Rick Goldsmith

WRITING A SUBMISSION PACKAGE was a huge job in its own right. After the manuscript was finished I was faced with writing cover letters, synopsis’ and sending out a submission package to agents and publishers. I trawled the internet, Mslexia and the Writers’ and Artists Yearbook systematically sending out email cover letters or filling in electronic forms to agents. The cover letter had to be concise but contain a pitch for you book, a bio and where it would sit in the bookshop. Each agent wanted a variant on a submission package but usually the cover letter was approximately 1-page, synopsis rarely more than a page (that is between 200-400 words) and then first 5K or 10K words (or opening three chapters) of the completed novel. This last one was tough as my book had short chapters.

I had a large spreadsheet of the agents and indie publishers I contacted. I made sure they had an interest in the genre I was submitting (even though my book was slippery in that regard) and that their submission windows were open. A writer friend assiduously checked social media as some agents announced their submission windows that way. She also had the wherewithal to do the Curtis Brown writing course which offered an introduction to agents. Another friend did the agent ‘speed dating’ at a Jericho Writers writers’ conference. Neither have secured an agent or deals yet but you have to play the long game. I nudged the agents politely after a 4-8 weeks if I’d not heard back from them. In the course of this, I contacted over fifty agents and, although I managed to meet face-to-face with two agents from WM Books and had some encouraging replies, no one was interested enough to request the whole manuscript.

This part of the process was incredibly gruelling, as you can imagine. But it is vital not to take it personally. One time a totally brutal response dropped into my Inbox. In fact it was so brutal I laughed! After so many politely couched and gentle let-downs it was strangely invigorating to read. My two and half years of work discarded in a sentence! Effusive apologies followed when it was discovered the agent’s reader had sent the email to the author, not her boss.

CD Rose helped with my cover letter as did my three dedicated Zoom writer friends. As did Chat GPT. If it wasn’t for the mutual support of these writers I wouldn’t have got through it. They were kind enough to comment on my various attempts at a cover letter and synopsis. The Zoom writers were all seriously dedicated to working their own novels and their time and constructive criticism was always illuminating. It’s hard scaling a mountain without fellow travellers. I hope I gave as good as I got. I certainly tried my best to and remain grateful to them all.

So, after contacting 50+ agents, many small publishers and entering novel competitions, The Book Guild said yes. They are an indie publisher based in Leicestershire involved in traditional and and hybrid models of book publishing. They sent me a proposal and detailed their financial contribution and what they’d do, and told me what they’d like from me. I want to write more about the process of working with The Book Guild and partnership (or hybrid publishing) once I get nearer to publication but suffice to say, after getting advice from CD Rose, friend Glenn Storhaug (poetry publisher of Five Seasons Press), the Society of Authors and Jonathan Davison (at Writing West Midlands) I accepted their offer.

Once I’d signed a contract with The Guild things kicked into gear – they wanted draft blurbs, synopsis, bios, ideas for book covers, many, many things. They even asked me if I knew any celebrities or influencers that might provide quotes or help spread the news about the novel. So I duly contacted friends of friends to try and get a quote for the publicity. My wife and I screamed as we set up my author website (the one you’re looking at right now) and sighed happily when my youngest daughter, Nina offered to help her tragically inadequate father with his Insta account.

The ball was well and truly rolling.