You have your manuscript ready to go, now what? Do you find an agent or get an editor to look at it one more time? Do you start writing your query letter? What about book promotion and everything that goes with it?
These were some of the pressing questions that the panelists were asked at the children’s focused panel, The Winding Road: From Proposal to Published held on March 3, 2022, by the WNBA-NYC Chapter. Moderated by Susan Knopf, Scout Books & Media Inc., the panelists included Saritza Hernandez, Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Wendi Gu, Sanford J. Greenberger, Editor Sarah McCabe, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Editor Phoebe Yeh, Crown Books.
The Query Letter
- Before writing your query letter, do your research, and a lot of it, to find out which agents handle which kinds of books. Additionally, check the acknowledgement pages of books you like for ideas. Take it one step further and ask around for book comparisons.
- The query letter should be about two to three paragraphs to include an attention grabber with the description of your book, but short enough to get to the point, and a short biography about yourself.
- Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Author’s Guild are great resources to find out information about query letters, book trends, and more.
What Do Agents Want?
The ideal proposal, which should consist of:
- Biography at the beginning; tell us who you are—don’t hide it at the end.
- Why this book, why you, why now?
- Chapter summary—can be one line.
- Three sample chapters at the ready, in case you are asked for more.
- Include comparison titles which don’t necessarily have to be books, they can branch out to movies, television programs, etc.
Takeaway
Sometimes a book is not ready, and the agent will suggest revision and resubmitting, remain open to this idea. It may result in an offer, but not always. The agent is your industry insider—he or she will create a submission list, and a pitch. The whole process from proposal to publication can take as long as a year, maybe more.
After Signing a Contract—What to Expect
- The agent now lets the author and editor develop a good working relationship.
- Editing and revision can take anywhere from 18-24 months.
- One year before publication, marketing, sales, and publicity all get involved.
- Six months prior to publication date, the manuscript is presented at a sales meeting.
- The author will get some say in the cover design and discussion, but not the final decision. The same is true for the title.
Final Thoughts
Be Kind! If you are rejected, thank the agent/editor for their time. Stay off social media for a while to digest what happened. You don’t want to put anything out there that you don’t want to come back to you. The way you carry yourself in the world counts.
