Here are a few “gimmicks” I’ve received over the years from people who mailed their book proposals to our office:
Cover letter printed on fluorescent paper
A twenty-dollar bill inside the SASE
A wooden treasure chest full of chocolate gold coins
A signed photo of basketball player Michael Jordan
A rock (in a proposal about God as our rock)
An 18″x24″ piece of artwork, on a presentation board inside a larger portfolio carrying case
Does it work? Not really. Gimmicks end up being used as writers conference fodder for what not to do. Realize that your proposal is more of a job application. You want your “résumé” to look professional and competent. A publisher is “hiring” you to do a “job” and will pay you to do it. So keep it simple.
Since email has taken over much of the submission process, the gimmicks have decreased, thankfully.
And, no, I didn’t keep the $20; it went back to the writer in their SASE, along with a rejection letter.
Fun Fridays – July 28, 2023
Yes, it was a stupid trick,
but I do not feel I blundered,
for though it was just a gimmick,
it sure was remembered,
and will live on past my books
as example of what not to do,
and will garner good many looks
from each fresh writer-crew,
and one perhaps might be inspired
to raise the bar ‘bit more,
and some agent, bored and tired,
backside dragging on the floor
will light up with sudden smile
to make the joke again worthwhile.
I received a small packet of “bath salts” to relax me before I read the proposal. This was immediately following the anthrax attacks., and maybe they really were bath salts, but I wasn’t biting.
Ha ha ha! Yikes!
It’s only because I’ve been attending conferences for years that I know not to do this kind of thing. But people who’ve never gone to a conference or taken workshops have no idea. They just want to do something to make them stand out. Maybe it’s desperation, maybe it’s trying to be creative, but they really don’t know. What’s a shame is that they may have something fabulous, but it won’t get read.
Thanks, Steve!
Yes, I do view it as an attempt to differentiate their work from the rest. Ultimately, however, it is the writing and the concept that separate it from the others in the pile.
People forget that something like that would not or could not be repeated by the agent sending to an editor!
I can just see the reaction from an editor at a major publisher receiving a bribe (I mean a thoughtful gift) from our agency. We’d never be welcome again.
Steve, I know the chocolate gold coins didn’t work, but what about Hershey’s dark chocolate nuggets with almonds?
Unfortunately, with the recent Summer heat, your delicious gift would arrive in a massive lump looking like a faux moon rock.
If your love language is “Gifts,” this might work. Thank you for a laugh.
Would 50 dollars work?
Since inflation has been at 10%, you should consider an extra zero or two on the correct side of the decimal point. But even then, please don’t.
Thanks for the laugh. I guess I’m naive because I can’t imagine why anyone would think “bribes” would help. Even if the book is humorous, this is a serious business. Would they walk into a store and offer such things. I doubt it.
Steve, as I recall, it was a $100 bill when I sent it to you.