From the ASA's Guide to Getting Published: Preparing a winning submission

17.05.23

One of the most common questions put to the ASA is: how do I get published? Knowing the process to follow and how the book industry works is key to success as an author or illustrator, so the ASA launched a book-length resource, ASA's Guide to Getting Published: Understanding and navigating Australia's book industry. Written by publisher and former chief executive of the ASA, Juliet Rogers, this guide is an accessible, easy-to-use book which will demystify the publishing industry. 

Below is an extract from the ASA's Guide to Getting Published in which Rogers shares the dos and don'ts when preparing your submission to publishers.

ASA's Guide to Getting Published is available in print and ebook formats. Find a copy at your local bookshop or see more retailers here.

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Preparing a winning submission

Every publisher will specify their own requirements for submissions, and it is vital to observe these, but almost every submission process has some basic pieces of information and rules in common. You should be able to readily adapt the following to conform with almost any individual publisher permutation.

A submission isn’t designed to provide a detailed outline of every twist and turn in your ingenious plot. Its purpose is to interest the publisher in your work and present a sound business case for publication. This may seem obvious, but it is amazing how many authors fail to grasp what’s required. Writing is a creative and artistic activity, but a publisher is running a commercial business and their role is to select books that appeal to enough readers to make them financially viable for both author and publisher. Keep this at the forefront of your mind throughout the preparation of your submission. Who will buy my book and why will they buy it? 

First, though, let’s take a minute to examine what a publisher looks for in an author – apart from a readable manuscript of publishable standard which they believe has the potential to sell well. 

• Your platform: As the number of books being published continues to grow, discoverability becomes increasingly difficult, even for a well-established publisher. As a result, an author’s ability to support their book has taken on a new significance. Depending on the genre, this can include blogs, social media, workshops, events and everything in between.
• Your credibility: This is where your track record, either as a published author or as an expert in your field, will be important.
• Your future publishing potential: It takes time, effort and resources for a publisher to market a book effectively and they’ll be much keener to make this level of commitment if they know that you have the interest and capability to write more books. Obviously, this is less important if they see significant sales potential in your current work.
• Sticking to your genre: Ideally, a publisher would prefer you to continue writing in the same genre because this makes it easier to build you as a brand.

Not all these factors will be relevant to your work, but it is worthwhile to use them as a point of reference when you are compiling your submission.

Let’s begin by ensuring that you have all the base data that you’re likely to need:

• Your contact details
• The title of your book
• Whether it’s fiction (+ genre), non-fiction (+ category), children’s (+ age group)
• The word count 
• Whether the manuscript is finished or a time frame to complete it.

You can then turn your attention to the competitive analysis. This will include:

• The target market for your work. Who will buy it?
• The size and accessibility of that market
• Comparative titles
• Where and why your book fits the publisher’s list.

Then it’s on to the content. Different publishers will have different requirements here, but it is wise to prepare the following, and be ready to edit to meet different word count requirements:

• A one-sentence hook, similar to a shout line or subtitle on a book. This could be the first sentence in your cover letter, or the lead-in to your synopsis, but wherever you use it, its purpose is to attract the attention of the recipient and entice them to read on.
• A three- to four-sentence overview of the book. 
• The synopsis, which can range from 200 to 500 words. Regardless of the length, it is critical that you identify the key features of the plot, the major characters and the overall arc of the story. Make sure you show how the plot is resolved. The suspense of the ending is for the readers, not the acquiring publisher.
• An excerpt of your book, which can be anything from a set number of words or pages, up to the complete manuscript. Choose this carefully, to show your writing in the brightest light.

If you’ve written an adult novel, the content section of your submission, especially the synopsis, must reflect the book’s style and tone, whether it’s serious or more humorous and playful. You also need to put time and thought into the comparison titles you provide, as this will demonstrate your level of insight about your own work. 

If your work is non-fiction, then you must prepare a chapter outline with a sentence explaining each chapter. Your author bio is vital too, because this establishes your credentials to write on your chosen subject. Indeed, many publishers will ask you why you’re the right person to write this book and you need to be able to prove that you are. If your work is illustrated, you should also provide a short section detailing where this material is coming from and how available it is.

If you are a children’s writer, the same rules for fiction and non-fiction apply, but it’s also important to show that you understand the language level and complexity of the age group for which you’re writing. There is additional information for illustrators beginning on page 90.

Finally, there will be a section about you as the author. Again, this will be restricted in length so you must shape your CV so that it connects to your book. Publishing history is critical if you’re not a first-time writer, as are any awards you may have received, including those for unpublished works. If you’ve written previous books, don’t lie about the sales. Almost every publisher has access to BookScan data which gives them accurate data on the entire sales of any book in the Australian market. 

Attention to detail

An astonishing number of authors send off a submission to a publisher without taking the time to edit or proofread it. Sometimes even the name of the publishing company is incorrect. This sort of carelessness, along with poor grammar and spelling mistakes, is unacceptable. Indeed, it would be hard to think of an easier way for a publisher to reject your proposal. Be careful. Get a professional editor to check the main sections of your submission and read over your cover letter thoroughly. If you haven’t bothered to get your submission up to standard, there’s no way that a publisher is going to consider investing thousands of dollars in producing your book.

Adhere to submission requirements

Every publisher’s website will itemise exactly what they want to receive in a submission and when they want to receive it. You must observe these instructions to the letter. Of course, it’s annoying to prepare a different submission for each publisher, but it’s essential if your work is to have any chance of being considered. Make sure, too, that you pay careful attention to the timing of your submission. Some publishers are willing to accept work at any time, but many others specify a particular day or window when they will open their portal for unsolicited proposals. Just remember that the slush pile is large and the person in charge of vetting the submissions is looking for easy ways to reduce it. Submissions that fail to conform to the clearly specified requirements or timing are the first to go on the reject pile, without anyone having read a word.

Personalisation

Wherever you can, personalise your submission to a particular publisher, and, in the case of the large publishers, ideally target your work to a specific imprint or the person running it. Every imprint will have its own flavour, reflecting the taste of the person acquiring the list, so if you can compare your work to books with which the publisher has had past success, you improve the chances of your work being read. A well-considered cover letter can also help your submission stand out from the crowd. Keep your tone professional and don’t feign familiarity with the person to whom you’re writing, if you’ve never had any personal contact.

Take your time

Unless your book is topical or there is some other major reason for haste, there is no pressing need to submit it immediately. If you get this step wrong, the publisher won’t even read your manuscript, so you need to treat your proposal with the same level of care that you gave to your work. Revise and reread, revise and reread so that every word of the meagre allowance given by the publisher really counts. You only get one opportunity to make a first impression, so don’t blow it because of a self-imposed sense of urgency.

Resist the temptation to include any of the following, especially in the opening sentences of your letter. Not only will they not help, but you also run the risk of your submission being summarily dismissed:

• That you have spent x number of years writing your book: Your problem.
• That becoming a published author is your dream: Only you care.
• That you are a great writer, and they will be sorry if they miss out: Red rag.
• That your work is similar to Harry Potter (or any other mega seller): Read no further.
• That your best friend/mother thinks you are a genius: Utterly irrelevant.

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Want to learn more about submitting your work to publishers and agents? Purchase your copy of ASA's Guide to Getting Published here and join us for our Pitch Perfect professional development sessions, designed to teach you how to nail your pitch.