You got an offer to send your manuscript - Now what?

 



So you’ve written a novel and you’ve hit the End Button then saved your work and you can now relax. Nope not yet. You must give it a day, then go back and reread it, and correct any mistakes in spelling, grammar, and flow. Then have at least 3 people read the book and give you critical feedback. Then go in and make the corrections that they’ve found and then reread it again yourself. Now you’re done. The next step is for you to send it off to literary agents and potential publishers for consideration. You’ve sent out about 30 query letters and now you’ve gotten half of those back in rejections, but you did get one that sounds interesting. Now what do you do? Do you print off a copy rush it to the post office and wait again? No, you don’t you take a day or two to do the following.

You proofread your manuscript once again. You compile what has been requested, Note, if you send anything that is not requested you can be sure to receive a rejection back quickly. Agents are sticklers in following directions. So be sure to only send what they ask for. If they ask for the full manuscript, then send a complete copy (take it to Staples or Office Depot and have it printed and bound in spiral format, this will make their life easier and impress them that you took the time to make this happen for their ease.) same if they asked for the first 3-4 chapters. Submission requirements are key to gaining their attention and acceptance of your manuscript. If they ask for the submission to be in PDF format, go buy a USB thumb drive and load it onto it. The same goes for if they ask for two copies of your book, that just means they want their assistant to read the book too and give them their feedback on your story. Follow the directions completely. Always include a short note acknowledging their request, thanking them, and offering to answer any questions should they have any. Communicate with you via phone, email, or by standard mail, whichever they prefer. If they ask for further information, answer those questions politely and as positively as you can, but keep it short and sweet.  

Always remember that if a literary agent asks for a copy of your manuscript, it doesn’t mean they’re offering to be your representation, it just means you’ve captured their attention. If they ask you to resubmit your work after correcting any changes they suggested or even rewrite, do it and then resubmit with a short note reminding them that they asked for the resubmission and if necessary, quote from their letter. Always remind them of the date of their letter. Some will ask for a copy of their letter to be included with the resubmission. Be sure to include a copy of their letter with your resubmitted piece of work.

If by chance the literary agent says they will respond to you by a certain date and you haven’t heard anything, give it another 10 days if there is nothing, feel free to send them a note or call their office to inquire as to their response. Something might have happened on their end that prevented them from communicating with you. Be patient and accommodating. You don’t want to seem pushy or rude.  In the meantime, good luck.

 

Artist and Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, and journalist. business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Master's in Criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, and photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.


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