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There are two sets of rules for getting published – those for unpublished writers and those for writers who already have books in print. One of the big secrets that agents, publishers and published writers don’t want you to know is that you can skip the slush pile and pitch your book with just one email.

Let’s all face the reality – agents and publishers make it harder than it needs to be for writers to submit their work. They all have their systems and submission guidelines for unsolicited book pitches. Yet no matter how closely a writer follows these guidelines the chances are that their book will end up on the slush pile. Unfortunately most books that get published don’t come from the slush pile. Agents and publishers prefer writers they know, writers with a proven track record.

This means that you as a new writer are up against it from the start.

So what’s the answer?

Fight dirty!

If you are a new writer, without an agent, you can forget about getting anywhere near the really big publishers. They are not interested in your work – so don’t even try. Instead you need to focus on agents and smaller publishers. The beauty with these people is that they are more approachable. They provide real postal addresses and more importantly, working EMAIL contacts.

So if you are going to get your work in front of the right people you need to start fighting and the place to start is with an email. Forget all the guff you have heard about not approaching publisher and agents directly. Just do it.

So here is an outline for your book pitch. The key is to keep it compact and to NOT include any attached documents. At first contact keep it simple.

Paragraph 1: This is your elevator pitch – you need just a few lines to sell your book. It is essential that these are concise and to the point. You just need to give the publisher/agent a feel for your narrative; this will give them an indication as to whether your title is something that will fit into their current list.

Paragraph 2: More details about your book. Remember to be concise and to the point you need to include the following:

• The book’s genre,
• The word count,
• An indication of the market with one or two representative titles,
• An Indication of if the book is written and if not when it will be finished,

Paragraph 3: This is about you as a writer. Include a brief biography, containing any relevant information such as previous published titles.

I absolutely want to know about you. I love pithy bios because it tells me a bit about the person behind the words. I don’t care if you’re the president of your dart club unless your book is about darts.

Behler Publications

Paragraph 4: This is a loose outline of your book’s plot – just remember to keep it brief.

Good luck – do let me know if you have any success with this approach. It has worked for me on numerous occasions.