How to Submit a Romance Manuscript for Publication

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Another way to discover which agents are dedicated to and knowledgeable about romance publishing is to check the rosters of romance conferences for attending agents. If you attend yourself, go to the seminars at which they speak, and keep track of who impresses you as competent and personable. Ideally, you want an agent who knows the romance field, whose professional ethics match yours, and with whom you will be comfortable. Conferences usually offer the opportunity for a one-on-one meeting with an agent or editor. If you have a completed manuscript and are comfortable pitching your story in person, then take advantage of these opportunities wherever you can find them.

Once you’ve determined which publisher or agent to whom you want to submit, carefully check and follow their submissions guidelines. Even though you have a completed manuscript, many publishers and agents only want to see a query first, or a partial submission. Thus, in most cases you will not be sending your entire manuscript. Instead, you’ll be sending a query letter, with or without a detailed synopsis and a partial (see below) of your manuscript. Some agents accept e-mail queries. Although in theory querying via e-mail is usually time and cost efficient; it may just add an unnecessary extra step. Ideally you want to submit a sample of your manuscript whenever possible, yet some publishers and agents will not accept an unsolicited e-mail manuscript submission. You’ll have to decide if a speedy rejection of your plot is more important than a longer-drawn-out situation that gives the agent or editor the opportunity to read your actual romance writing. A few publishers do accept e-mail manuscript submissions. But if a publisher’s submission guidelines specifically direct you not to send attachments, or not to send your manuscript either in part or in full, do not do so.

A partial manuscript submission is generally accepted to be the first 50 pages of the manuscript, along with an outline or synopsis of the whole story. Some agents only want a synopsis and the first chapter, to get a sample of your writing style. Some publishers want the first three chapters and the last chapter and synopsis. It varies. The most important element of the submissions process is to follow the guidelines. Make it easy for the editor or agent to view you as a professional with whom it would be a pleasure to work.

Finally, every physical query or manuscript submission should be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope, often called an SSAE or SAE. No publishing professional will reply if you do not enclose one. If you don’t need your manuscript returned, say so in your cover letter and simply include a business-size SSAE for a reply. If you do want your manuscript returned, then you must include sufficient postage on your SSAE and the envelope should be large enough to accommodate your manuscript. Don’t wait until you receive a rejection letter to ask for its return. Many publishers will have already shredded your submission by the time they receive your follow-up letter or e-mail.

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