How to Create the Perfect Submission

After opening submissions for the very first time and receiving over ONE HUNDRED queries (um...THANK YOU for all the support!), we've seen plenty of different formats, materials, and concepts surrounding our submission requirements and the different things they could mean. Because we want to help you have the best chance possible with your query, whether it's with Wanderlust or another agent/publisher, we wanted to share the specifics of each part of our submission process so you can craft the perfect submission for your manuscript!

Why is it important to follow submission guidelines?

The submission materials we request are what help us best get an understanding of your manuscript. Every agent/publisher will have slightly different guidelines based on what will give them the strongest understanding, so it's important to always review submission requirements with every single person you are submitting to. Missing or additional elements or not following format guidelines will be a quick no from the agent/publisher. While it may seem like a quick and easy fix on your end to resubmit, think about it this way: if you didn't take the time to carefully review the submission guidelines and include the requested materials, why would they feel motivated to take the time to review your submission? It may seem harsh, but following the guidelines and only submitting what the agent/publisher is asking for speaks volumes about the respect you have for them and their time.

What does Wanderlust request in our submissions?

We request a query letter, a 1-2 page synopsis, and the first 15 pages of your manuscript. This provides a good hook and introduction to the story, an understanding of the plot, and the chance to see the writing style and if the story interests us. These are the submission materials that work best for us, but it's so important to review submission guidelines for anyone you're submitting to.

What is a query letter?

A query letter is a chance to introduce your story and yourself as an author. This is the "hook", the part that is going to make people want to keep reading your submission. When I'm talking to my non-writer friends about what a query letter is, I describe it as a cover letter for your book. You're including the logistics, the hook, and a small introduction about yourself.

The logistics of your query include the title of your manuscript, the genre/s, the word count, your comp titles (usually 2-3), why you're submitting to this agent/publisher, and any other important information about your manuscript. It's so important to understand the genre of your manuscript and submit to publishers/agents who accept that genre; you don't want to be shifting your genre to fit an agent's tastes. It won't change how they feel about your story, and it also shows that one, you might not know enough about your genre, and two, you're not respecting the agent/publisher's time. Your word count also says a lot about how well you know your genre and goes a long way. If your word count is significantly higher than the standard word count for your genre, this could actually hurt your chances of finding an agent/publisher, especially if you're a debut author. They want to see that you've done your research and are familiar with the genre you're working in, so make sure to do the research that shows this! Your comp titles are arguably the most important part of logistics if your query. You want to include titles that are similar to your manuscript, were published in the last 3-5 years, and performed well enough to prove there is a market for it. This is where you need to be careful, though; you don't want to use massively popular comp titles like A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing, because while these titles have performed very well, it's not showing the realistic expectations for how your book could perform.

The hook of your query letter is where you'll really start to draw the agent/publisher in. You're introducing your book and building up the hype for it, but you also don't have a lot of time to do so. You're picking out the important pieces if your manuscript that showcase what it's about, who your main character is, and what sets your book apart from all the other ones out there. You don't need to reveal how it ends in your query letter, but you also want to be specific about the stakes. A generic statement like "X has to make a choice to save the world or save themselves" doesn't give someone a lot to go off of, but if you say "X has the power to save the people they love most (A, B, and C) at the cost of destroying themselves and everything they have worked for (include what they have worked for)". In a real query letter, I would know who A, B, and C are and what they mean to the main character, and I would know what the main character has been working for. This statement gives something for an agent/publisher to latch onto and understand the stakes in YOUR story.

A brief introduction to yourself should include any previous writing achievements you have (publishing, awards, certificates, etc.) and your history of writing. I also love learning a little bit about who the author is, like where they're from and things they like to do for fun. This helps me start to form a connection with the author right off the bat, especially if they're referencing things they know about me, whether it's from following Wanderlust on social media or something from our submission guidelines. This shows that you've taken the time to get to know what you can about an agent/publisher and done your research to make sure they would be a good fit for you and vice versa.

If you're looking for more resources on query letters, here are a few I recommend! None of these are written or published by Wanderlust, and all rights go to the authors of these posts.

How to Write a Query Letter That Gets Manuscript Requests | Jane Friedman

Mastering the Query Letter: Essential Tips, Format, and Examples for Book Submissions

5 Agent-Approved Query Letter Examples

What is a synopsis?

A synopsis is NOT the blurb found on the back cover of your book. The purpose of that is to build up the hype, grab readers' attention, and get them to read the book. The purpose of the synopsis is to detail everything that happens in your book, including any big reveals and plot twists. When I'm reading a synopsis, I want to know what happens in your story from start to finish, and I don't want it to end in a question about how the book ends. I want to know how the book ends by the time I finish reading a synopsis. As someone who might be interested in working with an author and publishing their manuscript, it's important for me to know the general plot and what happens, because it's a huge part of that decision. As much as I wish I could read a full manuscript for every author who submits to Wanderlust, I simply don't have that kind of time on my hands, and I don't know any agent or publisher that does. The synopsis is a way for us to review the full manuscript to see if it's something we're interested in reading, but if the synopsis is presented as more of a summary and repeating a lot of what was said in the query letter, that's not giving an agent/publisher much more than what they already have.

What should the first 15 pages look like?

The first 15 pages (or however many pages the agent/publisher requests) are crucial. You want to grab the reader's attention right away, but you don't want to jump into the action too fast. You want to introduce the character and the world while still keeping it interesting, and you only have so many pages to do this.

If your story starts with a prologue, this is included in those first 15 pages. There are a lot of arguments out there about whether a prologue helps or hurts a manuscript, and while I don't think all prologues are bad, I do think they are used a lot more than they need to be. For me, a two-page prologue from the perspective of the main villain is less likely to grab my attention than getting to meet the main character right away. I would rather meet the villain and learn more about their plan later in the story when it's more prominent, because I'm not able to attach it to anything when it's the first thing I read. Below are a few tools to use to help you determine if your prologue is necessary or not and how to make sure it's an effective piece of your manuscript. None of these are written or published by Wanderlust, and all rights go to the authors of these posts.

The Pros and Cons of Using a Prologue and When to Write One

The Controversy of the Novel Prologue: Pros and Cons for Writers — Mary Kole Editorial

The Great Debate: Should You Write a Prologue For Your Novel? — Alyssa Matesic | Professional Book and Novel Editing

Another thing to be careful about is info dumping right away. Especially in fantasy or sci-fi worlds, there is a ton of world building to do, but if you're world building in massive paragraphs one after the other, it's not going to keep a reader interested. You want your world building to be weaved throughout the plot of your manuscript and revealed when your readers have something to attach the information too. For example, when a fantasy world is being introduced and the seven regions and eleven cities in this region are all named in the first three pages, I'm overwhelmed and end up not remembering the region and city the story is currently taking place in. I would rather only learn the name of the city and the region where the story is taking place at the beginning, and the other locations can be introduced throughout the rest of the story IF they are important for readers to know at that time. I also don't need to know exactly how the entire magic system works until the magic starts being used, and even then, I can gain an understanding as more of the magic system is being used throughout the story versus the entire system being explained the second magic is used.

Your first pages should introduce your main character and the conflict without throwing readers directly into the conflict. Show your readers a little bit about who the character is, their world, their life, and just enough of the conflict to keep them interested and wanting to know more. If none of this has happened in the first fifteen pages, there's nothing that's going to keep me interested in reading, and readers will feel the same way. If you're curious to know if your opening pages are enough to grab a reader's attention, have people read them! Ask friends, family, and even find some beta readers to let you know what they think. The opinion of others' when it comes to your writing can be so, so helpful, so I encourage you to use those resources you have around you.

The Perfect Submission

Together, these three materials make up the perfect submission to Wanderlust. Like I said at the beginning, submission guidelines are different for everyone, so while this is what we request at Wanderlust, it's important to always, always, always review the submission guidelines and follow them! I hope this post helps you craft the perfect query package for your manuscript, and happy writing!