Submitting a Fiction Novel to a Publisher, Part 3: The Author’s Questionnaire

The first part of this series examined the Query Letter. The second part looked at the synopsis. In this column, we’ll look at the Author’s Questionnaire. It helps the publisher understand a bit more about your platform, and about how you view your book. Your responses to this questionnaire will be used in preparing promotional materials.

Personal information

This part of the form will feel a bit like a resume because it will likely ask for:

• your contact information and demographics
• a list of cities where you have lived
• a list of schools you attended and the degrees you received
• other special awards or honors you’ve received
• your hobbies
• a list of your social media profile pages
• URLs of any other internet presence you have, such as a website or email newsletter
• a biography (that would be appropriate for a book back cover; you should develop a 50-word version, 100-word version, and 250-word version)

Experience as a writer

In this section you will list:

• any other books you’ve written
• magazines to which you have contributed
• any media interviews you’ve given
• any writing-related awards you’ve won
• whether you have done any public speaking related to your writing topic

This information indicates whether other organizations have felt you were a good enough writer to be published, and that you may have a following of people who look for your writing. The more you have been published by other entities, the less of a risk you might be for this publisher.

Your book

This information is supplemental to your synopsis, but also helps the publisher understand what part of the genre spectrum (and thus the likely audience) your book fits into. Questions may include:

• how you got the idea for the book
• any interesting experiences while researching, writing, or pursuing publication
• the theme of the book
• why your book is unique; how it differs from other books on the same subject; what strengths your book has; anything controversial in the content
• a list of similar books that could reasonably be considered competition
• sample marketing ideas (a two sentence summary of your book; back cover copy; a list of 10 interview questions)
• description of the target market for your book (and no, this isn’t ‘everyone’)

Marketing contacts

Another section will ask for your help in promoting the book. Do you have connections beyond friends and family? Are you a person with a readership already built? Do you have friends who are professionals in the media industry? Some publisher will reach out to these organizations for you, others simply use the information to evaluate the size of your platform. You will list things such as:

• contact details for your alumni magazine
• names of professional organizations or clubs of which you are a member
• conferences or conventions that you regularly attend
• names of bookstores where you are known
• names of hometown newspapers
• a list of any television shows, radio programs, or podcasts that would be interested in having you as a guest due to the subject of your book
• a list of people (preferably, who you are already acquainted with) who would be influential in promoting sales via an endorsement of some sort (other authors, bloggers, professional reviewers, famous individuals)

So, you can see that there is quite a bit of researching and writing that you will do after you finish your book! Please comment with any questions you have about the above information, and come back next month to learn more about describing your ideal target audience.