Successful cover letters are tough to write…

Rather than being a summary of your book, they are instead a sales document to convince agents/publishers to love your book.

I have had years of practice writing effective book proposals, both as a successful writer and co-founder of BubbleCow.

I am now putting aside some time each week to provide feedback on a few cover letters that have been submitted by writers. I will add my feedback to the letters and publish them the following day for all to see!

The rules are simple:

• Only submit with the form below,
• By submitting you agree that BubbleCow can publish your cover letter on our blog,
• Not all letters will be assessed – sorry.

Here’s last week’s cover letter assessment.

1. Publishers don’t want to publish your book

Book publishers are inundated with manuscripts. They get hundreds (if not thousands) of book ideas each week. They don’t need new ideas and more importantly they don’t need your book. So, when your book lands on a publisher or agent’s desk they are looking for a reason to reject. Rejection is easy, just a standard letter and the book is no longer their problem. As a writer you need to make sure you don’t give them a reason to reject your book. Make sure everything is the best it can be.

2. You are not writing the next Harry Potter

The book industry moves slowly. I mean really slowly. When a publisher takes on a new book it might be a couple of years before it hits the shelves. This means that a pitch today for the next Harry Potter is pointless. The only thing a publisher can promise is that when your book is launched Harry Potter will not be the next big thing.

3. Being good is not enough to get published

Good writing is a prerequisite for a publisher but it is not the deciding factor on whether a book will be published. Assuming your writing is up to scratch a publisher is then looking to see if your book fits their current range, if they think the market is big enough to make a profit, if they have the distribution to sell your book, if they have the correct editor to work with your book, to check you are not a nutter and so on. As a writer you need to make their job as easy as possible, you must pick the correct publisher and then you must make your pitch as up-to-date and as relevant as possible

4. It is not the best books that get published

It should be the best books that get published but it’s not. Most book deals are made with authors who the publisher and/or agent already know – proven writers are much less risky. Your job as a writer is to work hard to try and jump past the slush pile and become a ‘proven’ writer.

5. Most writers don’t make money

Most books sell less than a thousand copies. Most writers make almost no money – fact. If you are in this for the cash think again.

6. You need an agent

If you are in it for the cash then you need an agent – simple. Without an agent writers can’t get anywhere near the big publishers and it is the big publishers who sell the most books. So if you are a serious writer you are best spending your time researching and approaching the correct agent rather than wasting your time with smaller publishers.

7. You can sell your book without a publisher

The development of the internet has seen writers gain the ability to distribute and promote their own work. It is now possible for writers to produce thier own content and then sell it to thier fans, all without a traditional publisher. I think Scott Sigler and J.C. Hutchins would agree.

If you want to get your book noticed by an agent or publisher you need an excellent book proposal.

Book proposals consist of three parts:

1. 1. Cover letter,
2. 2. Synopsis,
3. 3. Extract.

This earlier post explains how to write a book proposal in more detail, but here I want to focus on one key aspect of the cover letter – your book outline.

The job of the cover letter is to demonstrate to an agent/publisher three things. The first is that you can write and have a good book, the second is that your book has a market and the third is that you can be marketed as a writer.

One key aspect to this is your book outline. This is a paragraph that summarises your book in to three or four sentences. You should include an outline of the plot with reference to the main characters. This is not an extended synopsis, just enough information to get the agent/publisher excited.

Outlines are tough to write and I found the best approach is practice and more practice. In the example below I have used a well known fairy tale:

This is a coming-of-age tale that sees three little pigs looking to make their way in a world terrorised by a serial killer known simply as The Big Bad Wolf! When the pigs leave home they face the immediate problem of finding accommodation, but below par building regulations and a ‘huff and puff’ quickly sees the first two pigs coming to a bloody end. The final pig is ready to put up a fight, but will a pile of bricks, a chimney and a hot fire really be enough to save the hair on his chinny, chin, chin?

Anyone else brave enough to summarise a well known fairy tale? Just pop it in the comments…

Twitter has become one of the pillars of any writer’s online platform. Yet, over time, the way people use Twitter has changed.

My (@bubblecow) approach is to try and add as much value as possible to my followers. I do this by using Social Oomph to send out regular tweets throughout the day. I also use Tweetdeck to keep track of my followers.

The past few weeks have seen me experimenting with private Twitter lists. My approach is to produce many small lists of people, each with their own theme. I then follow these closely, interacting where possible. The aim being to get as much out of a small number of key people as possible.

How do you use Twitter? Has it changed since you first signed up? How do you follow large numbers of people and still get value? How do you decide to RT?

This post offers real advice on improving your book’s cover letter.

Yesterday, I asked writers to submit their cover letters and I would offer feedback for free. Book proposals are my thing. I have used the same principles as we apply to our client’s book proposals. These principles are outlined in this post called Writing a Book Proposal.

Born to be Brothers by Patrick Schulze

I have picked this cover letter because Patrick has made a classic cover letter slip up. We writers are, rightly, obsessed with a book’s plot and narrative and often fall into the trap of thinking that agents and publishers are looking for a cracking story. Though this is the case later down the line, at the first instance agents/publishers are looking for a PRODUCT they can sell. Your book proposal will consist of a cover letter, synopsis and extract. The synopsis and extract are the places to tell your story, the cover letter is the place to SELL your book.

In the days when a man’s word was his bond, Jak and Clay are bound to each other as brothers and lose their hearts to the same woman. Loving both men for different reasons, Kate chooses Clay. Despite her decision, the three remain as close as family until war threatens and the men must decide where their loyalties lie.

Jak, an orphan since youth has no family upon which to depend. As a young man attending a military academy he befriends Clay and the two form a close. During their first furlough they meet Kate and both vie for her hand. Though she chooses Clay, Jak will not allow her decision to dissolve their friendship.

Over the years, Clay and Kate marry and with Jak they build a comfortable home where he feels he has found the family so lacking in his life. Their life is marred only by Kate’s inability to conceive a child. When Fort Sumter is fired upon, the wedge of union shatters their brother’s bond and Clay forces Jak to leave. As he prepares to depart, Kate professes her love and asks Jak to take her with him. Despite the great temptation, Jak cannot betray his friend.

Years later on the night before a great battle, Kate pays Jak an unexpected visit. The lonely and protracted war has altered his sensibilities and he allows her to stay with him until dawn pushes back the night. That morning, Jak’s men are commanded to blunt an enemy assault and amid the thundering of both man and nature, Jak falls to enemy fire. With his last breaths, Jak leaves his effects, including his journal, to Kate.

With the war in the distant past, Kate watches her child playing outside. Only she knows it is Jak’s son who will one day receive his father’s diary.

This is a great summary of the narrative, but tells the agent/publisher nothing about the book as a product they can sell.

My advice to Patrick would be to condense all of this section to just one paragraph, which highlights the key aspects of the story and the main characters.

• What is the point of conflict?
• What do the characters have to do to overcome this conflict?
• What will happen if they fail to resolve the conflict?

The second paragraph should start to outline the potential readership and the book’s market. This paragraph would contain:

• The book’s genre,
• The book’s word count,
• An indication of the market with one or two representative titles,
• Notes of any images, illustrations or unusual requirements,
• An Indication if the book is written and if not when it will be finished.

I am working on my next novel, a story about women who fought during the American Civil War. I have also had articles printed in Williamsburg Living Magazine, I am a Civil War expert on Allexperts.com and have had numerous speaking engagements on the subject to my credit.

This is a great paragraph. I have come away understanding Patrick is a serious writer and an expert in his own field. I also suspect he has already established a following that may be willing to buy his books. I would, however, include a link to Patrick’s blog (which is here) and any other social media channels.

I am seeking representation for my completed historical novel of 102,000 words, Born to be Brothers. May I send you a copy of the manuscript?

The word count needs to be covered earlier as it is an important part of the pitch. There is no need to ask for representation or if the novel can be sent. If the agent is interested they will ask!

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

C. Patrick Schulze

So overall, this ticks some of the boxes. The cover letter shows Patrick can write, is an expert, has completed the novel and may have a network. However, it fails to outline any market detail. This makes it that little bit more difficult for the agent to say yes. They will now have to read the synopsis/extract to get a precise understanding of the book’s genre. Agents tend to represent certain types of book. If the book is not right for the agent, they will not say yes, no matter how well it is written.

Advert coming – feel free to stop reading!

This is just a taster of the kind of feedback BubbleCow’s Book Proposal service offers writers who are looking to get published. Our service provides a more interactive approach, where a writer is given feedback and is able to rewrite their cover letter and synopsis before we look and provide feedback for a second time. We also provide a reader’s report and detail feedback for the extract.

Successful cover letters are tough to write…

Rather than being a summary of your book, they are instead a sales document to convince agents/publishers to love your book.

I have had years of practice writing effective book proposals, both as a successful writer and co-founder of BubbleCow.

I am now putting aside some time each week to provide feedback on a few cover letters that have been submitted by writers. I will add my feedback to the letters and publish them the following day for all to see!

The rules are simple:

• Only submit with the form below,
• By submitting you agree that BubbleCow can publish your cover letter on our blog,
• Not all letters will be assessed – sorry.

Here’s last week’s cover letter assessment.

Let’s keep this simple, if you write a crappy book proposal you will not get published – end of story.

Big publishers need books they think will be bestsellers, but don’t have the time and resources to scan thousands of unsolicited manuscripts. They therefore, rely on agents to read the unsolicited manuscripts, reject the ones that don’t fit, and submit those to publishers with the best chance of publication.

Agents only get paid when a publisher accepts a book and this means agents are looking for the books that have the best chance of being accepted by publishers. Typically, these books will be well written, with a great narrative. However, they will also be of the correct genre for the publisher in question, and have a clear indication of the readership. After all, a publisher needs to be confident that they have the in-house expertise to edit and market a book before they take it on.

So how does an agent (and publisher) decide which books are well written, have a good narrative, fit into the correct genre and have a large enough readership?

The answer?

The book proposal.

This single document is the writer’s only chance to convince an agent that they have written a book worthy of publication. A book that ticks all the boxes.

So, as a writer, are you prepared to let your book be rejected just because you have a book proposal that fails to demonstrate that your book is well written, has a great narrative, fits into a recognised genre and has an established readership?

Writers looking to build an online platform need to be aware of other key blogs, what is being written and what new areas of interest are developing. The simplest way to do this is by using RSS. As an added bonus, ensuing your RSS feed is set up correctly will allow other writers to follow your blog with ease.

Introduction to using RSS

Using Google Reader to read blogs

Using FeedBurner to set up your RSS feed (Wordpress)

I simply couldn’t survive without the internet.

Here’s a list of the online applications I use at least once every day.

Gmail

Google Reader

Get Clicky

Wordpress

Social Oomph

Paypal

Hootsuite

Sessmic

Tweetdeck

Curdbee

Couldn’t find a video but go see the site.

This post offers real advice on improving your book’s cover letter.

Yesterday, I asked writers to submit their cover letters and I would offer feedback for free. Book proposals are my thing. I have used the same principles as we apply to our client’s book proposals. These principles are in this post called Writing a Book Proposal.

In summary:

The query letter is perhaps the most important part of your book proposal. It needs to not only give a snapshot of your book, but also convince your publisher that it is a marketable and profitable product.

The goal of a query letter is to snag the interest of the publisher/agent, encouraging them to read your synopsis. It is your synopsis and (hopefully) your extract that will seal the deal. This means your query letter needs to be concise and to the point. No waffle, no exaggerated claims, just a focussed and honest summary of your book.

I would suggest a four paragraph approach:

Paragraph 1: The opening paragraph is split into two sections. The first is the elevator pitch, which consists of a couple of lines that capture the essence of the book. This is a concise and targeted summary of the book in just a couple of sentences.

The second part of the opening paragraph is a brief summary containing a few sentences that describe your book in a bit more detail. Include a VERY brief outline of your narrative and the main characters. At this stage you are simply showing the agent/publisher the type of book you have written and giving them a chance to see if it will fit into their current list.

Paragraph 2: The aim of this paragraph is to present your book as a viable product. Remember that you are trying to sell your book as a tool from which publishers/agents can make a bit of cash. You need to include the following:

• The book’s genre,
• The book’s word count,
• An indication of the market with one or two representative titles,
• Notes of any images, illustrations or unusual requirements,
• An Indication of if the book is written and if not when it will be finished.

The representative titles are important and should not be missed. The best way to decide on these is to think what readers of your book may also read. The examples will give the publisher/agent a good indication whether your book is the kind of product they can publish/sell.

It may also be advisable to include statistics of potential markets where possible. If you have access to specialist figures then these certainly should be included. However, do not include figures that are either educated guesses or approximations UNLESS they are specific to your book and something the publisher/agent will not be able to find themselves.

Paragraph 3: This is a loose outline of your book’s plot – just remember to keep it brief. Do include the key characters, the problem they face and the point of conflict. But do not expand this to a full blown synopsis. Short and sweet is the key.

Paragraph 4: This is about you as a writer. In the modern world of internet driven marketing the writer is increasingly becoming an important part of the process. Include a brief biography, containing any relevant information such as previously published titles. I would also suggest you add information regarding your web presence.

The Compostela Key by David Gennard

Dear….

The Compostela Key has been found and is wanted by a vengeful private investigator, a dogged journalist, a ruthless fascist general and a violent vicious gangster. In a desperate race through the noir underworld of 1950’s Britain and against the backdrop of Francoist Spain, they follow a cryptic trail to a fabled field of stars and cold revenge.

This paragraph is good but lacks an elevator pitch. I would add a sentence at the start that said something like: “The Compostela Key holds the answer to a secret people will kill for…”

Fully completed, with a word count of approximately 82,000 words, The Compostela Key fits neatly into the thriller genre.

This paragraph contains word count and genre, but needs to include some indication of market. I would go for three titles. In this case I would suggest the book is like The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (a classic example), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (a modern bestseller), plus something more quirky like Lennox: A Man for Hire, But Not For Sale by Craig Russell. These are just examples and I am sure that David can come up with better books. The idea is to give both the agent (and publisher) a very clear picture of where the book sits.

I have worked for the past five years as Chief Photographer and Video Journalist for a local newspaper and two magazines. Unfortunately or maybe luckily, I have not investigated a story as dangerous or as exciting as the ones I write about fictionally.

The last sentence is good, injecting some of the writer’s own voice into the letter. However, I think it would be better with a few more sentences. I know David has an excellent website and blog dedicated to the book. In addition, he is active on Twitter and other social media platforms. All of this should be included, giving the agent/publisher a taste of how serious the writer is in backing his own story. I would also encourage David to include any writing experience he may have had up to this point.

I would like to become a full time writer developing the story of the Compostela Key into a series. The second of which, The Secrets of Es Vedra is already nearing completion.

This is pitched just right. He is telling the agent/publisher that he is more than a one book wonder and is already getting on with the next book. I would not encourage the writer to say more at this point, though I would be tempted to suggest he includes a very brief one paragraph summary of the second book at the end of the synopsis for the title being ptiched.

Further down the line I would like to adapt my story into scripts for both film and video games.

This is not needed. The agent/publisher will assume that other media rights are included in the deal. Any agent/publisher will try to sell film and foreign rights as part of the deal. I would only leave this section in if the writer had experience or expertise in any of these additional media channels.

Please find enclosed a synopsis and the first three chapters of my unpublished novel for your consideration in representing me.

Yours sincerely,

David Gennard

Overall, this is a solid cover letter. I would suggest David looks at three areas. The first is to include more marketing information. The second is to detail his current efforts to promote the book. The third would be to include a brief description of any marketing plans he has outside the usual book signings.

You can find out more about David’s novel, The Compostela Key, at his excellent website.