Time for an Unschool “business” piece. Back in the day, a writer wrote her own cover material for every story. It was a necessary part of the job. Now, often agents are doing this piece. But more on that toward the end here—agents and cover material.
This is a very helpful piece. I LOATHE writing cover letters. It's so painful to have to shift into sales mode, to have to encapsulate your baby in an enticing nutshell. To even think of it in that way somehow feels cheap. Also, I can never see the forest for the trees.
Something I tried recently was asking a few beta-readers to help me with an enticing little nutshell version of my novel. It did help me shift gears. A little.
Going now to try out your suggestions on a few ms I've got longing for homes. Thanks, Alison.
I’m still pondering my novel, but I was trying to describe my prose poem “Stay in your love bubble” and came up with a better first line “family & friends will burst it.” It’s advice I give to anyone just beginning a relationship.
I've come to this useful article a little late – but better late than never. It's not something I've worried much about because I've discounted the idea of following the traditional publishing route for my fiction, at least in the short term. (After three decades in publishing, it just doesn't thrill me: I want to have a try at 'going it alone'.)
I now see how useful the exercise is in its own right, even if nobody else ever sees my 'cover letter'. This is going to be vital for my own marketing, and I can see the merit of drafting it while the MS is still fresh in my mind. You've also given me somewhere not-too-daunting to start, and for this in particular I thank you.
A first bash:
'Acheron' is a story about the joy and sorrow of first love and a fierce land.
This is a very helpful piece. I LOATHE writing cover letters. It's so painful to have to shift into sales mode, to have to encapsulate your baby in an enticing nutshell. To even think of it in that way somehow feels cheap. Also, I can never see the forest for the trees.
Something I tried recently was asking a few beta-readers to help me with an enticing little nutshell version of my novel. It did help me shift gears. A little.
Going now to try out your suggestions on a few ms I've got longing for homes. Thanks, Alison.
I’m still pondering my novel, but I was trying to describe my prose poem “Stay in your love bubble” and came up with a better first line “family & friends will burst it.” It’s advice I give to anyone just beginning a relationship.
For a submission to Syncopation Literary Journal, a journal about music and society:
The story is about a working musician who gets a chance to gig with a legend, but the date does not go as smoothly as he expected.
I've come to this useful article a little late – but better late than never. It's not something I've worried much about because I've discounted the idea of following the traditional publishing route for my fiction, at least in the short term. (After three decades in publishing, it just doesn't thrill me: I want to have a try at 'going it alone'.)
I now see how useful the exercise is in its own right, even if nobody else ever sees my 'cover letter'. This is going to be vital for my own marketing, and I can see the merit of drafting it while the MS is still fresh in my mind. You've also given me somewhere not-too-daunting to start, and for this in particular I thank you.
A first bash:
'Acheron' is a story about the joy and sorrow of first love and a fierce land.