Thanks, Context, and Publishing
Asked by Hadassah Waugh on August 19, 2020
Hi, Mr. Jenkins! Thanks for answering my question at the Office Hours session. In the last couple of questions I asked you on Ask Jerry, you asked me who my audience was. My story is a fantasy series called The Prince of WalfKlau, (working title) aimed at ten to fourteen year olds, more of a classic older children’s novel than a YA one. I’ve already finished the first book and am well on my way to finishing the second. Originally I intended these to be one book, but that would be horrendously too long. I hope that might help with my previous question about illustrations, and marketing genre.
My question today is I’ve looked at some stuff in the guild about publishing and queries, but I’m still confused about when and in what order you should send a cover letter, query, pitch, (is there a difference?) and book proposal. Do publishers mind if you’ve already written the story before you pitch it to them? I’m not sure how this works. Are there any publishers and/or agents you recommend?
Jerry's Answer
Middle-grade fiction refers to books written for readers between the ages of 8 and 12, while young adult fiction refers to books written for readers roughly between the ages of 12 and 18, so aiming at 10-14-year-olds isn't really a thing.
Here's some help with pitching: https://jerrysguild.com/perfect-pitch-how-to-write-winning-queries-and-proposals/
Publishers prefer your manuscript is written before you pitch them, especially if you're unpublished.
Look for agents in the general market here: https://bit.ly/3fRCekR
And for general market publishers here: https://amzn.to/2lNOj4e
And in the Inspirational market for agents and publishers here: https://amzn.to/35hngAI