These books have seen a lot of use these past months. I’ve got 80 more pages to revise, and then I’ll be ready to finish all the submission packets. It reminds me of when I had to fill out separate forms for every school district when I was looking for a teaching position. The questions were very similar on each application, just in a different order.
Some districts wanted a little essay, others a portfolio. One wanted a video of me teaching. Getting ready to submit to about five different publishers feels a little like that era of my life. One publisher wants a chapter by chapter synopsis, another wants a summary synopsis. Some have a questionnaire for me to fill out. A couple want the first three chapters, and others want the whole manuscript. One publisher specifies sending a query letter, another a cover letter. I’m left to determine the difference. Still another requests a marketing plan. That’s was giving me an ulcer at the moment because I know all publishers will eventually request this of me if they like my work.
So I turn to you. How do I format a marketing plan? How detailed should I be? What types of things do you think publishers are looking for in a marketing plan?
While you all think on that I have a bigger problem. I’ve got to revise a scene from, “How stupid do you think the reader is? That whole exchange is based on author convenience!” to “Wow! I can really feel the emotion there. I can totally believe that’s happening.”
So I best git ta workin’!
Way to go Kate! That’s exciting! btw I sure do recognize that beat up copy of Roget’s college thesaurus. I’ve got one just like it. don’t ever lose it–the new ones don’t even compare.
I think sometimes that all the stuff a publisher requires is their subtle way of getting to know you. No one wants to be stuck editing a whiner, a lazy writer, a sit back and let the publisher’s people sell my book kind of person, an odd strange person who will not communicate, or who can’t follow directions.
So if you do the best you can to fulfill the submission guidelines, and maybe even give them a bit more than they ask for (not a lot, just a bit) you should be fine!
That copy is pretty beat up. I had to photograph the back cover because there is no front cover!
Thanks for your encouragement.
Better improvise a front cover and then laminate the front and back to give it a little more protection. Some copy centers will do a hard lamination of the cover and then redo the binding with a spiral binding–if that’s feasible.