Your agent submission checklist
What all agent submissions should include. 
What a week we have for members! We’ve got no less than THREE webinars coming in the next five days, all forming part of Getting Published Month. Below, find out more about these and other help available to get your agent submission in tip-top shape before sending it out into the world. ¬†
WEBINARS: Pre-publication tips, inspiring stories and advice from huge literary agents (FREE) 
TONIGHT – join Helen Richardson for the low-down on what you should be doing to prepare for publication (before you even have an agent). Join the agents behind many of the bestsellers in today’s fiction charts on Thursday, for advice on your submission package. And set your calendar for Saturday’s Inspirational Stories webinar featuring writers who were in your very shoes not that long ago. 
This week on Jericho Writers: 
SNAPSHOT: How to write a query letter (FREE to members) 
Literary agent Laura Williams reveals what she’s looking for from a query letter and how you can ensure yours has the best chance of capturing the right kind of attention. 
BLOG: How to write a synopsis  
Condensing a whole book onto a page can be one of the most difficult things to get right in a submission. This blog explains how to do it, with an example. 
Take the Community survey for the chance to win £100! 
We’re redeveloping the Jericho Writers online community and we’d love your input. The survey only takes a few minutes and you‚Äôll be entered into a prize draw for a top prize of ¬£100 and two runners-up prizes of ¬£50 in Amazon vouchers (or your currency equivalent). ¬†¬†
Nailing your submission extract
When we talk about agent submissions, there‚Äôs often a lot of weight put on the query letter and synopsis. And it‚Äôs true that these are important… But not as important as your actual book. ¬†
Ask any literary agent what makes them excited about a submission and they’ll nearly always say “the writing”. This is great news for us, as we can be forgiven for perhaps not nailing a pitch or going slightly over the one-page synopsis limit Рprovided our writing shines.  
Nailing your extract will largely be down to you and your writing. This is the part where all those years following writing advice, knowing the market you’re writing for and finding your unique writing voice will (hopefully) pay off. But there are some things you can do to give yourself the best possible chance of having this appreciated:  
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Submit exactly what the agent asks for (check their website or AgentMatch to be sure).  
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Ensure you’re sending a standard file type that the agent will be able to view easily: .doc / .docx / .pdf. 
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Title your file with your book title and author name.  
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Don’t have too many pages before the writing starts – one title page is fine, but the agent may get frustrated having to scroll through much more.  
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Use only standard fonts, no large images and no special characters.  
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Have someone proofread your extract before sending it.  
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Have someone give you feedback on whether the opening of your book captures attention, or whether you’d be better served starting elsewhere (Jericho Writers offers this as a service if you want a professional eye).
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Check your work again yourself before sending – you only get one chance to make a first impression!  
Would you add anything to this list? What checks do you do on your submission before sending it? Sign up for free and share them in the Community here.  
Sarah J x 
Plus, don’t miss: 
Agent Submission Pack assessment (10% discount available for members)  
Getting rejected without feedback? Our expert editors can give you advice on your entire submission package to help you pinpoint what’s not working.  
Agent One-to-One sessions for March and April (10% discount available for members)  
Bag yourself a fifteen-minute call with an agent or a book doctor to talk exclusively about your work. Now booking through March and April.  
Manuscript Assessment  (10% discount available for members) 
Our most popular editorial service matches you to your dream editor and gives you tailored feedback on your work. It doesn’t get better than that. 
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