A submission cover letter is of vital importance while sending your initial manuscript to a potential publisher. It acts as the first point of contact between you and the publisher. Your submission cover letter is the first impression of your writing abilities that an editor will have. If we call your submission cover letter as your business letter, it won't be wrong. So, a writer should give the cover letter his/her best in order to get the best deal. So how can one produce a great submission cover letter? We have gathered some tips below:

Key Features of a Perfect Submission Cover Letter 

1. A short compelling pitch: Imagine yourself on an elevator with a person whom you want to tell about your novel in the shortest possible way which persuades the person to read it. Similarly, your cover letter should be an elevator pitch which contains the core idea of your novel in a precise and attractive way.
2. One page: Remember, you cover letter should not consist of more than one page. And don’t forget to add a hook with which you can attract the reader and make them curious about the entire novel. Do add the exact word count of your novel to let the publisher know.
3. Mention your target audience: Determine the category on which the publisher has been publishing earlier. Outline a target audience and show an alignment towards the publishing vision of the publisher. Add your audience’s age group, interest and the genre of your book. Try to add two book names that can be compared to your book. This can establish direct relevance to the publisher you are sending your work to.
4. Tell about yourself: This is where you list your existing work, your future intentions about the work, your education, capabilities, and achievements regarding writing.
5. Contact details: Provide your contact details in the submission cover letter so that you can be contacted if the publisher decides to contact you for further discussion. Add your phone number, your address and most importantly your email address. 

How can I produce an impeccable submission letter?

1. Make your letter easy to read and add the above features in a simple form. Use active voice while writing and try keeping the sentences short. The standard font is Times New Roman in 12pt with a 1.5-line spacing.
2. Do not add a lengthy detail of your background or life achievements. Just a little introduction and an elevator pitch for the novel is perfect. You don’t want to irritate the editor!
3. Be concise and error-free in your cover. You can be creative in your letter but just keep in mind that it is a business proposal.
4. Read the publisher’s guidelines for submission before sending it out. If there is a request for a manuscript with your submission letter, send it along. Otherwise, you might be asked for a synopsis or the first three chapters, so keep the guidelines in mind.
5. Be formal with your language and address your cover letter by name.
6. Your submission letter should be well structured, be thankful to the editor and end the letter with your signature.

A submission cover letter is an important element for the submission of your manuscript. These cover letters are the same for every region around the world, you just need to keep an eye on the guidelines stated by the publisher.   

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