This information is from some notes I took while attending a panel, during a previous year of my favorite symposium, Life the Universe and Everything. Those listed on the panel were: Ami Chopine, James Dashner, Lisa Mangum and Brad R. Torgersen. They had some good advice.
– You need to finish a story. Write one, finish it and move on to the next one.
– A personalized rejection letter is a good sign.
– Follow publisher’s guidelines that are often featured on their web site.
– Always present yourself as a professional, such as submitting a properly formatted manuscript.
– Writing conferences is a good place make personal contact with editors and agents such as Story makers, league of Utah writers, scebwi? (society of children’s book and illustrators. An agent will be more interested in a manuscript from someone they’ve met than one they haven’t. For an additional fee attendees at a conference can schedule some one on one time with a visiting editor or agent.
– Select an agent that represents the genre you write.
– Make sure the agent you submit to is legit.
– If one agent says they want to represent you, you can send a follow up contact with other agents you’re contacted and let them know in case they want to review your work.
– On a cover letter it is important to begin with a quick hook. Query needs to convince why agent/editor would like your book, good info about the book and info about the qualifications of you as a writer.
– Times to avoid submitting. 1. Deseret book works on their current list of books during the summer so maybe submit in Sept or later. Also subs spike in January as people fulfill their new year’s resolution to submit a book. New York publishers shut down between Thanksgiving and New Years. They are often trying to do catch-up in January. So it is better to submit in the fall or spring.
– synopsis: Some editors like a one page synopsis that tells the story. They also need to know the ending so they can see it’ll be worth the read. In the synopsis don’t tell that this or that happened but tell what happens. Tell the story not a laundry list of what happens. It might be like when two teens are discussing a movie they just watched. They discuss the highlights and scenes that made an impression on them.
– Also create a refined 30 sec description of your novel that you can pitch at any opportunity.
– For short fiction cover letters are optional. Don’t tell the plot, the story will do that.
– Example of format: http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html
– Place that lists short story markets: duotrope.com
What ideas do you have on about getting fiction out of the slush pile?
