Once your manuscript is complete, you must then decide how best to introduce it to publishers through your cover letter. A cover letter can provide some insight about yourself as a writer, but it should also give publishers an idea of the purpose behind your writing or the content of your manuscript. Your cover letter acts as the first impression publishers have of your work, and as such, it should stand out and encourage them to want to work with you should your manuscript be what they’re looking for. The following tips can help you write a cover letter that’s memorable and designed to get you to the next step toward being a published author.
- Introduce your work – Begin your cover letter with a brief introduction that lets the publisher know the title, genre, and word count of your manuscript.
- Be brief – Publishers don’t tend to spend much time going over each cover letter they receive, so be sure to include only the most important information. Your summary should be limited to one or two paragraphs that hit the high points of your work.
- Be professional – A cover is not the proper place to display humor or quirky personality traits. When reading cover letters, publishers are trying to decide whether a book is sellable. While you can include information about your writing career and accomplishments, other personal information is not needed and can be distracting.
- Mention why you chose the publisher – Do some research before sending your letter to a publisher so you know more about the genres they publish and the types of authors they work with. Use this information to address the publisher and provide a reason why you chose them.
- Other tips – Keep in mind that publishers receive many submissions, so your letter should be concise and to the point. If you’re sending your letter to a specific individual, address them by name to make your letter sound more personal.
Your cover letter gives publishers the information they need to decide whether they wish to take the next step in considering publication of your work. Your letter should be professional and concise, as publishers see many cover letters from authors and simply don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to each letter. Introduce your work in a way that shows why your book will be a good fit and why you wish to work with that publisher.
