This document provides tips for submitting manuscripts to publishers via the "slush pile." It recommends that submission letters include three key elements: the cook (information about the author), the hook (what makes the story and author unique), and the book (description of the manuscript). The letter should be personalized for each recipient, highlight the author's qualifications, pitch the story in an engaging way without giving too much away, and maintain a professional yet personable tone. Attention to small details like proofreading is important to stand out among many submissions. While facing rejection is difficult, authors should detach their self-worth from outcomes and perseverance is key to success.

1. Success through the Slush Pile
Michelle Worthington Author

2. Unsolicited Submissions
Whether you’re drafting your first ever query
letter or have written a whole bunch of cover
letters for submissions, the truth remains the
same: submitting via the slush pile can be a
daunting experience.
Remember: Each manuscript is different.
So each submission needs to be a
little different!

3. Time to get
Even when you’re querying the same
manuscript to multiple people you still need
to take the time to change your greeting and
personalization for each submission, as well as
the reason you are contacting them
specifically instead of another publisher or
agent. If you have met them at a workshop or
event, mention it (even if they wont
remember you).

4. The Cook, The Hook, The Book
A slush pile submission should contain three important parts:
the cook, the hook, and the book.

5. The Cook
- Here’s where you get to give a little bit of
information about yourself in the agent pitch
or a bio paragraph in a cover letter.
- Keep it writing relevant.
- Publications can go here, of any genre or type.
- If you belong to a writing organization, that
can go here.
- Let them know your goals as a writer

6. The Hook
- The particular life skills that make you
qualified to write this story can be a powerful
tool to slice through the slush pile.
- Show the publisher what makes you and your
book unique.
- Highlight your point of difference.
- Make them want to read more!

7. The Book
- Give your TITLE, genre, and word count.
- Let them know why you have chosen to speak
to or send the manuscript to them.
- Remember, you want the person reading your
query to want to read your manuscript. Try
not to spend so much time telling them about
your story that they might decide they’ve
heard enough.

8. Sign off with
- This last paragraph can be a good place to
mention comparable books.
- Be sure to tell them what you are sending so
they are clear.
- Let your personality shine through in your sign
off.
- Be formal but not boring.

9. Tips to Remember
so you are
Memorable
• Be sure that your pitch does not make promises
that your manuscript doesn’t deliver.
• A query letter is not a sales letter, it is a resume.
• Show the reader what you’ve got and let them
decide on its merits.
• Keep your query letter to under one page.
• Proofread your query. Reading it aloud can really
help you catch confusing wording, typos, etc.

10. Let it go

11. Submissions
- Don’t sweat it.
- Detach your success from the outcome of
each submission.
- It takes time.
- Writing your cover letter may take longer than
you think it should and that’s okay.

12. Getting traditionally published can be
tough but that’s how
writing and industry can be.

13. My Cover Letter
• My name is Michelle Worthington and I am an
international award winning author of
empowering picture books for children. I am
passionate about my career as an
international author and was recently named
as a Microsoft In Education Specialist for my
storytelling sessions all over the world with
Skype in the Classroom's author visits.

14. The Cook
• My first picture book, The Bedtime Band, was released with Wombat Books in
November 2011.The Pink Pirate was partner published by Little Steps Publishing in
July 2012 and was a finalist in the International Book Awards. Yellow Dress Day was
released by New Frontier Publishing in September 2012 and was shortlisted for the
2013 Crichton Award. It was featured at the 2014 Bologna Book Fair as an example
of Australian picture book illustration and on Australian television in the children's
show Play School. Start of the Ocean was released by Wybble in March 2013. My
first international children's picture book Each the Same was published in US and
UK by Ambassador Publishing in June 2013 and was a finalist in the 2013 USA Best
Book Awards and winner of the 2014 International Book Award for Hardcover
Picture Book Fiction. It was included in Amazon's Top 100 Picture Books for
2014. New Frontier released Hootie the Cutie in April 2014. It was the winner of
the 2015 International Book Award. Noah Chases the Wind was released by
Redleaf Press in the USA and internationally in April 2015 and was awarded a silver
Moonbeam Award and Gellet Burgess Award for Children's Literature. My Brother
Tom was published in 2015 and was awarded a Book Excellence Award in 2016.
Glitch was published by Ford Street Publishing in 2017. The Three Legged
Kangaroo From Uluru and Malibu and The Naughty Elf were published by Big Sky
Publishing in 2017. The World’s Worst Pirate was published by Little Pink Dog
Books in 2017. I am contracted to release 5 books in 2018.

15. The Cook
• My current memberships include Queensland Writers Centre,
Australian Society of Authors, SCWBI Australia, Byron Bay,Gold
Coast and Sunshine Coast Writers Centres and I hold a current
blue card to work with children. I have volunteered as a story
teller and workshop presenter as a children's author at
Queensland state, private and special schools, the Out of the
Box Festival, the Gold Coast Writers Festival, CYA festival, NSW
Kids and YA festival and the Special Children's Christmas Party.
I am also the director of Share Your Story, that conducts
workshops and seminars for aspiring authors and I am an
experienced editor and consultant in the publishing industry.

16. The Book
• Please find attached for your consideration a picture
book manuscript entitled Sophie-Sophia with a word
count of 427 words. Sophie-Sophia is so nice, her
parents named her twice, but what will she do when
she can’t make them both happy at the same time?
Written for children aged 5 to 10 years, this story is
picture driven and allows an illustrator scope to add
their own sense of style to the story.

17. The Hook
• It is a story with a strong female main
character who uses her imagination as well as
critical thinking to solve problems. She will
appeal to children who have experienced
living in two different houses after a
separation and deals with the subject of
shared custody in a child appropriate format
with a twist that kids will love reading over
and over again.

18. Sign Off
• I appreciate you taking the time out of your
busy schedule to consider my manuscript. I
have many others that I feel would also be a
great fit for your portfolio so please don't
hesitate to contact me if you would like to see
more of my work.
Kindest regards,
Michelle Worthington

19. Contact Details
• www.michelleworthington.com
My contact details are as follows:
Michelle Worthington
Home Phone 07 3206 3376
Mobile 0411803836
PO Box 5447
Alexandra Hills QLD 4161
Australia

20. Find Me
• Email address:
mworthington.author@gmail.com
• Website/Blog
http://www.michelleworthington.com
• Microsoft Educator
https://education.microsoft.com/Status/Public?token=Lg0ka2GJ
• Twitter Handle
michelle_author
• Instagram
michelle.author
• Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/michelleworthington.author