What Even Goes in a Submission Package?

You’ve finished your book, and you’re ready to submit your book to agents and publishers. Finding agents and publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts can feel tough enough, but understanding what you need to send when submitting feels even tougher. Crafting a submission package that you can tailor as needed for each agent or publisher is the best way to ensure you’re ready to query. But how can you craft the ideal submission package? What should it include to make the biggest splash in the shortest amount of time? A quick Google search will show you pages and pages of tips and tricks to make a good submission package, so it can be hard to know what are the best things to include. While each agent or publisher will let you know their specific submission guidelines, here are the basics to have prepared for a great submission package that’s always ready to go!

Query Letter

A query letter is key when crafting a submission package. It’s a way to introduce you and your project in a professional way, but it can be challenging because query letters are meant to be brief. Even more challenging, you want to ensure you’re carefully balancing a professional tone while also keeping your own personal writer’s voice in the text. However, more than anything you want to be sure your query letter covers a few basics: the details of your book (title, genre, wordcount), a brief synopsis of your book that focuses heavily on what the hook of your book is, and a brief bio that highlights any aspects of yourself or your career that might make you or your book more marketable. Query letters are all about keeping stuff brief but shining a big light on what makes your book special and marketable.

First Few Chapters

Depending on the individual or company to whom you’re submitting, the actual number of chapters might vary. Typically, a publisher will ask for one to three chapters along with your initial submission. So it’s incredibly important that your first chapters are solid to wow an agent or publisher with your writing skills and keep them reading more. That means you want to be sure your first chapters are not only well-written, but you should ensure those chapters you’re submitting have been edited and proofread. In essence, as close to perfect as you can get them!

Synopsis

For a lot of writers, the idea of distilling their book down into a few paragraphs or pages can be incredibly daunting. There are so many things about your book that you love, trying to figure out what things to include and what things to leave out can almost feel too big of a challenge. So a good rule of thumb when crafting a synopsis is to start with the main hook of the book. From there, think about some of the supporting plot points that you can easily bring out to expand on that hook a bit farther. If it still feels overwhelming, try practicing on a favorite book or movie. Craft a synopsis for that, and once you’ve got those muscles warmed up, move back over to your book.

A solid submission package has just enough information to get a reader excited while also showing the book’s value in the marketplace. It’s about using your words carefully and directly to support the book, and showing a highly polished excerpt from your book that will make the reader bummed out when they reach the final page. And that can certainly be a lot to handle all on your own. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by crafting up a submission package, no worries! We’re here to help. You can head to our website to see the ways we can partner with you to create the perfect submission package.