested in buying the item, so any data on successful projects that were similar is helpful. This is also the time to detail your credentials, such as any education related to the material that you may have and anything that you have previously had published. Unless the writer's guidelines say differently, submit these with standard 12-point type in a plain, easy to read font.

Today I have a busy day, but I do have some things I want to tinker with on my WIP. Last night as I was laying in bed I found myself writing scenes in my head for a new piece. I may have to actually get those words on paper.

Wish me luck, and good luck to you too!
Yours Truly,
Shoshanna Evers

To get Published, Know the Market!

Hello Fellow Writers!

Yesterday I wrote a very long love scene for "The Movie Star's Personal Assistant" - so much fun! I also reformatted my manuscript based on something I read on eHarlequin.com, which basically said 1 inch margins all around, double spaced, and Times New Roman. Since I had it in Courier New, when I changed the font my page count went from 206 pages down to 158 pages. Yikes. The new chapter I just wrote added another 15 pages and 4000 words, so it looks like I'm going to have to write another chapter. I plan to work on that today, although my mother-in-law just arrived from Florida this afternoon. At least our bathroom renovation is complete, so that's one less thing to take up my time.

I found a good article on the Nebraska Romance Writers website, although their information applies to all genres. You can read the whole article by clicking above, this is just an excerpt of "How to Submit Your Manuscript" by Kathy Marks. Please note, however, that while the article on their site says that editors are looking at word count as 250 x # of pages, Harlequin is using computer word count as per Kimberly Lang, an author who has recently sold five category romances to Harlequin.

Know the Market

No piece of advice is more valuable. You may have written the greatest category romantic suspense ever penned, but if you send it to a house that only publishes historical single-titles, you are going to get a rejection letter in the mail. (If you're not sure what some of these terms mean, keep reading; I'll try my best to explain.)
Research the publishers you're thinking about submitting to. Look up their listing in The Literary Market Place, which is updated annually and available in all libraries, and in other market guides (see our chapter on Markets). If the publisher has a web site—and most large ones do—check it for information. Some publishers announce what types of manuscripts they're currently looking for. Many publishers have tip sheets, which they'll send to you if you write and include an SASE. Never call a publisher and ask what they're acquiring these days or if your manuscript is appropriate. Editors are busy people, and they won't appreciate the interruption.
Of course, the very best way to get to know if a publisher is buying the type of book you've written is to read what they're currently publishing. That cannot be emphaSIZEd enough. Before submitting to a publishing house—Read, read, read.

That's key, I think. Read in the line you want to be published in. That's easy for me to do since I always read romance novels anyway!

Today I will work on my extra chapter for "The Movie Star's Very Personal Assistant", and I will try to get some wrapping up done for the plot of "Snowed in With a Millionaire." It's possible that I may start NaNoWriMo November 1st with most of the book plotted out - but not the ending. We'll see.

Wish me luck and good luck to you too!
Yours Truly,
Shoshanna Evers