I thought I would post them here as examples of “what to do/what not to do” for future visitors and/or for any critiques. Given that I have read plenty that there is no one right way to write a cover/submission letter I thought I would share mine that are true to my style. The letters are as straight to the point as I can be (I have read that submission letters should be no longer than a page given the fact that the agents/publishers get thousands of submissions every year and just don’t have time or energy to read more) and both the publisher and agent letters follow a similar format.
Both letters start with a professional greeting and statement of purpose then move to a description of the story. I will spend a paragraph describing the illustration styles of the dummies that I included and books that they are similar to. This is a place for me to personalize the submission by referencing popular titles or titles in their catalog that are similar to my proposal. I also make sure the recipient understands that I will let anyone else illustrate my story. Lastly, I thank the recipient for taking the time to review my work.
These letters have not been sent so I encourage any comments that you may have. I am not opposed to making these letters better.
AGENT LETTER
Dear XXX,
I am an author and illustrator seeking your representation for my children’s story Do You Want to Pet My Dragon? which is intended for the picture market. I learned of your agency in XXXXXXX.
Do You Want to Pet My Dragon? is a story about a preschool aged girl and her dragon. While taking her dragon for a walk in the park and the girl asks other children she meets if they would like to pet her dragon. The sharp teeth and claws and the long spiky tale are just a few of the reasons they all decline the girl’s invitation. One child looks past all the “dangers” and notices the dragon’s soft belly. All of a sudden the dragon doesn’t seem so dangerous.
The illustration style used in this story is similar to the Mo Willems’ Pigeon series and Lucy Cousin’s Maisy series. The limited vocabulary used in the text facilitates a repetitive pattern and promotes early word recognition. The target audience for this story is preschool aged children. I would like you to consider representing me on this project.
I have included the manuscript and a PDF dummy of the story for your review. The illustrations were created in Adobe Illustrator and so they can still be edited down to the smallest details if needed. Also, I am not opposed to letting someone else illustrate the story if you feel the illustrations are not marketable.
Thank you for taking the time to review my work. I look forward to your response. This is a simultaneous submission.
PUBLISHER LETTER
Dear XXX,
I am an author and illustrator seeking a publisher for my children’s story Lost which is intended for the picture or board book market. I learned of your publishing company in XXXXXXX.
Lost starts out simple enough with a routine trip to the store for a small boy. This is something the boy has done a hundred times before and he knows the drill. He has to follow directions; he has to be polite and helpful. If he can do all those things then he knows he will get to walk through his favorite part of the store. The boy exceeds his mother’s expectations and is rewarded with a visit to the toy aisle. In his excitement the boy forgets to keep track of his mother while he is looking at the toys. When he turns around to show his mom a toy that has caught his interest he realizes she isn’t there. The once benign store morphs into a frightening landscape filled with strange humanoids that panic the small boy. (Spoiler Alert) After a brief but panicked search the boy and the mom are reunited at the end with a special “aw” moment.
I have included the manuscript and a PDF dummy of the story for your review. The story relies heavily on the illustrations to set the mood and express the emotions of the boy who becomes lost in a store. The digital illustrations of Lost are similar to the “cut-out” style illustrations found in Lois Elhert’s Fish Eyes and Linnea Riley’s Mouse Mess. The illustrations were created in Adobe Illustrator and so they can still be edited down to the smallest details if needed. I am not opposed to letting someone else illustrate this story if you feel the illustrations are not marketable. If you like this illustration style I am available to illustrate any other stories you might have.
Thank you for taking the time to review my work. I look forward to your response. This is a simultaneous submission.
