Bennett & West
Literary Agency
BENNETT & WEST LITERARY AGENCY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES |
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| Manuscript: | Type - Double-spaced; Exceptions: Synopsis should be single-spaced. Double - double-space between scenes ONLY. Do not put: *** Put only one space after a period or comma. (Two spaces is no longer acceptable.) Use paper at least 20# weight. Be sure your ink cartridge is fresh and the type is dark. Start chapters 1/3 to 1/2 way down the page. Author's last name / key word or title in upper left hand corner of every page (Header). Page number (only the number) in upper right hand corner of every page. Type the word count (not page number) in upper left corner of first page. FONT: Use 12 point Times New Roman (preferred) or Courier throughout. A cover sheet with your full name, address, phone number, email address, title & word count. This information is mandatory when we send work to the editor. DO NOT PUT A COPYRIGHT NOTATION ANYWHERE ON THE MANUSCRIPT. |
| Don't try to be cute. | Editors and agents are extremely busy individuals and don't have time for "cute." It does not amuse them and often will cause them to put the material back in the SASE and reject it. |
| Don't "package" your material. | No binders, no fancy covers. Paper clip your material: query letter, synopsis, marketing plan, writer's bio. Send your MS loose. If this will keep you awake nights, put a rubber band around it. |
| Don't send attachments: | Without permission from the agent. |
| Don't telephone the agent: | Unless it is absolutely necessary. Keep email messages to a minimum, due to time constraints of the agent.
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| More about manuscripts: | Proofread it before you send it. Have two or three friends proofread it. To hire an editor or not to hire an editor??? This is a difficult one. If you are sure that the editor knows what he or she is doing, it's money well spent. It could mean the difference of gaining representation and/or publication or not. However, we've seen some MS that were "edited" apparently by orangutans. There is an excellent book on the market: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself into Print (2nd ed.) by Renni Browne & Dave King, HarperCollins, NY (2004). There are other excellent books (and some not so excellent) on writing and, no matter how good you think you are, studying a good book can't hurt. |
| Remember: | An agent's job is to sell your book. But she can't send it to editors with mistakes in it. |
| Click here to download a PDF of these SUBMISSION GUIDELINES | |