Advice From A Literary Agent on How NOT To Submit To Agents!

Many thanks to Carole Blake from the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency for providing a VERY comprehensive list on how NOT to submit to an agent. This is a fab list and  I have actually had a number 27 myself!! Maybe it was the same lady? Enjoy, plus don't forget: B2W now hosts free PDF downloads HERE and a free writing resources page HERE so you need never make any of these submission mistakes!
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1. No gimmicks. Don't send food, flowers - or anything else. Food goes straight into the bin ... just in case. I've read lots of crime fiction.

I once received a large parcel that weighed almost nothing. Inside was a rubbish bin and a letter saying the writer assumed the submission would end up there so was sending me one to speed up the process. The partial for a crime novel that was attached looked rather good. I left the bin, letter & ms on my desk. Next morning our office cleaner had removed the contents and put the rubbish bin neatly next to my desk. There was no way to contact the author despite a story on our website and some tweets ... That was the end of that.

2. Your own cover design. They almost always look very amateur. A publisher will produce a professional design that takes account of the current market. Even thinking that they might take your design marks you out as amateur.

READ MORE FROM THIS MAMMOTH LIST OF 29 SUBMISSION CLANGERS:
http://www.bang2write.com/2013/03/29-...

Carole Blake is Author of ‘From Pitch to Publication: Everything You Need To Know To Get Your Novel Published’ Pan Macmillan. Website: Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. Twitter: @caroleagent.

And here's one of those offending cover letters ... YIKES!!!