Submission
Standard Manuscript Format: What Agents Actually Expect
Every agency asks for it; almost none explains it. The rules, and the reasoning behind each one.
Articles
Things worth knowing before you send your book anywhere
Written for authors, not for search engines. Everything here is what I'd tell you if you rang me up and asked — including the parts where the answer is that you don't need to pay anybody.
Submission
Submission
Will an Agent Read a Handwritten Submission?
A straight answer to a question a lot of authors are too embarrassed to ask: no agent will read a handwritten manuscript, and here's what to do about it.
Submission
Literary Agent and Small Press Submission Guidelines: What Commonly Varies
Standard manuscript format is the default, but agents and small presses often ask for something slightly different. Here's what commonly varies, and how to find out what a specific agency wants.
Submission
Writing a Covering Letter and Synopsis: What's Actually Expected
What a covering letter and synopsis actually need to do, and the common mistakes that undersell a manuscript before an agent has read a word of it.
Submission
Common Formatting Mistakes That Make a Submission Look Amateur
The small formatting mistakes that mark a manuscript out as amateur before an agent has read a word of it
Practical
Practical
How to Photograph a Manuscript Properly
Practical, no-nonsense advice on photographing a handwritten manuscript so it can be typed accurately
Practical
Dictating Your Book Instead of Writing It
Practical advice on dictating a book rather than writing it out
Cost
Cost
What Does It Actually Cost to Get a Book Typed?
A plain-English breakdown of what it actually costs to get a handwritten or dictated manuscript typed, with real figures rather than vague ranges.
Cost
Typing Bureau vs a Specialist: What's the Difference?
What actually separates a general typing bureau from a specialist manuscript service, and which one is the right fit for a book-length project.
Cost
How Long Does It Take to Get a Manuscript Typed?
An honest answer on manuscript typing turnaround
Inherited manuscripts
Inherited manuscripts
What to Do With a Relative's Unpublished Manuscript
A practical guide for anyone who has found a handwritten or typed manuscript left by a parent or grandparent
Inherited manuscripts
Found a Handwritten Manuscript After a Death — Now What?
Gentle, practical guidance for anyone who has found a handwritten manuscript while clearing a relative's belongings
Inherited manuscripts
Who Owns the Rights to a Deceased Relative's Unpublished Writing?
A plain-English explanation of who holds copyright in an unpublished manuscript after the author's death, and why owning the physical pages isn't the same thing.
Inherited manuscripts
Preserving a Family Memoir for Future Generations: Typed vs Scanned
Whether to scan or type a family memoir for future generations
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