On Writing Romance_ How to Craft a Novel That Sells - Leigh Michaels [144]
• Include a self-addressed envelope large enough to hold the manuscript, with adequate postage for the manuscript's return already affixed to the envelope.
If you do not want the manuscript returned, send a business-size SASE that the agent or editor can use to send a response, and include instructions in your cover letter to destroy the manuscript rather than return it. It may be less expensive to make another copy than to pay return postage, and a returned copy may not be in suitable condition to resubmit elsewhere.
If you want confirmation of receipt, include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with the manuscript's title on the card.
Multiple Submissions
Submitting a manuscript to more than one line or publisher at a time is known as making multiple submissions. Many romance publishers decline to look at manuscripts that other publishers are also considering. Others will accept multiple
submissions if they're told ahead of time that the submission is not exclusive, and if the author agrees not to accept an offer from any publisher without notifying the others and giving them a chance to counter-offer.
Sending a manuscript off to one publisher at a time, waiting for a response, and then—if it is rejected—submitting to another is a long and tedious business. Many writers are tempted, even if the publisher's policy is to not accept multiple submissions, to do it anyway.
However, if you try this in today's smaller and more intimate publishing world, you may find yourself submitting to two different lines run by the same publisher and located in the same office complex. You won't be blacklisted if you're caught, but you'll show yourself as unprofessional and unwilling to abide by rules.
The no-multiple-submissions rule is less than fair to the writer, but it's a fact of the publishing world. Since a specific book usually has at most three possible markets, it's not unreasonable to take them one at a time, customizing each submission to best show how the book fits into the line. Spend the waiting time working on another project.
Following Up on a Submission
Publishers usually state how long it takes for them to respond to a query or proposal in their guidelines, on their Web site, or in Writer's Market. Most publishers take two to three months to report; some take longer. Send a follow-up letter only after the publisher's announced time for responses has passed, and allow a couple of extra weeks before inquiring. Many publishers have a backlog of submissions.
When inquiring about the status of a submission, be sure to include the working title of the manuscript, the name of the editor to whom it was addressed, your name and contact information, and the date or approximate date when the submission was sent.
Then get busy on a new project while you wait.
THE EDITOR'S VIEW
When an editor picks up an envelope containing a submission, what factors impress her—either positively or negatively? What is she hoping to find? What sorts of story ideas appeal to her? Which ones don't? What do good submissions—those most likely to end in a published manuscript—have in common? What things should the hopeful writer avoid?
A good submission package is whatever the publisher has asked to see. In most cases, this will be a query letter or a combination of cover letter and synopsis. If you've already pitched a story to an editor, she's likely to ask for a synopsis accompanied by sample chapters.
Whatever you're submitting should be based on a finished manuscript, ready to send immediately if the editor should request it.
A successful plot does not have to be off-the-wall different. A standard story type is often acceptable, if the writing is good and there is a different twist to it and the style is fresh. In fact, first-time authors are often advised not to tackle something terribly controversial for the first submission.
The manuscript most likely to inspire editorial enthusiasm features:
• Good, tight writing.
• A believable, logical conflict that is important