An entry in the house database

21st November 2011
Blog
1 min read
Edited
8th December 2020

All titles need basic descriptive copy for a range of purposes, from catalogue compilation and website to in-house newsletters and trade information, long before the accompanying manuscript has been delivered.

This will be loaded onto the house computer system (or database) and recycled many times.

This first piece of descriptive copy about your book will probably be drafted by your sponsoring editor, based on the information you (or your agent) submitted to the house in a bid to be published.

It should state the key selling points of both you and your book.

If you are asked to help

This is not the place for a complete biography; rather just two or three key attributes that qualify you to write the title in question are needed.

The most important thing is to ensure that this copy remains up-to-date. Database copy is drafted very early in a book’s life, and the content of the final book may change dramatically during the writing process.

By final delivery, the title, publication date and even author name may have changed. So ensure that you keep the publisher informed about what you are doing, so they are promoting the title you are now writing.

Writing stage

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