Loose Change

From Treva:

You can take a look at what not to do in the first line and get a general sense of what to look for in this blog.

Specifically, if you're new  and writing a cover, here are my quick tips--

Feel confident (or at least act confident) about the genre you write in.  It would help a lot if you read that genre and know the conventions, some of the publishers, and the names, if not some of the stories, of a few of the bigger authors.

Once you have that confidence and knowledge, think about what interests you about your story and what seems to interest other readers.  If you have a story that should sell like hotcakes because you've hit key factors in (let's just say) erotic romance, tell the editor what they are.  If you don't know your market that well, and lots of authors actually don't --including me when I started out -- write what you think makes your story compelling, marketable, interesting. Oh, and don't just say you have. Give an example or two.  That works much better.

Make sure the cover is proofed thoroughly.  Don't include typos or confusing sentences.

Unless told not to, add a partial of the story -- that's what really sells it for me when I read.  Some people can't write a synopsis or cover to save their lives but the story sings.

Make sure you state how we can contact you.  Make sure you have the right address for the publisher.

Include whatever the publisher has requested for submissions.  Read the publisher's guidelines for submissions.

Use a reference book on how to write covers, synopses, etc.

And whether you get an acceptance or a rejection, take it as a learning experience.  There will be more to come.

From Margaret:

Remember, it's not AA. (Hi, I'm Green as Grass, and here's an info dump.)

You're writing a sales pitch. Give me three concise paragraphs about 1) who you are, 2) why the book's the best thing since sliced bread, and 3) how you plan to market yourself, respectively.

We don't "Buy" books. We invest in authors. We're not particularly interest in "One Hit Wonders." You first book might sell like ice in the desert, but chances are you're going to have to work to build an audience. So yes, we're looking for this book, but more than that we're looking for your next ten -- or twenty or thirty -- books. And we're willing to invest the time and energy -- and money -- it takes to help you get from new talent to established author. We love Series and Serials. But a word of warning there -- we're a little more cautious with Serials if you're not proven talent. We do NOT want to leave the readers hanging with an unfinished serial if you can't follow up on book #1. We're probably going to ask for all the books of a Serial before we accept a To Be Continued from an unpub. Cause if you flake out on us, we're going to have to answer to the rioting readers.