We’ve been talking a lot about story submissions, but we never really stopped to discuss all the things you need to consider in general terms. I thought it might be nice to provide you with a checklist so you have no questions about whether your T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted. Print out this list or bookmark this post and refer back to it before you contact a publisher.
Pre-Publishing Checklist
Remember, publishers are busy and receive many submissions a month, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t hear back right away. But if you follow the list, your chances will increase. Best wishes!
I copied your list as a reminder. I like writing a short tight synopsis, but hate doing the summary. It’s like writing a short story. In fact I sold a short story which could have been a summary and years later became a book. Thanks Staci.
Glad to have been helpful, Micki.
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Excellent checklist, Staci. And I agree with Joan. I’m not too bad with blurbs, but I dread the synopsis!
By the time I’ve written a novel and a blurb and a logline, I can knock out a synopsis. They actually end up looking a lot like my first draft of an outline!
Great tips, Staci. In my opinion, writing the back cover, blurb, and synopsis is harder than writing the book.
Thanks, Joan. Those marketing tools can be hard for fiction writers to craft. It takes practice and patience. The good news is, they get easier. Just think how good you’ll be at novel 20!
Great tips for all authors.
Thanks, Michele.