Cover letter. Go for it.. Tell me good or bad

by damien Isaak
22nd February 2013

Just give it to me straight..... Would you send this out to an agent ?

Dear (Name)

I am seeking representation for a children’s fiction book entitled Jacob Jones & the order of seven: Chosen to save the modern world he is yet to learn about. The manuscript consists of 74,000 words. Full edit by author Jamie Richards. I am an animal behaviourist with a degree in psychology.

It's an ordinary Friday afternoon at the end of an ordinary school day when Jacob Jones travels home on the school bus with his good friend Ethan and his best friend Erica both of whom seem to be more excited about the forthcoming 'special' weekend than he is.

Campion Hills, where they all live is a quiet, charming village where nothing much changes except the weather and nothing much bothers them apart from the strange old lady at number 1 who watches them arrive back from school every day from her first floor bedroom window.

At home, Jacob has two loving parents and one highly irritating older sister, Lilly. He settles down in his very tidy room and considers new ways of irritating Lilly. He also contemplates the impending arrival of a day he has been doing his best not to get too excited about, his twelfth birthday. What he doesn't know is that the arrival of this important anniversary has also been carefully anticipated by people he has never even met. His young life is already in danger.

The day before his birthday Jacob notices some odd and unusual things: Animals are behaving strangely, the weather is gradually turning moodier and for some unexplained reason all the mirrors in his and in Erica's house have disappeared.

In the very early hours of Jacob's birthday, the evil begins. Ethan is found murdered in the street and the old lady is somehow involved. She reveals herself to the Jones' family and reminds Jacob's parents of the reason for this turmoil and the danger they are now all in. Jacob still doesn't know it but these circumstances will change his life forever and throw him, his family and his friends into a tumbling drum of tragedy, adversity and adventure. It will set into motion a succession of events that will affect not only his world but another; adjacent, world that as yet he knows nothing about.

The old lady escapes them through a mirror in her home to a safe house where explanations begin. Jacob learns that not only are his parents in denial of their former participation in the other world but also that the old lady is far stranger and far more powerful than he could ever have anticipated. He also discovers that he is one of the chosen 'Seven' and that he possesses a special power he has yet to detect. The old lady reveals it is now imperative that he travels to this other world.

On a train full of lost souls where only children can survive Jacob, Erica and Lilly begin their journey to the other world. They face obstacles and danger before locating a castle community protected by high walls and strange, undiscovered creatures. Inside they encounter an almost magical world of contradictions and differences. For all its magic, however Jacob discovers this is a vulnerable world, a world that has been waiting for him to arrive, a world that looks to him for its very survival.

The leader, Malakiah, explains Jacob's quest to him. He must return to his world and find the hidden Book of Order. The book that lists the identities of the other six who have been chosen to govern their world for the next seven years and whose lives are all now in danger. Malakiah explains that this will be no magical mystery tour; this will be a dangerous and secret journey where they will come up against the existing rogue order who for 21 years have refused to relinquish their power. A power that they will do anything to protect. Can Jacob succeed where all others have failed?

I started writing as a press officer for an art gallery in 2010. My first press release was for the Beetles' photographer Bill Zygmant. I held the post for one year before moving on to concentrate on my own business as a psychologist. I currently write reports to submit to my clients for court cases pending in my day-to-day employment.

Thank you for taking the time to consider representing my work. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Damien Isaak

Replies

Hi Damien..I read the letter and agree with the other...looks like synopsis with a letter entwined!!

if you use the points Damien and Elizabeth have given you, i,m sure you will be fine..good luck, you full book sounds amazing and id love to read it in full!!

kat;)

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katherine
swain
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katherine swain
23/02/2013

Damien

I didn't think you were carping about being fish slapped. (Wouldn't that make me a fishmonger?)

:-)

David

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David
Foster
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David Foster
23/02/2013

Never fired a shot Frank! ;-)

Maybe I have jumped in pretty hard. What though is the point of being "nice"?

In my own work I am absolutely fed up with English people saying "Oh! You're an author! How interesting! I'd love to read your work!' But then when I present them with a page they turn all coy and mealy-mouthed and don't want to "hurt my feelings",

AAAARGH!

Being polite, considerate and practical should, I hope, be useful. I love the American way of approaching this sort of thing. They will say (words to the effect) "Gee that's great! Show me!" Subsequently to actually reading it (not just pretending they have and exuding niceties) they will express an opinion.

I don't mind people saying that my work is crap. So long as that is their honest opinion. It's best if they can tell me why it's crap. If enough people give me the same reasons I should, eventually, get the message.

When anyone say "It's mature blah, blah blah" and don't even know the name of one character they are insulting my intelligence. Do they think that I can't tell that they haven't read enough to know even that?

No one has to act on opinions I express but if they are only going to take offence at them they shouldn't ask for them. (I don't think that anyone has done that here so far - which is good :-) )

I love the idea of getting the efusive people to pre-order ten copies!

David.

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David
Foster
270 points
Developing your craft
Short stories
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David Foster
23/02/2013