Childrens book publishers cover letter

Ms title is the story of josie, an eccentric child, growing up on a. You can selfpublish your book, hire a publishing services company or hybrid publisher, or find a legitimate children s book publisher childrens book publishers. How to draft proposals to childrens book publishers dummies. While this list can help you get started, it is not allinclusive. May 31, 2006 remember your goal is to get the editor or agent reading your fabulous work, not your cover letter. This letter is your first point of contact between you and a publisher, therefore, it is crucial that aspiring authors know how to write a decent cover letter. Its purpose is to put something officiallooking on top of your manuscript if the editor or agent has requested your work. Nothing makes you relate to your reader more than a ray of. Hook the editor with a question, a provocative statement, a statistic, or even a short excerpt from the book. A cover letter is what you write after an editor has read your query letter, sample chapters and synopsis. With publishers, multiple submissions are standard. I started writing for the childrens book market approximately 6 months before pelican publishing acquired the king cake baby in june, 20.

Editors say they like to get a feel for a book from the cover letter and your descriptive statement is excellent material for your cover letter that will accompany any submission you make. Jul 21, 2010 its best to read the publishers guidelines carefully and follow them to the letter if you can. A cover letter is essentially a business letter introducing your story and yourself to the editor. Some picture book publishers will accept three stories at a time but if they dont specify this i would be safe and send one. We also publish childrens books, and while we always receive a very high volume of submissions, we are always on the look out for books that fill a gap in. A query letter is meant to elicit an invitation to send sample chapters or even the whole manuscript to the agent. Updated dec 12th, 2019 our updated and expanded 2018 list of traditional childrens book publishers is available here. Tips include formatting the manuscript, finding publisher. Apr 01, 2011 a cover letter literally covers sits on top of the manuscript you are mailing in. A query letter is what you send to find out if there is interest in your project.

As always, people will call cover letters query letters and vice versa. With your cover letter, please send us a synopsis of your book and one or two chapters, no more than 30 pages. It doesnt matter how good your synopsis and sample chapters are, if this vital document fails to impress an editor or agent, then your submission will be rejected. Most publishers have guidelines for how they want your material to arrive, regardless of. Ms title is the story of josie, an eccentric child, growing up on a remote cattle farm in outback queensland at the turn of the century, from her humble beginnings to her rise to become one of the most wellrespected. Sample cover letter no blood, sweat, and tears involved. Klems is the editor of this blog, online editor of writer s digest and author of the popular gift book oh boy, youre having a girl.

Some picture book publishers will accept three stories at a time. Cover letters are what we use mostly as picture book writers. Some just publish picture books, some publish only middlegrade fiction, and some publish a wide variety of. This will comprise the first paragraph of your cover letter.

Onstage publishing publishes chapter books, middle grade novels and young adult novels. Hints for a great cover letter how to write a query letter for your bookbyline december 1, 2017 hints for a great cover letter tips on getting published rae rambles march 27, 2018 attention somehow. If it is a snail mail query, then use standard business letter formatting. In closing, thank the editor or publisher for considering your work. After missing her train on that fateful tuesday morning, a part of. If over 100 pages, submit the first three chapters and a plot summary. A cover letter accompanies your proposal and briefly describes your proposal. Writing a cover letter the manuscript appraisal agency. Dear sirmadam hints at a blanket letter to multiple recipients, or at the least a. Childrens publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts lou. You wouldnt, for instance, send a cover letter about your sizzling new romance novel to a publisher that is only interested in nonfiction titles related to agriculture, nor would you send your children s picture book to a house that clearly states we do not handle children s picture books. Founded in 1982, orca book publishers is an independently owned canadian childrens book publisher. You will be happy to hear that cover letters arent actually too complicated to write. It includes more samples of cover and query letters and guidance in writing them.

Here are three common questions, answered for writers looking to pave a successful path into the world of publishing. Dear editor, make sure the name, title, and address are all correct as requested in your letter of jan 22 nd 2046, i am. A terrific cover letter never sold a bad manuscript, and many lovely books. I believe the cover letter is an important part of my writing process. Sep 27, 2010 thanks, mary, for focusing on picture book queries today. The opposite of this mistake but still a mistake is a letter that tells the entire plot, or in case of a picture book, a synopsis that is as long as the manuscript. How to write the perfect query letter query letter. Some just publish picture books, some publish only middlegrade fiction, and some publish a wide variety of genres aimed at adults as well. After you know how your chosen publisher wants your materials submitted, youre ready to pull together your query letter andor proposal. Once you have chosen the right markets for your project, you are free to send it to publishers that are accepting unsolicited manuscripts. Apr 17, 2017 hook the editor with a question, a provocative statement, a statistic, or even a short excerpt from the book. Picture book submissions the great cover letter almost.

When your book is as polished as it possibly can be, youre ready to submit and draft up a cracking cover letter. A guide for firsttime authors in the early 1990s, julia donaldson a former busker and wife of a university lecturer was approached by a publisher who wanted to adapt one of her songs for the bbc. Turn off the function that takes an entire paragraph at the bottom of the page to the following page if the paragraph is split between two pages. Cover letters for electronic submissions to childrens book editors.

Big sky publishing support australian writers and illustrators and are mainly interested in nonfiction. Over 300,000 authors trust the professionals on reedsy, come meet them. First, read any submission guidelines the publisher may have. Remember, you have a business purpose and so does the recipient of your letter, so dont go overboard. Just present the main characters, the main problem, and the resolution, then work in a hook great friendship hook, above, and sign off like you normally would with a novel query. If you are submitting by snail mail your cover letter is on a separate sheet and included in the envelope with your manuscript. Sep 30, 2015 the market guides relay which method the publishers prefer. We accept submissions from publishers, authors, illustrators, and publicists.

Smith, i am writing in regards to my 2,000word manuscript, tentatively titled, sophias cooking class. Dont assume that your work is going to sell itself. This famous american publishing house has a rich history, spanning over 65 years of bringing young readers into the world of beautiful stories. Now, in a traditional hard copy submission, you would place your cover letter on top of your children s book manuscript.

How to submit a childrens book to a publishing company. It doesnt matter how good your synopsis and sample chapters are, if this vital document fails to impress an editor or. Wed expect most picture book texts to be presented in fewer than 6 pages. Finding the right publisher for your childrens book manuscript. This acknowledges that the majority of childrens books editors are women, and. A cover letter literally covers sits on top of the manuscript you are mailing in. Writing a cover letter manuscript appraisal agency. The cover letters that grab my attention generally. Write a letter to the publisher requesting its submission guidelines and include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. If you use the marketplace double check the publishers website, as the policy may have changed since the books publication. All of the publishers on this list publish childrens books. Please include a selfaddressed stamped envelope sase with any hard copy submissions to receive our response.

They publish all kinds of children s books for 4 years of age and up, including nonliterary books such as coloring books, popups, arts and crafts books and so on. The cover letter should be no longer than two a4 pages preferably one and made up of a few brief paragraphs, see below for the breakdown of what should be in the cover letter and can appear in any logical order you choose. My name is emma, and i am writing to apply for the role as advertised on websitetwitter account you saw job, or which was recommended to me by this person. Getting published children penguin books australia. No need to write an elaborate picture book query letter. Scbwi produces an updated market survey, called publishers of books for young people, every august and the writers digest childrens book writers and illustrators market is published every year. Cover letter also formatted like a business letter. Write queries, cover letters, synopses, outlines, author. If under 100 pages, submit the completed, doublespaced manuscript. In the early 1990s, julia donaldson a former busker and wife of a university lecturer was approached by a. The best of several guides on the market, this focuses on general, not children s publishing. Aug 18, 2018 in an equery, you dont need to start with your address, the recipients nametitle address, or date as you would in a traditional snailmail business letter to editorspublishers. May 10, 2016 i know that its often useful to see examples of cover letters, so here is the entirety of the last cover letter i wrote, with names etc redacted. For illustrated texts or illustrator portfolios, please submit a pdf of no more than 32 pages.

If you are submitting electronically, your email will be your cover letter. Nowhere does this letter say what sort of book this is or what its about. Childrens book publishers book publishing directory. The main aim of your cover letter is to give the agentpublisher more detail about. Finding the right publisher for your childrens book. Childrens publishers accepting unsolicited submissions. Obviously, an electronic letter is going to differ in several ways. Consult a written or online guide to children s book publishers. Apr 23, 2009 this vid is a nononsense guide to submitting a picture book or a longer piece of fiction or nonfiction to a children s book publisher. How to write a cover letter for manuscript submissions. If the manuscript is nonfiction, specify why you are qualifed to write this book. Query letter basics for the childrens book market book.

I only found one publisher like this in my search of 2011 childrens writers. I know that its often useful to see examples of cover letters, so here is the entirety of the last cover letter i wrote, with names etc redacted. In an equery, you dont need to start with your address, the recipients nametitle address, or date as you would in a traditional snailmail business letter to editors publishers. Its best to read the publishers guidelines carefully and follow them to the letter if you can. So you need to overcome that resistance by writing a cover letter they cant ignore. Now, in a traditional hard copy submission, you would place your cover letter on top of your childrens book manuscript. This vid is a nononsense guide to submitting a picture book or a longer piece of fiction or nonfiction to a childrens book publisher. If your book is for children dont complete all the illustrations until the publisher has decided on the size of the book and the number of. Please indicate in your email cover letter if the attachment is a partial or complete. I undertook the writing of this book after discovering stumbling across a. Nowhere does this letter say what sort of book this is or what it s about. Most publishers and agents submission instructions tell picture book writers to send the entire manuscript with a cover letter. Apr 21, 2014 floris books is an independent publishing company based in edinburgh, scotland.

Peevish, warned her that shed be fired if she was late to work one more time. As more children s book editor and agents want files they can read onscreen either on readers at home or on computers at work, more and more authors will be emailing instead of mailing submissions. Click on the name of the publisher in the list to be taken straight to the submission guidelines. Dear agentpublisher, please find attached a synopsis and three chapters of my genre novel, ms title, which is approximately 80,000 words in length. Heres our list of 75 publishers that publish children s book. Use 12point times new roman or arial font unless the publishers submission guidelines indicate otherwise. Underdown includes many sample letters for manuscripts. Floris books is an independent publishing company based in edinburgh, scotland. Dont stuff your whole proposal into an envelope if the publisher prefers queries initially. This isnt necessarily the time to get all casual or a lets hug kind of friendly. How to write a covering letter to a publisher, editor or agent. Publishers seeking childrens and young adult manuscripts. In the final paragraph, state your writing experience. The file may need to be saved at low resolution to meet file size requirements.

Agents dont like multiple submissions but all publishing companies understand that you or your agent may be shopping your novel around. A cover letter introduces you and your novel to potential publishers. Picture book submissions the great cover letter almost an. Hints for a great cover letter the steve laube agency. It would look like a standard business letter with the date, contact information, and the actual content of the letter. A cover letter that accompanies a manuscript or a manuscript synopsis is also known as a query letter, and it should contain a compelling overview of the work, details about the writers background and publishing history, and it should follow the publishers guidelines for submission. How to format a picture book manuscript for publishers. Most publishers require a query for a nonfiction project or novel. The market guides relay which method the publishers prefer. How to submit a childrens book to a publishing company pen. Jul 25, 2018 a cover letter that accompanies a manuscript or a manuscript synopsis is also known as a query letter, and it should contain a compelling overview of the work, details about the writer s background and publishing history, and it should follow the publisher s guidelines for submission. If you want additional advice or variations on formatting, take a look at harold underdowns excellent the complete idiots guide to publishing childrens books, available in bookstores or at your library. Childrens publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts.

This is only a barebones guide to writing a cover letter. If youve written a children s book and want to get it published, you have a few options. Childrens book publishers beginning with c colossal directory. If an editor has requested a full or partial manuscript from a query letter youve sentas defined by this web site, your response should include what they requested with only cover letter see anatomy of a cover letter article, as defined by this web site instead of the same query letter again. How to write a cover letter to a publisher pen and the pad. It is important to have an established description. Cover letters for electronic submissions to childrens book. Publishers require prospective authors to submit either a proposal a longer document providing additional editorial and marketing information about your book or a query letter a onepage letter of introduction inviting the publisher to ask for more details about your project. Founded in 1982, orca book publishers is an independently owned canadian children s book publisher.

With over 500 titles in print and more than 65 new titles a year, orca publishes awardwinning, bestselling books in a number of genres, including ba. I will often draft a hook or pitch before my manuscript is submissionready. In the first paragraph, describe your manuscript, including targeted reader age. I often find it helpful to imagine that i am writing the copy for a catalogue synopsis or the back cover or jacket flap. How to format your childrens book manuscript dummies. The complete idiots guide to publishing children s books. Firsttime picture book author cover letters, exposed.

If you want additional advice or variations on formatting, take a look at harold underdown s excellent the complete idiot s guide to publishing children s books, available in bookstores or at your library. Cover letters for electronic submissions to childrens. I wrote a cover letter to accompany the manuscript i subbed to my publisher while in new orleans for my debut book launch. How to write a covering letter to a publisher, editor or agent the first thing publishers see when they open your submission package is the covering letter. In the second paragraph, explain why you chose this publisher. Learn more about query letter writing in the online course how to query letter in 14 days, from writer s digest university. Address the agent or publisher you are writing or emailing to by name if possible. It need only be one or two paragraphs maximum sharp give it a bit of your personality. Jan 17, 2011 hints for a great cover letter how to write a query letter for your bookbyline december 1, 2017 hints for a great cover letter tips on getting published rae rambles march 27, 2018 attention somehow. Submission agriculture books, times new roman, young adult fiction, cover letters. A query letter is a single letter asking for permission to submit your full proposal.