Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!newsfeed.concentric.net!global-news-master From: Wendy Chatley Green Newsgroups: misc.writing;,misc.answers;,news.answers Subject: [misc.writing] Writing FAQ (modified 1/2000), part 1/2 Followup-To: poster Date: 15 May 2000 09:11:34 EDT Organization: Staggerwing Enterprises Lines: 962 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Message-ID: Reply-To: wcgreen@cris.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 64.1.18.30 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Summary: Answers to frequently asked questions about writing Keywords: x-no-markup: yes X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.8/32.548 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu news.answers:183643 Archive-name: writing/faq/basic-info Posting-frequency: weekly (Mondays) to misc.writing; monthly (3rd monday) to *.answers Last-modified: 1.98 URL: http://www.scalar.com/mw/ misc.writing Frequently Asked Questions about Writing --part 1 This document pertains only to writing questions often asked in the misc.writing newsgroup. See the misc.writing Posting Guidelines at http://www.scalar.com/mw/ for information about the social mores of the misc.writing community. For general questions regarding Usenet, please review the FAQs in the news.announce.newusers newsgroup. Part 2 of this FAQ lists organizations and sources of information for writers. This list is sorted by country and includes (when available) a description of the organization mentioned. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Questions answered in this FAQ: ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1.0 What format should I use for a manuscript? 1.1 What font should I use? 1.2 What about photocopies? 1.3 How should I format the first page and following pages? 1.4 How should I indicate that the last page of my manuscript is the last page? 1.5 How much of my manuscript should I include? 1.6 How do I format a picture book? What about illustrations? 1.7 How should I format a poetry submission? 1.8 How do I count the words in my manuscript? 1.9 What are the standard word counts for novels, short stories, et cetera? 1.10 What is the best length for a chapter? 2.0 Does posting my manuscript ruin its chances for publication? 3.0 How do I use a pen name? Is it the same as a pseudonym? 3.1 Do I have to use a pen name? 3.2 Can I register a pen name so no one else can use it? 4.0 What about copyrights? 5.0 How do I find a market for my manuscript? 6.0 How do I submit my manuscript? 6.1.1 What is a cover letter? 6.1.2 When should I use a cover letter? 6.2 What about simultaneous submissions? 6.3.1 What is a query letter? 6.3.2 What makes a good query letter? 6.3.3 Where can I look at some query letters? 7.0 Is there a correct format for referencing material from a WWW/Gopher/FTP/Usenet/E-mail/other Internet site? 8.0 What's a vanity/subsidy publisher? 8.1 Are they legitimate? 9.0 Do I need an agent? 9.1 How do I get an agent? 9.2 What do agents charge? The following questions/answers are in Part 2 of the FAQ: 10.0 What professional groups are useful for writers? 10.1 Australia 10.1.1 Australia Council 10.1.2 Writers' Centres 10.1.3 Australian Booksellers Association 10.1.4 Australian Society of Authors 10.1.5 Australian Publishers Association 10.2 Canada 10.2.1 Canadian Authors Association 10.2.2 The Writers Union of Canada 10.2.3 Union des Écrivaines et Écrivains Québécois (U.N.E.Q.) 10.2.4 Periodical Writers Association of Canada 10.2.5 League of Canadian Poets 10.2.6 Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers (CANSCAIP) 10.2.7 Writers Guild of Canada 10.2.8 Crime Writers of Canada 10.2.9 Playwrights Union of Canada 10.2.10 SF Canada 10.2.11 Editors' Association of Canada 10.3 Great Britain 10.3.1 The Writer's Guild of Great Britain 10.3.2 The Authors' LIcensing and Collecting Society 10.3.3 The Society of Authors 10.3.4 The Poetry Society 10.3.5 Scotland (from the Writer's Guild of Great Britain WWW site) 10.3.5.1 Scottish Arts Council 10.3.5.2 Scottish Poetry Library 10.3.5.3 Scottish Film Production Fund 10.3.5.4 Scottish Society of Playwrights 10.3.5.5 Scottish Screen Writers Group 10.3.5.6 Byre Writers 10.4 New Zealand Society of Authors 10.5 United States of America 10.5.1 American PEN 10.5.2 National Writer's Union 10.5.3 The Authors Guild 10.5.4 Writers Guild of America 10.5.5 SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) 10.5.6 North Carolina Writers' Network 10.5.7 Mystery Writers of America 10.5.8 Romance Writers of America 10.5.9 Horror Writer Association 10.5.10 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. 10.5.11 Society for Technical Communication 11.0 Are there any on-line groups? 11.1 Usenet newsgroup: misc.writing 11.1.1 The misc.writing home page at http://www.scalar.com/mw/ 11.2 Usenet newsgroup: alt.writing 11.3 Usenet newsgroup: misc.writing.screenplays 11.4 Listserv: The Fiction Writers Workshop 11.5 Listserv: Writer's Workshop 11.6 Listserv: DOROTHY-L, for mystery fans and writers 11.7 Listserv: TECHWR-L, for technical writers 11.8 WWW Page: Miholer's Screenwriting Resources 11.9 WWW Page: For The Love of It 11.10 WORDPLAY: Professional Secrets for Screenwriters 11.11 Bix, Compuserve, AOL, the WELL, GEnie ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ye Olde Disclaimer -------------------------------------------------------------------- This article is provided as is without any express or implied warranties. While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this article, the maintainer and contributors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. The use of both American and British English spellings in this FAQ is a result of the multiplicity of its authors. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Changes since last edition: 1/2000: the section on cover lettters was expanded and the section on query letters was added. Several addresses in the second part were corrected. ---------------------------------------------------------------- This document will be posted on or about Monday of each week to misc.writing. A current version will be to news.answers and misc.answers on the third Monday of each month. Please send corrections and suggested additions to Wendy Chatley Green ---------------------------------------------------------------- The FAQ ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. What format should I use for my manuscript? Preface: All of the following rules can be broken. However, any time you break one of them, you run the risk of irritating an editor. To quote Strunk and White: "It is an old observation that the best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, however, the reader will usually find in the sentence some compensating merit, attained at the cost of the violation. Unless he is certain of doing as well, he will probably do best to follow the rules." General: Manuscripts should be typed in black ink using a new ribbon or printed on a daisy wheel, ink-jet or laser printer. Never write or print a manuscript by hand. Each page must be doubled-spaced (one blank line between each line of type) and each side must have at least a one-inch margin. Use white medium-weight business letter-sized paper (either 8-1/2 x 11 or A4) and type or print only on one side. Once the manuscript is typed or printed, do not staple, bind, or otherwise attach the pages to one another. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.1 What font should I use? A manuscript is not an opportunity to show off your elaborate desktop publishing system. Many publishers specify a font or type size in their writer's guidelines and only a fool would ignore such a requirement. Editors read vast numbers of pages and anything that strains their eyesight gets a deserved toss toward the reject pile. If no font is suggested then the writer should choose one that does not distract from the writing. Serif fonts, which have slight projections to finish off the stroke in each letter, are been proven to be easier on the eyes than san-serif fonts, which resemble block printing. Whether the font is proportional or monospaced also affects how easy it is to read. With proportional fonts such as Times, the individual characters vary in width ("w" is wider than "i.") With monospaced fonts such as Courier, all characters are the same width. Proportional fonts make a manuscript look more like a book and allow more words per page but monospaced fonts give editors a more accurate feel for the space required by the piece. Size also matters, at least for fonts. The usual size is "12 point" (also referred to as "10 pitch" or "pica.") Pitch refers to the number of characters per inch. Point size refers to the relative height of the font; a point is a typographical measurement very close to 1/72nd of an inch. Anything smaller than 12 point or 10 pitch and editors might strain to read the words; anything bigger and editors may assume that you are disguising a too-short article. Although any legible font might be acceptable, the safest choice is Courier 12. Work printed in Courier 12 closely resembles typewritten work. Familiarity with Courier allows editors to quickly extract word count and other important information from manuscripts printed in it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.2 What about photocopies? If you submit a photocopy, make sure it's clean and clear; it also doesn't hurt to explicitly mark it "Not a Simultaneous Submission" (if this is the truth), as some editors assume photocopies are simultaneous. NEVER submit your only copy of a manuscript; tragedies do happen. Photocopy the manuscript, back up the disk. Not vice versa. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.3 How should I format the first page and following pages? First page header: I. Wanna Write Approx. 2000 words 1000 Maple Street Anytown, USA 00000 (508)555-1212 (about 1/3 of the way down the page) Title of Story by Ima Pseudonym (Note that you use your real name, not your pseudonym, as the return address; the publisher wants to know who will be endorsing the check.) Other additions to the header about which there is some debate: Your Social Security number (Pro: Aids publishers in record keeping when they cut you a check. Con: If they need it, they'll ask for it.) A copyright notice (Pro: May be useful in establishing legal claims to ownership of your work, should problems arise. Con: "This is a mark of the amateur; editors have better things to do than steal story ideas.") Membership in writers' professional organizations -- SFFWA, SCBWI, et al. (Pro: Gets editors' attention in the slushpile. Con: Doesn't help, doesn't hurt.) Rights offered (more important for articles/stories than for books) Second-through-final page headers: Writer's name/Title of Story Page X This shouldn't take up more than one line; shorten the title to fit. Manuscripts *do* get dropped; if you identify every page, you reduce the odds of your story's being re-collated with the last third of "Marshmallow Mud Maidens from Madagascar". (Richard Curtis, the renowned agent, feels it's a mistake to include the story title in the page header, since this requires you to retype or reprint the entire manuscript if you change the title.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.4 How should I indicate that the last page of my manuscript is the last page? It may also be a good idea to put an "end of story" marker on the last page. Use "# # END # #", "--FIN--", or anything else you're confident the editor won't mistake for part of the story. (Some people think that this marker is amateurish.) -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.5 How much of my manuscript should I include? Research the rules of the market you're submitting to. For short fiction (less than 20,000 words), you normally submit the entire manuscript. For novel-length fiction, many publishers prefer to receive a couple of sample chapters and an outline; if the publisher likes your sample, he/she will request the remainder of the book. Publishers won't normally commit to buying a manuscript from an unknown writer until they've seen the whole thing. DON'T submit a portion of an unfinished book, unless you are certain that you can finish the book very quickly (within a month) if the publisher expresses interest. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.6 How do I format a picture book? What about illustrations? Children's picture books are normally assembled by the publisher, who buys a manuscript, then assigns an artist to create the drawings. Historically, most publishers have strongly preferred *not* to receive manuscripts with illustrations; the feeling has been that it was too difficult to accept one part of the package and reject the other. Author-illustrators generally earned their spurs by illustrating the works of others, and were then allowed to create their own books. Some publishers are beginning to accept (but not prefer) complete packages; check *Writer's Market* to find suitable candidates. If you are submitting an unillustrated manuscript for a picture book, you should generally not attempt to indicate page breaks, double-page spreads, etc., or give detailed illustration suggestions, as these are the book designer's and illustrator's domain. Anything that you want to appear in the picture should be part of the text. One obvious exception to this rule is irony: if the text reads "Irene's room was always tidy", you're allowed to insert a note like "(Illustrator: the room is actually a pit.)" As always, you should read many different picture books to get a feeling for the strengths and limitations of the format. Bear in mind that picture books are almost invariably 32 or 48 pages long, including title page and other front matter. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.7 How should I format a poetry submission? According to the _Writer's Market, 1997 edition, poems are submitted one to a page. The format is single-spaced with two lines between stanzas. An on-line source of information about poetry is the rec.arts.poems FAQ (http://condor.lpl.arizona.edu/~tim/rapfaq/) ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1.8 How do I count the number of words in my manuscript? Start at the beginning. Point at the first word and say "One." Point at the second word and say "Two." Repeat, increasing the count by one integer for each word at which you point. Now, some more professional answers: 1. You could use the "Word Count" feature of your word processor. Note that all word processors do not use the same algorithm to compute this--Word may give a different figure than WordPerfect. 2. You can multiply the number of pages in the manuscript by 250. This gives a very rough estimate. 3. Figure that 1.5 typewritten/computer-printed pages equal one page of a book (another rough estimate) 4. Count the words on five random pages of the manuscript. Find the average number of words per page (divide the count by five) then multiply this number by the number of pages in the manuscript. You will be paid by the publisher's word-count, not yours; the publisher's algorithm may differ. (And padding word-count is like double-parking in front of Police Headquarters; you *will* get caught.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.9 What are the standard word counts for novels, short stories, et cetera? 0 - 250 words: Flash or sudden fiction 0 - 2,000 words: Short-short story 2,000 - 10,000 words: Short story 10,000 - 40,000 words: Novella 50,000 - infinity (or durned close to it): Novel A good length for a novel (by consensus of this newgroup) is 80,000 words. Certain genre publishers require a maximum word count because they produce a standardized paperback. Follow these requirements. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1.10 What is the best length for a chapter? It depends. Although chapters of a standard length (4,000 words, say) may be easier to outline, plan, count, and edit, there are no rules on chapter length. It is easy to find huge novels divided into 20 or fewer chapters and very slim novels with 45 or more divisions. When to end a chapter and begin another one is one of the factors of story-telling. Sometimes a chapter closes where a story would end: following a brief cooldown after a crisis resolution. This gives a feeling of accomplishment for the reader and a sense of intermission. Sometimes the chapters close before the resolution of a crisis, or after the introduction of the next crisis. These chapter breaks give a sense of suspense--that events are crowding in on the reader. Sometimes chapters are kept consistent in length to establish a rhythm. Sometimes chapters vary greatly in length, giving the reader a sense of a kaleidoscopic world. Other time, chapters end and begin with a change in Point Of View, the scene's setting in time or space, or at a radical change in mood. All depends on what suits the needs of your story. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2.0 Does posting my manuscript ruin its chances for publication? If you post a piece of writing to an electronic bulletin-board (USENET, GEnie, FIDOnet, et al.), or mail it to a generally-accessible mailing list (sf-lovers), you have published it. This means that you cannot sell "first rights" to that manuscript to a magazine, anthology, et cetera. Furthermore, most publishers won't buy secondary rights to a piece that has been published on an electronic network. (Sending E-mail copies of a manuscript out to a few friends and reviewers probably doesn't constitute "publication", but posting definitely does.) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3.0 How do I use a pen name? Is it the same as a pseudonym? Pseudonym means "false name" (from the Greek for false name, oddly enough). To use one, simply put it on the front page of your manuscript (see title page example in this FAQ). If your real name is in the upper left corner, publishers will understand that you wish to be published under a pen name. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1 Do I have to use a pen name? No--unless your name is identical or similar to that of someone already in print. Reputable publishers will ask you to select a different name or modify it to prevent confusion. For example: There is a well-known author named Jack Mingo. If this happens to be your name, you should switch to "John Mingo" or add a middle name (Jack Xavier Mingo or John X. Mingo.) Jacqueline Mingo, although obviously not Jack Mingo, could be confusing to a reader who wonders if "Jack Mingo got a sex-change" (e.g. the composer Walter/Wendy Carlos or the author James/Jan Morris.) Publishers often have the final decision in this matter. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3.2 Can I register a pen name so no one else can use it? There is no clearinghouse for pseudonyms. No one assigns them nor does anyone keep track of them, with one exception. Publishers who "own" a book series written by contract writers under a standard author name (Mack Bolan and Carolyn Keene are examples) will object to the use of that name by someone else. In this case, the name is a trademark of the series and not an indication of the identity of the author. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.0 What about copyrights? *Nota bene* The following answer pertains only to copyrights obtained in the USA. Elsehere, YMMV (your mileage may vary.) The people who suggested the sites listed and the information given may not be lawyers so expect this to be cheaper than legal advice but possibly not as good. With that having been said, You have an implicit copyright on any original creative work that you produce. This copyright is good as soon as you write the words onto paper. You do not need to explicitly copyright fiction that you submit to professional publications. Reports of editors "ripping off" stories for their own uses are apocryphal. Sending yourself your story via the postal service is not a way to prove that the story was written at a specific time. Postmarks can and have been falsified. This won't stand up in court. This also applies for notarization, or any other method of timestamping a document. Since this is one of the most frequently asked questions, I will repeat the answer; sending yourself the manuscript and keeping that copy unopened will not protect any rights--this is now a myth. There are discussions of copyrights at: Bill Lovell, JD's Cerebalaw site: http://cerebalaw.com/copy.htm http://www.aimnet.com/~carroll/copyright/faq-home.html http://fairuse.stanford.edu/ gopher://marvel.loc.gov/11/copyright Ivan Hoffman, JD's site: http://home.earthlink.net/~ivanlove/ The Librarians' Index to the Internet at UC Berkeley: http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/InternetIndex/ Dick Harper's All Arts Council: http://www-AllArtsCouncil.together.com/art-link.htm or check with an attorney who knows copyright and patent law. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.0 How do I find a market for my manuscript? Go to the library and read the current _Writer's Market_ published by Writer's Digest Books. It will tell you which magazines and books are reading unsolicited submissions, and what types of manuscript each market is particularly eager for. When you investigate a possible market, don't just read *about* it. Read other books printed by the same publisher; read previous issues of the magazine. What the editor honestly believes is "ground breaking, no taboos" may be closer to "50's pulp fiction with swear words." Be precise in copying the editor's name, title, and address. Check them against the latest information you have available. Editors change publishing houses and magazines frequently, and are not terribly amused by receiving submissions addressed to their predecessors. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.0 How do I submit my manuscript? Insert your manuscript into an envelope that is big enough to hold the manuscript unfolded. (That is, 9x11 is fine; standard business-sized 4 x 9 1/2 is not, except for VERY short fiction and poetry.) With your manuscript, include either a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) big enough to hold the return manuscript, or a smaller SASE for the publisher's reply, with a note that the manuscript need not be returned. Attach adequate postage to both envelopes. Exception to the SASE rule: if you're submitting a work to a publisher in another country, consider sending a disposable manuscript, an addressed reply envelope for the publisher's response, and two International Reply Coupons, available at the local Post Office. Wait. Start writing something else. Re-query (BY MAIL) after twice the named latency period (a.k.a. the response time.) If the publisher doesn't reply after what you consider a reasonable time, write a polite letter withdrawing the manuscript from consideration and resubmit it elsewhere. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.1.1 What is a cover letter? A cover letter introduces you and your work to an editor. For most short fiction, a cover letter is optional; many magazines don't really want one. For non-fiction, it is almost mandatory. Of course, if you used a query letter (see that section) to get the writing assignment, then a cover letter may not be necessary; the editor already knows what to expect from you. A basic cover letter is: [usual date and header] Dear Editor (Use the correct name!) Enclosed is my article on Usenet cookbooks--10,000 words as you requested in your letter dated 5 January, 2000. [usual closing and signature] Do not use a cover letter to "sell" your story; if an editor requested it, you've already "sold" it. At this point, your writing must do the rest. ------------------------------------------------- 6.1.2 When should I use a cover letter? Use a cover letter if the work was requested by an editor (this reminds the editor that he or she wants its). Use a cover letter if you are submitting part of a larger work (i.e., sample chapters and outline of a completed novel.) In a sentence or two, give the title, genre, and length of the book. Use a cover letter if your work needs special explanation. If your article is time-critical (a piece on the upcoming primary that will not be useful if it's shunted aside for a few months), note this in your cover letter. Use a cover letter to introduce yourself and list any *pertinent* information about you and your accomplishments, if you are submitting "over the transom" (i.e., without having obtained a request from the editor.) "Pertinent" means any major writing successes, any professional or extraordinary expertise in the subject of the submitted work, or any fame that you may have that will help sell the work. If you've have best sellers in another field, mention them. If you are the world's foremost expert on chair caning and are submitting a piece on chair seat repair, note that in the letter. If you are submitting a Young Adult novel about adopted children and you have seven adopted kids, mention them. Be brief. Do not mention anything that doesn't directly highlight your story or article. Don't tell your life story. Don't retell your story. Don't gush or ramble. Be concise and professional. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 6.2 What about simultaneous submissions? One line of thought: Don't. Yes, editors keep stories for far too long, and yes, it isn't fair that they can waste months of your time without leaving you anything to show for it. However, following the rules is the best way to make certain that your manuscript is read. Another line of thought: Do it. The chances of having two editors accept your work at the same time is so remote as to be almost impossible (although it has happened.) A possible workaround: Submit works with a time limit; say in the cover letter that if you have not received a response by three months after the date of submission, you will withdraw the work from consideration and will resubmit the work elsewhere. If you decide to simsub (send simultaneous submissions,) be honest and mark the submission as simultaneous. If you get caught simsubbing without noting it on your manuscript or cover letter, your name will be mud (and remembered, and passed on to other editors.) The _Writer's Market_ and the publishers' guidelines will say which magazines/book publishers accept simultaneous submissions. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.3.1 What is a query letter? A query letter sells your article, novel, short story, or other work to an agent or editor. You send a query letter to get a request to write a piece or to save you (and the editor or agent) the expense and hassle of dealing with a manuscript that isn't wanted. Query letters are sales tools. If you're trying for an assignment, then the letter tells how and why you will do an excellent job for the editor. If you're trying to place a completed manuscript with a publisher or agent, then the letter describes the book and your worth as an author. Queries bypass the slush pile. Once an editor or agent responds favorably to a query, then the article (or book) goes straight to that editor or agent. Your cover letter (see whatever section number I give cover letters) reminds the recipient of your query and response. Queries may be formal business letters or e-mail. When you research the market and the publications before writing your query, make very certain that the editor wants e-mail before sending any." Some people tremble at the thought of selling themselves or their work. Don't think of queries in that light. What you are doing is stating facts about yourself and about your novel or article. Also, if you are pitching a novel--finish it first. No one wants to get excited about a book that isn't ready for publication--and no, they won't wait for you to finish it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.3.2 What makes a good query letter? First of all--the correct editor's name. Query letters are sent to specific editors or agent *by name*. Do not send them "To whom it may concern:" or to "Editor:" Look up the names in the Literary Marketplace, then call the magazine or publishing house to see if the editor still works for them; editors move around frequently. Ask the secretary to verify the spelling of the editor's name; this slightly sneaky trick ascertains if the editor still is with the magazine since, if the editor has left, the secretary will say, "That person is not with us anymore." At this point, you ask for the name of the editor's replacement, then send your query to that person. (Yes, this trick is hard to pull off if the editor's name is "Joe Jones" or "Jane Smith.) While you're doing this research, also make certain that the editor or agent handles the sort of writing that you want to sell. Do not pitch a sailing article to a needlepoint magazine or a romance to an editor who handles only cyberpunk. Like cover letters, query letters are pithy and to-the-point. For a novel, the letter states genre, word count, and a very short description of the plot--no more than three sentences. Pretend that you're pitching it to someone in an elevator; you have only as much time as it takes to get to the next floor, where the editor will either escape or will stay to listen for more. Do not bore or distract the editor; it spoils your sales pitch. For a non-fiction piece, the letter gives subject and brief outline--again, no more than a couple of sentences. Many successful writers recommend including the "lead" of your article in your query letter (a lead is the first sentence or paragraph; it tells your readers what to expect and "hooks" their attentions, making them read the rest of the piece.) A lead should be a short attention-grabber. Opinion varies as to what is "short"l some say "two to four sentences" while others will use a two-paragraph lead. The important thing is brevity--do not bore the editor. If your lead is boring, editors assume that all of your writing will be not worth their time and money. Whatever its length, the lead must convey much information in as few words as possible. Craft your lead carefully--open with a good hook. Tell what your story or article is about, then wrap it up with a strong close. This is your opportunity to show the editor what you can do; make it good. Both types of letters should include pertinent information about you--important writing assignments or sales, applicable experience, training, or education. For example, if you are pitching an article about dugout canoes, highlight your trans-Atlantic trip in the canoe that you made from a cedar log with a ice cream scoop. If the editor does not know your work, including a few "clips" (examples of your work) is acceptable. Of course, these should be professional sales to established publications, not in-house newsletters, letters to the editor, or other non-paid or vanity publication. Don't include information that doesn't pertain to the article or book. If the book is a historical romance, the editor or agent will not care that you are a Mechanical Engineering prof at Whassamatta University. Again, don't bore or distract the agent. However, if you have ties to the subject of the article (you work for them, you wrote their advertising campaign, you ran a recent PR campaign for them), this must be mentioned in the query letter. Otherwise, when they find out (not 'if they find out'), you're toast. Note that sending out simultaneous queries is *not* the same as sending simultaneous submissions. You are one step removed from publication and everyone has less invested at this point. If one editor expresses interest in your completed work, then another responds to your query, simply inform the second editor that someone else is considering the work and ask if you may send it on if it returns to you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6.3.3 Where can I look at some query letters? 1. Any editor's desk 2. In Lisa Collier Cool's book _How to Write Irresistible Query Letters_ from Writers Digest Books 3. Also Gregg Levoy's _This Business of Writing_ (Writers Digest Books) has a section on querying; note that his sample letter runs two pages. 4 "Attack of the Query Letter", part of _Freelance Writing_ by Bev Walton-Porter at (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/freelance/11340. See also "Attack of the Bad Query Letter" at http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/freelance/11555 and "From Ether to Editor: How E-queries Make Your Life Easier" at http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/freelance/11232 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.0 Is there a correct format for referencing material from a WWW/GOPHER/FTP/USENET/E-MAIL/OTHER Internet site? Like everything that concerns computing and the Internet, there is no one standard format for citations. A thorough explanation, written by Janice R. Walker of the University of South Florida's Department of English, is available from: MLA-Style Citations of Electronic Sources http://www.cas.usf.edu/english/walker/mla.html Examples for all Internet resources are given. The following is her generic format: (Janice R. Walker (jwalker@chuma.cas.usf.edu) Article © J. Walker 1995, Last modified: 6 Sep. 1996.) The basic component of the reference citation I have compiled is simple: Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Work." Title of Complete Work. [protocol and address] [path] (date of message or visit). To cite this FAQ's quote from J. Walker's article, the citation is: Walker, Janice R. "MLA-Style Citations of Electronic Sources." http://www.cas.usf.edu/english/walker/mla.html (13 January, 1997). ------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.0 What is a vanity or subsidy publisher? You pay a vanity publisher to turn your manuscript into a book. There is nothing wrong with this, per se--as long as you realize that *you* are responsible for all the costs of printing and binding. The vanity publisher will not market your book, store the copies, ship the copies (other than to your address) or do anything else that a royalty publisher will do after they buy your book. (What's a royalty publisher? One who buys your book, markets it, sells lots of copies, and sends you the royalties. You do not pay them--they pay you. This is the goal for which most writers aim. Royalty publishers also place books in bookstores, get them reviewed in newspapers and magazines, send authors on book tours--things that vanity publishers never do.) Subsidy publishers fall between these two types. A subsidy publisher asks that you pay something towards the cost of printing and/or marketing your book; i.e., you subsidize some or most of the publishing costs. Subsidy publishers sometimes will market your book and perform other services, often for an additional fee. Note that many retail booksellers pay no attention to the order lists from subsidy publishers. Reviewers ignore the books sent them by subsidy publishers. Because of this, even a good faith attempt to market your book by a subsidy publisher may fail to earn any money. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.1 Are vanity/subsidy publishers legitimate? It depends. If all you want is your book printed and bound, then a vanity/subsidy publisher might suit you well (although a local printer may do the job as well or better for less money.) If your book appeals to a very narrow market and you are willing to sell it yourself then a subsidy publisher might fill the bill for you. However, small presses, regional publishing houses, and university presses often accept niche books. Self-publishing, in which you do the printing, binding, marketing, and all the other chores, also might be a viable option. Consider all the costs and the work involved carefully before deciding. Several vanity/subsidy publishers masquerade as royalty publishers. They solicit manuscripts and accept a writer's work just like the royalty publishers but their contracts require you to pay. Stay away from these companies; charging to publish a book is not illegal but duping people into paying for publication is wrong. A listing of duplicitous companies in this FAQ undoubtedly would bring lawsuits. As a general rule of thumb, if the publisher fails to mention its fees up front then run from them as fast as possible. Reputable publishers, like reputable agents, do not charge hidden fees. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.0 Do I need an agent? Markets that only accept submissions through agents: -- Mainstream fiction (not SF, romance, or mystery) -- Screenplays and teleplays (studios won't read unsolicited submissions for fear of copyright lawsuits.) Most other markets still read their own slushpiles, so you can cut out the middleman by submitting your fiction directly. If you're concerned about your ability to negotiate, you can always get an agent after you've made the sale through the slushpile. Markets agents aren't normally interested in short fiction (not enough money in it). Things agents generally won't do: -- Rewrite/edit your work (they don't have time) -- Handle several genres (e.g. romances and screenplays and cookbooks) -- Serve as a crying towel -------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.1 How do I get an agent? The easiest method: Sell your book to a publisher. Then write letters to agents, asking them if they'd like to earn their 15%. A somewhat harder method: Send the book over-the-transom to agents who are looking for new clients. A colossal waste of money: Pay somebody an up-front reading fee. There have been a very few exceptions, but 99.9 per cent of all decent agents don't charge up-front reading fees; they make their money by *selling* your book, not by reading it. [The times, they are a-changing. As the function of slushpile weeding is shifting from publisher to agent, many agents see reading fees as the only way to recoup their costs. It is still true that you should try to find an agent who doesn't charge a fee first, and that you should check the credentials of fee-demanding agents very carefully -- make sure that their major source of funds is selling writers, not reading manuscripts.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.2 How much do agents cost? Agents should not charge authors up-front fees for copying, telephone calls, et cetera; this money should come out of the agent's percentage of the gross. The standard agent's fee for fiction seems to have risen to 15 per cent. Agents' fees for screenplays are reported to have remained at 10 per cent. --------------------------------------------------------------------- End of FAQ--part 1 -- Keeper of the misc.writing FAQ and Posting Guidelines at http://www.scalar.com/mw/ and at ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/misc.writing/writing/misc-writing-guide ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/misc.writing/writing/faq/basic-info ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/misc.writing/writing/faq/organization-list and at http://www.landfield.com/faqs Posted to news.answers & misc.answers monthly and to misc.writing every Monday