HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER TO A PUBLISHER

 

How to write a formal cover letter for your book submission

Every, and we mean EVERY, publisher asks for a cover letter when submitting your manuscript for publishing consideration - whether it's UK giants Random House, or local kingpin Tafelberg, they all want one. This many seem like a daunting task, but KREST Publishers wants tell you exactly what us publishers need out of your cover letter.

A) What is a cover letter all about?

Your cover letter is your first point of contact between you and the publisher.  Think of it as the very first thing you say to a publisher about yourself and your book. You want it to make a great impression, right?

 Here's how:

B) Key information that should go into a cover letter

First and foremost: If you are emailing a cover letter, you do not need to attach a separate document as your letter. Your cover letter is actually your main email text.

Keep your letter simple, brief, and to the point. One page (if you type it out on MS Word first) or 500 words should suffice.

About the Author

Introduce yourself by providing the following information:

  •  your full name (not a pen name)

  •  your age 

  • where you are from (this is especially important as we are South African-based and publish writers from all over the world)

  • Your current field of work

  • previous writing or publishing experiences (it is perfectly alright with us if you don't have them - we do work with a lot of first-time writers, as long as they are passionate about words!)

  • Your qualifications / field of study

  • Contact details : work or home telephone, cellphone, and email address

  • Do you currently have any readership base such as personal blogs, a Wattpad account, or 'bookstagram'.

About the book

  •   Your book title (if there is any special reason you chose this title, you may tell us.)

  •   Genre

  •  Word count: Very important as it indicates the length of the book (one book page has roughly 250-275 words)

  •  Briefly summarize the core idea or concept of the book in one or two sentences (your lengthy run-down will form part of your publisher synopsis.)

  •  Tell KREST Publishers why you think that your book is unique.  

  •  If your book has been self-published before, you don't need to feel hesitant about telling us. It is not a disadvantage at all, as we admire authors who have had the tenacity to get their books out there irrespective of outside circumstance.

  • Disclose to us if you are currently with another publisher or have been published by another publisher before. This is purely to ascertain that there is no conflict of interest and we're both not stepping on anyone's toes!

C) Formatting of the letter

  • Do not attach a separate MS Word document as your cover letter. Your cover letter is your main email body.

  • Use bolding and underlining of key words or ideas that you want to stand out.

  • It can be hard to judge the length of your cover letter on the main email body. If the letter were written on MS Word, it should not go over 500 words or 1 page.

  • It goes without saying that you should be mindful of correct spelling and grammar. (A little tip: all South African publishers use UK spelling and grammar.)

  • You may use subheadings in your cover letter, if you feel this helps you separate the information easier.  

 Just a kind reminder about the tone of your letter... KREST Publishers knows that the brand has a rather friendly disposition for the industry, but a covering letter is not quite the same as a letter to a friend. Be respectful and formal even if you know KREST Publishers personally. 

SUBMIT YOUR OWN MANUSCRIPT

If you are on this page because you have already seen our manuscript submissions guidelines and are interested, we wish you the best of luck! You may also like to see our guide on how to write a book synopsis, which is a requirement for many of the big South African publishers.

If you have stumbled upon this page because you are in the process of submitting to publishers, we do hope you will consider KREST Publishers. Visit our manuscript submissions guidelines. Good luck to you too!

Response time for manuscripts is 4-6 weeks. Every manuscript will be responded to, because this is only courtesy :)


KREST Publishers is an independent publisher based in Durban, South Africa.
Readers can purchase second-hand and brand new books at discounted prices on the online bookstore.


Article written by Sylvia Dhayalan, guest blogger


 

Comments

  1. ThePresidentJune 11, 2021 at 1:57 PM

    I've just submitted my work to you. Thank you for this comprehensive article, and I will be on the edge of my seat waiting for you!

    ReplyDelete

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