Top Tips for Submitting your Manuscript

Top Tips for Submitting your Manuscript : The 3 pillars of a good submission

You have spent months and maybe (though hopefully not) years writing and polishing that ‘perfect’ manuscript. You send it out and it gets rejected.  Considering the many (and most of them aren’t true) horror stories about publishers that are available on the internet, you pass off the rejection as “that was bound to happen”. You blame the out-of-sync publishing industry, old-fashioned bad practices or the presence of some sadist editor who loves tossing scripts into waste baskets, and you could be right. However, it is worthwhile to consider and look for lapses on the author’s side as well.

This involves 3 key elements that are part of your query/proposal. These 3 components will take some effort and thinking but they are critical to your success in getting a publishing deal, and it is not uncommon to hear of authors who get professional help for the 3 pillars of a good submission.

1. The Query Letter

What is a query letter?

It’s your novel’s resume.

Points to remember:

• Give enough reasons on your book’s resume (the query/proposal) for it to be liked. Talk about the things that are good, don’t highlight problem areas. If your book is too long/short or if it doesn’t fit into a particular genre, this is not the space for you to air your self-doubts.
• You may think you are being clever, but don’t mix genres to show wider possibilities of readership. Calling your book a vampire-zombie-romance isn’t the glowing endorsement you think it is.
• Query letters are about the book, make them about the book. Most publishers/editors have a far better understanding of the market than you do and will know about the viability of your book from reading about your book. Let them figure out the market, tell them about your book.
• Don’t make claims or hand out marketing advice like “it appeals to all ages from 8 to 80” or “the war drama market has been waiting for this.” It is probably wrong and it puts off more people than it attracts.
• It’s a business letter seeking representation or a publishing opportunity, keep the language formal. It has to be professionally written. Keep it concise and stick to the objective. For God’s sake, no smileys!
• It goes without saying that like your resume it cannot have typos.
• It cannot be too long, no more than one page.
• The author biography should be 50 -70 words. Do not include unnecessary details like your hobbies, family history or personal struggles unless they relate directly to the book.
• Distil the essence of your novel into two short sentences and remember to include it in the query as the starting point of the snapshot of your novel.
• The synopsis of the novel should be a riveting 150 – 200 word story. It should be a small story, not a dry Cliffs Notes of your book. (More on that in point 2)
• If you plan on writing follow up books mention it at the end of the query.
• Make sure you mention the title of your work and the genre. If you are not 100% sure of the title mention that it is a working title but don’t call your work “untitled”.
• Make sure you mention the word count of the manuscript.

2. The Book Synopsis

This follows from point 1 above, it is the bulk of your query letter. If you are going the traditional publishing route, you will need a BRILLIANT book synopsis.

You won’t like this but you should ideally have around 4 – 6 versions of the synopsis ready.

1. Start with this one: a chapter wise summary moving from event to event. Give each chapter one paragraph of 20 – 50 words at most. This will help you understand your story.
2. Trim down A above to 300 – 400 words. This is your best chance to pitch.
3. Trim it down further to less than 200 words or the “one page synopsis” that is the industry standard.

Make each of the three count.

Apart from these you could look at a synopsis that moves from the perspective of character rather than events.

Some simple points to remember

• Write your synopsis in the present tense.
• The synopsis should be as tight as possible but must cover the entire book, beginning middle and end.
• The synopsis cannot be dry, it is a mini – novel. Keep it dramatic.

Here’s a look at the synopsis of Harlan Coben’s ‘Six Years”

Six years have passed since Jake Fisher watched Natalie, the love of his life, marry another man. Six years of hiding a broken heart by throwing himself into his career as a college professor. Six years of keeping his promise to leave Natalie alone, and six years of tortured dreams of her life with her new husband, Todd. But six years haven’t come close to extinguishing his feelings, and when Jake comes across Todd’s obituary, he can’t keep himself away from the funeral. There he gets the glimpse of Todd’s wife he’s hoping for . . . but she is not Natalie. Whoever the mourning widow is, she’s been married to Todd for more than a decade, and with that fact everything Jake thought he knew about the best time of his life—a time he has never gotten over—is turned completely inside out. As Jake searches for the truth, his picture-perfect memories of Natalie begin to unravel. Mutual friends of the couple either can’t be found or don’t remember Jake. No one has seen Natalie in years. Jake’s search for the woman who broke his heart—and who lied to him—soon puts his very life at risk as it dawns on him that the man he has become may be based on carefully constructed fiction.

It’s only 200 words and makes quite a compelling case for reading the book.

Once your query letter is done with 1 & 2 above, you need to focus on formatting your manuscript.

3. Manuscript formatting

One of the leading reasons, and the worst one too, for rejections is Not sticking to the MS format guidelines.

What!!

Yes, it is silly maybe even unfair (not really) but it is one of the biggest stumbling blocks there is.

Why do I say it’s not really silly or unfair?

If you can format your resume and make sure its proper why can’t you do the same for your manuscript? Why should anyone consider a work that doesn’t meet basic format guidelines?

Editors get at least a dozen manuscripts and a couple of hundred queries a week, wouldn’t it be easier for them to just reject the sloppy ones. After all, if the writer doesn’t care about giving his manuscript the best chance, why should the editor?

Let’s see how we can avoid this easily avoidable stumbling block.

1. Type your document.

No matter the high praise your teacher from third grade showered on your handwriting, don’t write your manuscript.

2. Maintain double spacing between lines

It’s very easy to do in MS Word. Just select all text and click on the line spacing button

3. Paragraph indentation is crucial

Each paragraph must start with a small indent. Don’t use the space bar, use the indent button in MS Word.

4. If font size is not mentioned, it is always 12.

Anything smaller is difficult to read, while anything bigger takes up too much space.

5. Use a single and Serif font throughout

It’s best to use Times New Roman, Cambria, Garamond, or Courier New. Do not use fancy fonts like Lucida or Helvetica or even sans-serif fonts like Arial and Calibri unless it’s specifically asked for or accepted.

6. Use a white background.

This might seem “duh!”, but you’d be surprised as to how many romance writers think it is OK to have text on a pink background.

7. The first page is the cover page.

Include your name and contact information at the top left of the first page and the word count at the top right. Centre the title in a large font in the middle of the page with author name below it. DO NOT start the story on that page.

8. New chapters start on new pages

Though I agree no one’s going to throw your manuscript if this is the only formatting flaw, it is neater to have new chapters on new pages. If your submission is digital and not printed then you needn’t feel guilty about extra paper used.

9. Use page numbers

Why wouldn’t you number the pages of your manuscript? You could also include a header with Title / Author alternating on pages.

10. Left-justify your paragraphs.

Right margins should be “ragged” (which means you don’t justify the text on the right) and also there should be a 1 inch margin all the way around the text. This is neat for digital copies and essential for editing notes on a printed copy.

11. For printed manuscripts

If your submission is a physical printout then make sure you use good quality plain white paper and print on only one side of each sheet. Also, unless asked for, do not bind, spiral bind or staple the manuscript.

These 3 pillars will give your manuscript a fighting chance and will go a long way in making you view yourself as a professional.

Happy Writing!

The Short (Story) Road to the Novel

The short story, once in prominence not only as a commercially viable work but also as a separate art form no less than the novel, has all but vanished. The short story is an excellent training in storytelling – it is like a contained experiment. Even if it fails you have lost what? 6 – 10 pages of writing! Also it’s easier for someone to point out what went wrong in those 6 – 10 pages, what worked, what did not. Doing the same for a 200 page work is far more difficult. Maybe you lost interest on-third of the way into the novel, but plodded on and finally you come out with the verdict I don’t like it.

Maybe a simple adjustment at those points of sagging interest will lift your story from “I don’t like it” to “it was nice” or maybe even “I liked it.” It’s easy to do it in a short story.

A short story helps just like those short driving trips when you are learning to drive.

Ray Bradbury famously advised aspiring authors to start their writing journey with short stories instead of novels. Himself, a prolific writer of over 400 short stories, his main assertion was of course Plot Structure which is much easier to maintain in a short work and extremely easy to lose in a full length novel.

The simple plot structure of Beginning – Middle – End makes it easy to follow and provides a solid backbone to storytelling. The other major advantage of the short story is the POV.

The short story is too short for a change in point of view (POV) and thus you are saved from the indecision that plagues the novelist. Whose point of view should this sub-plot be from? Am I losing tension because of the shift in point of view?

Difficult questions you could easily do without.

Apart from being a training ground, the short story also acts as an extremely efficient means of not losing the ‘writing habit’. Ray Bradbury’s other important advice was to write one short story every week for at least a year. His point was it’s difficult to write 52 bad short stories. I for one totally agree.

I have a list of my favourite short stories it’s almost 250 now, Here’s a look at five from that list in no particular order and why I love them.

1. The Lottery Ticket by Anton Chekhov

Chekhov is the master of the short story, known for drawing out the darker side of human emotions through his stories. The lottery ticket written more than a 100 years ago catches us in those moments of horrid selfishness, true today as they were then. It’s also a masterpiece in terms of building a story around a very small time frame.

2. The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

The ending of “The Necklace” no longer holds the surprise that must have been one of the draws when it was first published, but the message is still as profound. The effort to show off and fit into a higher class or income group results in a miserable outcome. It’s a classic example of the story structure of Exposition-Climax-Denouement.

3. The Last Leaf by O Henry

The Gift of the Magi is his most famous work, but The Last Leaf remains etched in memory years later. The self-pitying Johnsy , the supportive Sue serving her friend, and the ambitious but unfortunate artist Behrman. Characters created over the space of less than 1500 words that refuse to leave you.

4. The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

A not so wise uncle had gifted me this book when I was seven, I thank him for it. This story will bring a smile to your face despite the macabre, a punishing of wrong and the burden of guilt expressed so succinctly in a matter of a few pages.

5. The Rocking Horse Winner by D H Lawrence

A touching story of a child’s desire to change his life and become “lucky”, this one is one of the most evocative pieces of writing that’s there.

The short story is easy to modify or if entirely unsalvageable, easy to ignore and move on. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.

Happy Writing

Anirban S. Bose

5Stories is a monthly digital only magazine. Every issue features 5 stories across various genres. 5Stories aims to be at the forefront of storytelling, pushing the boundaries while exploring the best and the most exciting short stories. Only original, previously unpublished short stories appear on 5Stories. 5Stories facilitates connections between emerging writers and global readers at large. Welcome to a fascinating read!

The 5 Things your 1st 3 chapters must have (Part 2 of 5)

It is pretty obvious that most publishing houses ask for the first three chapters of your novel to evaluate if the novel has enough zing to propel the reader on. What’s not obvious is, what exactly is the publisher looking for in those first 3 chapters?

We have already looked at the first thing

1. Within the first chapter we must have an introduction to one of the 3 main characters.

The second thing on your list (yes it is the second most important thing not the most important) is the HOOK

2. Your first chapter must have the HOOK

This second point will lead on to the third thing your first 3 chapters must have; more on that later.

In my last post I had mentioned about the lynchpin and how easy it is to start with the lynchpin to provide the HOOK. It’s only fair we look a little more deeply into the hook.

The HOOK is just short for ‘narrative hook’. It’s the opening of a story that “hooks” the reader’s attention and prods him to read on.

A novel especially one in the genre of mystery, thriller, or romance must hook the reader’s attention in the first paragraph and, if possible, in the very first sentence. It must create in the reader an urgency, the immediate need to know how this situation described plays out or is resolved.

Sometimes you know how it’s resolved but you want to know how it plays out. Consider Erich Segal’s master opening in his most popular work ‘Love Story’:

“What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?

That she was beautiful. And brilliant. That she loved Mozart and Bach. And the Beatles. And me.”

So you know the girl who loves the narrator dies, you want to know how it plays out.

Sometimes, the hook is merely a portent of what’s going to come

Consider Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”, the novel that ensured she never had to look back.

“Mrs Ferrars died on the night of the 16^th – 17^th September – a Thursday. I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th. There was nothing to be done. She had been dead some hours.

It was just a few minutes after nine when I reached home once more. I opened the front door with my latchkey, and purposely delayed a few moments in the hall, hanging up my hat and the light overcoat that I had deemed a wise precaution against the chill of an early autumn morning. To tell the truth, I was considerably upset and worried. I am not going to pretend that at that moment I foresaw the events of the next few weeks. I emphatically did not do so.

But my instinct told me that there were stirring times ahead.”

In the above cases, the hook is the major problem or the major situation, in many cases however, the hook is just a minor problem that leads the hero or protagonist into his most important bind and that resolution forms the crux of your story.

Consider John Grisham’s classic The Chamber (You must have guessed by now, I am partial to this particular work). This is how it opens: “The decision to bomb the office of the radical Jew lawyer was reached with relative ease. Only three people were involved in the process. The first was the man with the money. The second was a local operative who knew the territory. And the third was a young patriot and zealot with a talent for explosives and an astonishing knack for disappearing without a trail. After the bombing, he fled the country and hid in Northern Ireland for six years.”

It’s enough to want you to read on, but it’s not the main problem and a skilled writer like Grisham doesn’t spend too much time on this lynchpin. Once done with the failed assassination he moves to the main problem: “How to get clemency for Sam Cayhall.”

Almost all of Dan Brown’s novels start with a murder but it is not the murder that is being solved, the murder leads to the larger problem. In “The Da Vinci Code”, the murder of curator Jacques Saunière sets in motion the events where the main problem is protecting the Holy Grail from falling into the wrong hands. This kind of a hook leads to a more convoluted ‘problem-resolution’ setup and works only if the transition from one problem to another is seamless. If you looked carefully, you would understand that while the hook was the murder, the starting problem was Langdon trying to clear his name and prove he had nothing to do with the murder. Very quickly the problem shifts to puzzles and riddles and while throughout the entire book, the aim is to prove his innocence, the main problem shifts from solving the murder to locating the Grail. It’s not often that such seismic shifts in focal points make for a good read. Not everyone has the research and pace of Dan Brown in creating a hurtling thriller peppered with jaw dropping “facts” that make you forget the incoherence in plot structure.

It’s much more difficult to pull off the second kind of hook. It needs excellent storytelling skills but more importantly finesse in seamlessly moving from the minor problem to the major one.

Another idea has been to go where the action is and start your story from that point and then go into flashbacks and back-stories as the novel progresses. I have come across some fantastic novels that have successfully managed to pull off the difficult task of going back and forth, but it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Not to mention it is the leading cause of manuscript rejections. It is extremely easy to lose your way in a story spanning a couple of hundred pages or more and you wouldn’t want your reader confused.

 The most common and unfortunate interpretation of the HOOK has been action instead of dramatic action. The use of action as the hook is so widespread that dramatic action has often been interpreted as actual action.

The story doesn’t necessarily need to start with actual action. A husband splitting up with his wife could act as the dramatic action. The husband doesn’t have to kill his mother-in-law because he can’t get along with his wife.

 Although we are talking about fiction, there is such a thing as a fictitious HOOK: one that is outlandish and has been created just to serve as a gimmicky attention grabber. Readers aren’t going to forgive you for leading them on.

The HOOK is a masterful device but don’t treat it like a prop or device. Make it your own and it will serve you well.

Happy Writing.

Anirban S. Bose

The 5 Things your 1st 3 chapters must have (Part 1 of 5)

It is pretty obvious that most publishing houses ask for the first three chapters of your novel to evaluate if the novel has enough zing to propel the reader on. What’s not obvious is, what exactly is the publisher looking for in those first 3 chapters?

Having been on the other side of the table assisting some editor to make the ACCEPT or REJECT decision (I say assisting, while in most cases I was merely nodding along) I know what ticks them off and what gets them mildly excited (yeah, I have never seen one of those guys jump up and exclaim “this is good!”)

I dedicate this post to the mild excitement and the first thing on your checklist.

1. Within the first chapter we must have an introduction to one of the 3 main characters.

The 3 main characters in any novel are the protagonist, the antagonist, and what is known as the catalyst or the lynchpin. Not all novels have all three.

A lot of novels start with the protagonist. Romantic novels start with the hero or heroine and then they go on to meet their other half thereby completing the couple. A lot of murder mysteries and whodunits start with a case coming to our detective or cop. It’s fairly straight in structure and highly recommended for first timers. Writing from this starting point also establishes what is known as point-of-view and the protagonist’s point of view is a fairly easy one to maintain.

Though it’s non-fiction, Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestseller “Eat, Pray, Love” due to its narrative structure could easily pass for an example to uphold this point. The story starts with the protagonist and within the first page tells us who the protagonist is: “professional American woman in my mid-thirties, who has just come through a failed marriage and a devastating, interminable divorce, followed immediately by a passionate love affair that ended in sickening heartbreak.”

This is why it is crucial that you talk about the protagonist within the first three chapters, even if not in the very first chapter. The reader has a right to know what the story is going to be about.

The lynchpin or the catalyst as a starting point is also a good start point provided you know what to do with the catalyst once he/she has served their purpose. A lot of whodunits start with the murder or death of the victim and the investigation or events flow from it. The event (death or murder) or the victim can act as the lynchpin or the catalyst bringing the rest of the cast into the space of the novel. In John Grisham’s “The Chamber”, the story starts with the lynchpin, the character Marvin Kramer is the Lynchpin. The ‘radical 4^th generation Jew’ takes up a major part of the first chapter and his failed assassination sets in motion the rest of the story, set years later. The lynchpin could also be an event. It can be argued that Marvin Kramer’s failed assassination and not Marvin Kramer, is the lynchpin. Starting with the lynchpin or catalyst is quite popular and it also provides the story with the HOOK. The HOOK is the exciting incident that, you guessed it, hooks the reader and compels him to read on. More on that later.

A much lesser used and understandably less popular starting point is that of the antagonist. The first reason for the lack of popularity is that starting with the antagonist is a technique that lends itself only to certain genres and structures. A thriller could start with a diabolical serial killer so the reader knows what the hero is up against. While starting with the antagonist is OK, it rarely does justice to the reader or the writing to not immediately also introduce the protagonist. After all it’s the protagonist you want your readers rooting for. The antagonist as a starting point is also really tricky, it’s a fine balance between creating a formidable villain and one that overshadows the protagonist. Of course, if you have a villain as the protagonist, you have little choice here. The example that jumps to mind is Patricia Highsmith’s classic “The Talented Mr. Ripley”.

The idea is very simple. Your first chapter could start with anyone or anything of those three, but do find your principal character and tell me straight off about him or her. You have three chapters to do it.

Happy Writing.

Anirban S Bose

The 5 Don’ts to be a Successfully Published Author

As cryptic as the title sounds, there are a few things that can really turn the tide against your dreams of becoming a published writer. So, I am going to tell you about the 5 things NOT TO DO if you want your book published. These 5 DON’TS are not meant to discourage, these are the most common traps that the writer ignores and walks right into.

For the purpose of this post I am only considering fiction, that is, novels and short novels.

No.1: Do not start the BOOK PUBLISHING search before you complete your book

Doesn’t make sense? Getting published takes 12 – 18 months. Am I not better off starting right away, while I am midway through writing my book?

The answer is NO.

The process of getting your book published in print and into a bookstore takes 12 – 18 months, the process of manuscript evaluation and acceptance takes 6 – 8 months only. So, unless you are absolutely sure that your manuscript will be complete before some book publisher who has liked your proposal demands it, do not start the process. Nothing is worse than getting a book publisher interested only to ask him to wait a little while longer for your book.

Also the 3 – 4 months of idle waiting can be the best time to revise and relook at your book. If J.K. Rowling felt the need to rework a chapter five times, it’s safe to assume that some objective editing will benefit your work.

No. 2: Don’t skimp on the steps in the BOOK PUBLISHING APPLICATION PROCESS

Research the appropriate book publishers for your work

If the book publisher you look up has not published a horror novel in the last year or so then there could be two possibilities:

The publisher didn’t get a horror novel submission and is desperately waiting for one. Hurray!

Or, the more likely scenario

The publisher doesn’t sell horror books for whatever reason and will most likely not be swayed.

A lot of research needs to be done, thankfully with the internet that is not a problem.

Send a book publishing query letter

If the book publisher mentions that they do not entertain unsolicited submissions the only way to approach is by a query letter, no more than a page long, double spaced and preferably in PDF to ensure that your document is not scrambled when it reaches the acquisitions editor.

Send the book publishing proposal

If the book publisher does not specifically forbid unsolicited book submissions then you can start the process with a book publishing proposal. Some book publishers have a specific format; ensure that you stick to the format.

Wait, and wait some more.

Most book publishers will tell you not to bother them regarding the progress of your book proposal evaluation while others will tell you to sit still for 3 to 6 months before sending a polite reminder. The operative word is, you guessed it: POLITE.

Remember, you haven’t submitted your manuscript yet, all this is before your work is even considered fit for an overall evaluation.

No.3: Don’t jump into SELF PUBLISHING just yet.

Typically, writers who get frustrated by rejections often look to self publishing for satisfaction. I get the angst, I don’t get the logic. In traditional book publishing you will probably be snubbed and rejected by the book publisher, in self publishing you get snubbed and rejected by the reader.

Of course every self publishing company and every self published author will tell you that it’s the same thing whether you are published or self published. It’s not.

With self publishing you will hold your book in your hands, but that’s where it stops. Unless you’re willing to take the initiative and expend effort into marketing and promoting your self published book, you will be stuck with a book and not much else.

Some authors have a flair for entrepreneurship and they will succeed more than others in the self-publishing game. Self publishing is also self marketing, if you are game to spend as much time on marketing and publicity as you spend writing, self publishing might just work for you.

No.4: Once you get your manuscript in, DO NOT FIGHT THE BOOK PUBLISHER

A deal with a traditional book publisher means the book publisher is in control, it’s not necessarily a bad thing (in self publishing you are in control and that isn’t necessarily a good thing). Yet, all too often writers fret and fume about the book publisher deciding the cover, the design, the format, the price, and even the title. Just because it’s your body you wouldn’t fight with the doctor over which medicines work best for you, would you? Let’s accept the reality here: a book publisher is putting his money and risking his revenues and profits on your work, sabotaging your book is the last thing on his mind. At most book publishing houses even though one book editor communicates with you, the decisions are taken by many. Trust the guys who know the deal.

No.5: Don’t rely on the INCOME FROM BOOK WRITING, at least not initially

How can depending on income from book writing hurt your chances at book publishing? The desperation shows and can put off the most interested of book publishers, a lot of book writers get edgy about delays in payment and that can strain negotiations.

If you have an unpaid bill and you have sent out a query letter hoping to get the advance before the bill is due, you might want to consider some other option. Dig into your savings or write to rich aunt Mary, that’s the kind of writing that gets you money.

Book Writing is a highly rewarding career, it is financially rewarding too but to expect a windfall is taking things a tad too far. On the royalties from one book you can barely sustain yourself for more than a few months. So, until you have written your third or fourth book and have a rough idea about the money you make, don’t go barging into the boss’s cabin, resignation letter in hand.

Having said all this, there is just one more thing I’d like to add. It’s a great joy being a craftsman, someone who takes simple and random words and strings them into stories that enthral and entertain generations. It’s creative, it’s hard work, and it requires a certain smartness. The above list is just to help you along with the smartness.

Happy Writing

Anirban S. Bose