LBF report – and how to escape the slush pile!

April 15, 2008

There is a brilliant report about the London Book Fair on Debs Carr’s blog. It’s an absolute must. There is also a link to an author’s agent query letter and synopsis. My advice is to keep your letter simple, brief and professional.

Last year, a writing magazine asked me if they could publish my query email to my agent and I shrieked “noooo!” It wasn’t simple, brief and professional! Instead, it rattled on and on, listing about ten ways in which I thought I could make the book even better and what did she think etc 🙁 Thank goodness, she ignored that part and just sent an email asking for the rest of the ms. A week later, she phoned me up, causing me to collapse onto my already-wobbly office chair.

Synopses are difficult but (I can’t remember who – drat!) advised starting your synopsis with a one-sentence summary of your book and then expand to 1-2 pages, rather than writing ten pages and having to cut. If anyone has tried this and thinks it works, please let me know!

Comments

1. On April 15th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
   Debs Says:
   

   Thanks, Phillipa.