As the publisher/editor of Wild Hunt Books, I get lots of questions about submitting and general housekeeping. Some of this information might only be relevant to our publishing house, but generally, these answers can be applied to most agents and editors.

You wouldn’t expect it but more often than not, I receive manuscripts that are so strangely formatted that they are just about unreadable. And if that’s the case with yours, it’s a disservice to all the hard work and passion you’ve put into your book. It’s easy to format your manuscript to industry-standard (and don’t think that being kooky with your font choices or adding pictures will grab the attention of an editor; it won’t or it will for the wrong reasons). Go ahead and write your drafts however way you like! But when you’ve finalise edits and are ready to send it off for publishing consideration, it’s best to follow these guidelines.

Querying your book can be extremely stressful but as an editor for more than ten years, I often see messy submission packages more than I receive strong, engaging ones. These are a few tips to make you shine and standout.

The dreaded synopsis! How can you possibly sum up the entirety of your book in one single-spaced page? There are so many ways to write a compelling synopsis but getting there can be hard. We personally like to read clear, thrilling and spoiler-filled ones.

When reading for Wild Hunt Books, the first thing we look at is the query letter. It’s your way to introduce yourself to us and also your work. We have a fondness for succinct and clear queries that keep it to one page max but writing the letter can be so hard!