Cover Letter - Must include return address. Should not be longer than one page. Briefly explain why you are writing to the agent or editor in question. For instance, does he or she work with authors whose writing resembles yours? Be sure to compellingly pitch your book idea. For example: “My novel is the Latina Coldest Winter Ever.”

 

Overview - Describe your book's content and purpose in two or three paragraphs. What gap does it fill in the market, if any? For nonfiction, what need does it fulfill, or what problem does it solve? Include supporting statistics. For instance: “The fastest growing sector in the U.S. for small businesses is not only women, but Latinas.”

 

Author Biography - Focus on relevant information regarding your education, credentials, experience, awards, and achievements. Have you published any other books? If so, provide name of publisher, publication date, and--most importantly--sales for each previously published book, including those that were self-published. Did they garner positive reviews? Were book club and foreign language rights sold? Did they win awards, or appear on bestseller lists? If your work has only been published outside of the U.S., indicate the country, or countries, in which you have been published. For fiction, have your poems/essays/short stories appeared in journals or won awards? Do you have an M.F.A., and if so which program did you attend? For nonfiction, are you an acknowledged expert on your book's topic? Does your writing regularly appear in magazines, newspapers, or online? Do you have a syndicated column? A radio or television show? Do you have a popular web site/blog, and if so how many hits on average does it receive?

 

How You Will Help Sell Your Book (a.k.a. Marketing) - Selling your book is not just your publisher's job, it's also yours. Do you regularly speak at events at which the book could be sold? If you do, how many speaking engagements do you offer annually, and approximately how many people attend each event? What kind of organizations do you speak for (e.g. Fortune 500 companies, universities, non-profits, etc.)? Do you have any contacts who work in television, radio, newspapers, magazines, or the Internet? Are you willing to hire a publicist at your own expense to complement the publicity efforts of your publisher? Have you ever founded or are associated with an organization which can help promote the book? Do you have a database of clients/fans? Do you plan on buying a large quantity of books at a discount to resell? Do you have a web site? If not, will you create a web site?

 

Competition - List the books in print, preferably those that have sold well, that most resemble your book. For example, if you've written a low-fat Mexican cookbook, every other low-fat Mexican cookbook is competition. If there aren't any direct competitors, list the books in the same category that come closest. (In this case, low-fat cookbooks of other Latin cuisines.) Briefly describe how your book differs from each.

 

Specifications - Approximately how long is the final manuscript in terms of word count? For fiction, do not submit a proposal until the manuscript is complete. For nonfiction, how much time do you need to finish the manuscript? Indicate whether the book will include any special features, such as illustrations (color or b&w, photos or line art), tables, sidebars, excerpted or reprinted material, etc.

Synopsis/Outline - Should be no more than three pages in length. A synopsis is for fiction; an outline, with a brief paragraph describing each chapter, is for nonfiction. Indicate if there will be a resources section, appendix, bibliography, etc.

 

Sample Pages - Provide the first fifty pages of the manuscript. If you wrote your manuscript in Spanish, have the sample pages translated into English by a translator you trust. Do not send an entire manuscript unless the agent or editor has specifically requested you do so.

 

SASE - Always include a self-addressed stamped envelope large enough to contain the material you wish returned to you. Be sure to attach enough postage to cover all delivery costs. It is not appropriate to enclose cash or checks to cover postage.

 

Clippings - Include copies of recent clippings about you and your work, if you have any. For instance, if you were quoted in an article by a local paper, include a copy of the article. If you've ever appeared on television, network or cable, include a video. Include clippings and/or videos even if they are in Spanish.

 

Presentation - Don't use binders, covers, fasteners, etc. When agents and editors get excited about a proposal, they need to copy it and share it with colleagues as quickly as possible and fancy binding gets in the way. Save your money and use rubber bands, paper clips, and/or binder clips.