The Swetky Agency - Submission Method Page

Let's Get This Submission Thing Straight!

If you're an author or a screenwriter looking to get your full-length work published or produced (no short stories, short scripts, poetry, or children's picture books), we need you to answer one of three simple questions before submitting:

Clients

Are You an Agency Client? If so, then please send us a Submission Synopsis Form for your latest work from one of these two pages. For books: Submission Synopsis - Book. For scripts: Submission Synopsis - Script.

After submitting the form, please send your completed manuscript as an e-mail attachment and put REQUESTED MANUSCRIPT in the subject line. If we think we can market your new property, we'll notify you promptly. (Your existing agency contract covers all new full-length works that the agency believes are marketable, so no new agreement is required.)

If Not, Have You Been Invited To Submit? If you are not an existing Swetky Agency client but you have been invited to submit a Submission Synopsis Form and a complete manuscript by a representative of The Swetky Agency, please send us a Submission Synopsis Form from one of these two pages.

Invited

For books: Submission Synopsis - Book. For scripts:

Submission Synopsis - Script.

After submitting the form, please send your completed manuscript as an e-mail attachment and put REQUESTED MANUSCRIPT in the subject line. If we think that your work is marketable and we would like to represent you and your full-length properties, we'll notify you promptly.

Unsolicited 3

Is This an Unsolicited Query? If you are not an existing Swetky Agency client and have not been invited to submit a Submission Synopsis Form and a complete manuscript by a representative of The Swetky Agency, please send your query or proposal to Faye Swetky of The Swetky Agency via the CONTACT link at the bottom of this page. Do NOT include attachments. Place

the words, BOOK QUERY or SCRIPT QUERY, in the subject line. Include in your query a brief synopsis of the book or script along with an author's biography and any other information that you consider critical to our consideration of your submission. Do not include the complete manuscript until a representative asks you to do so.

Submission Tip: Keep your query short! Capture the essence of your work in a few sentences, as a dust-jacket copywriter would.
Make us want to see more!

If We Think We Can Sell It. If after reviewing your query we think that it might be something we can sell to a publisher or producer (or both!), we'll contact you via e-mail. At that time, only after being requested to do so by The Swetky Agency, send a detailed Submission Synopsis Form by using the appropriate link in the "Invited" section above. After submitting the form, send your completed manuscript as an e-mail attachment to The Swetky Agency at the address below. Please place REQUESTED MANUSCRIPT in the subject line.

Final Steps to Literary Representation. Only after entering into an agreement-in-principle for literary representation by The Swetky Agency, we'll e-mail you an author-agent agreement and request that you submit any additional materials required, and we'll begin marketing your accepted properties immediately.

Please note that we will notify you, as a represented client, of any substantive interest we receive in your work. We will not e-mail you when we have nothing to report, and we will not notify you of summary rejections (you've had enough of those already) or of lack of response to our promotional efforts. We will pass along pertinent publisher or producer correspondence and potentially constructive criticism, and we will e-mail you regarding any substantive reasons for rejection of your material when provided to us.

NOTE: Failure to comply with these submission policies will guarantee the automatic rejection of your material without notification. E-mail submissions only, please.

Important Notes about Formatting Books and Scripts

Always use the proper formatting for your book or script. Failure to do so will very likely cost you an opportunity to see your book published. You'll find book formatting guidelines and formatting samples here.

When formatting a script, always use conventional script formats, as endorsed by the WGA.

Here's Why To Format This Way...

Publishers and producers are used to seeing manuscripts in one format and DO NOT APPRECIATE or condone other formats. Get used to setting up your manuscripts according to preferred formatting and always use the proper formatting for your books and scripts. If you don't, you'll have one very serious strike against you from the very start!

To submit your book or script ONLY AFTER BEING REQUESTED TO DO SO or to submit an unsolicited query or proposal (or if you have any questions or problems regarding the electronic transmission of your work), please contact Faye M. Swetky via the secure CONTACT link below.