Quote:
Originally Posted by Talia_Brie
1. Publishers will almost always ignore anything that hasn't come from an agent.
2. Even if they don't, they all have submission guidelines which will detail how they want the MSS presented.
3. Appearance shouldn't matter, although a professional submission is probably a good thing. Stick with the submission guidelines.
4. Most agents will also have submission guidelines, and you should stick to them. If you can't find them, ask.
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Talia is bang on with regards to 2 and 4.
For 1, it depends on the publisher. Check out their websites and submssion information, but be aware that an unagented manuscript, even for a publisher that takes them, is much less likely to be taken seriously.
Small press publishers are more likely to look at unagented manuscripts, but remember #2 and keep to their guidelines. Also be aware that small presses are just that: small. They don't have the marketing power or range of the big publishers.
To point 3, appearance does matter. Your letter and the material you submit should look as professional as possible. Good quality white paper, a letterhead on the query letter,
no spelling mistakes, no grammar errors and be sure to number all the pages.
(And my reason for bolding, underlining and italicizing that last part has nothing to do with personal experience, nooo...)
Going after an agent first, if you're looking to break into the world of big publishing, is the way to go. But if you don't find one, don't let that keep you from submitting. And while you are submitting the first, work on the next, and the next, and the next. Never stop writing.
Good luck.
