FAQs for writing BBC Books
Q: What do I write in my covering letter?
A: Imagine you are sending a CV to a prospective employer. Be polite, address it to 'the Editor' or to the current editor by name (at the moment that's Justin Richards), but let your proposal speak for itself.
Telling us in the covering letter that you're a wonderful writer is pointless - we'll make up our own minds, thank you! Also avoid telling the story in the cover letter. We can get that from your synopsis.
Q: What do I write on the 'acknowledgement' stamped postcard?
A: Apart from your name and address, that's up to you - it's your postcard! (But nothing too rude, please.) We just stamp it with date of receipt and send it back.
Q: Can I send in a manuscript via e-mail?
A: Sorry, no. See the guidelines for more details.
Q: I have this wonderful idea, but it contradicts your guidelines...
A: Then please don't send it in. We get so many submissions that anything that doesn't conform to the guidelines will almost certainly not get read.
If you show us that you can't follow our guidelines, then we'll assume you won't be able to cope with the discipline of a novel. If you still think your idea is wonderful, we can discuss it in the future, once you've proved yourself.
Q: Previously I received a rejection letter pointing out where I went wrong, but this time I just received a form letter. Is my writing getting worse?
A: We realise form letters are disheartening. But you may not get comments this time as the proposal just doesn't fit and there's nothing further we can add, or it may be that the staff are simply far busier this time, so unable to spare the time to pass on comments. It doesn't necessarily reflect on your development as a writer.
Q: So if I get in touch, can you give me more feedback?
A: Sorry, no. Unfortunately, it's just not practical.
Q: It's been ages since I sent in my proposal! Why haven't you got back to me?
A: If we have received it, we will get back to you (this is why it's always a good idea to include a stamped postcard for acknowledgement of receipt). But it might take us a long time.
Work on our commissioned books does, we're afraid, have to take precedence over unsolicited manuscripts, however frustrating this is for prospective authors. If you didn't send in a postcard, you can write to us or e-mail doctorwho.books@bbc.co.uk and we'll check if the proposal has been received.
Q: I sent in an acknowledgement card, but you haven't sent it back!
A: We aim to send these back as soon as possible, but please give us a chance. BBC Worldwide is an enormous organisation, and sometimes post takes a long time to reach the Doctor Who office. We're also a very small team, and always busy!
And we've moved offices several times - if your proposal wasn't correctly addressed (Doctor Who Books, Room A3133, BBC Worldwide, Woodlands, 80 Wood Lane, London W12 0TT), it might take a while to find us. But yes, post does sometimes get lost - so always keep a copy of your manuscript just in case.
Q: I'm overseas - how do I include return postage?
A: International reply coupons are available from most post offices.
Q: I don't want to/don't think I can write a whole novel. Can you put me in touch with one of your authors so we can collaborate?
A: Sorry, no. If our authors want us to look out for a co-writer for them, they'll ask! But most either prefer working on their own, or are already in established partnerships.
Q: Your guidelines aren't clear! When you say 'double-spacing' and 'paragraphs should be indicated by a double line break', how do I indicate breaks between sections? Do you mean I have to leave a double space between words? Will you reject my proposal if I get the formatting wrong? Does the synopsis have to be double-spaced, or just the prose?
A: 'Double-spacing' means leaving a blank line after every line of text. Word-processors will do this for you - check the 'help' section of your program if you're not sure how it works. Just make it obvious where section breaks are.
Use an extra line space, or asterisks. Please use double-spacing for the entire proposal. It's unlikely we'll reject something just because you've not formatted it exactly how we've specified in our guidelines, but the guidelines are there for a reason. We do expect submissions to be presentable and easy to read. And see above: we'd like you to show us that you can follow simple instructions - otherwise how can we trust you with a novel?
Q: I have this idea - can we have a chat about it via the phone or e-mail?
A: We don't want to be unfriendly... but we have limited time, and time spent on queries like this means less time spent working on our commissioned books. If your idea conforms to the guidelines (and our standards of taste and decency), then we will be happy to consider your proposal. Even if it turns our your idea is too similar to one we have already commissioned, your plot and prose could still impress us.
Q: You don't specify a font. I've read books that say you should always type proposals in Courier, is that true?
A: Courier is fine. We have a fondness for Times and Times New Roman, but any font is acceptable as long as it's plain, clear and readable.
Q: I want to write an Eighth or Ninth Doctor book - can I see your top secret plans for the future of the range? What companions should I use?
A: Hmm... What do you think?! Don't worry if you don't know where things are going. We're more interested in seeing if you can plot well and write engaging prose. Use the current companions - at the moment, that's Fitz and Trix
Q: I know you say not to send in a whole book, but I've written it so I might as well - it'll save time if you like it, and I won't have to write a synopsis.
A: As well as costing you more in postage, there really is no point. We just don't have time to read whole unsolicited manuscripts, so we'll only look at the first chapter or two. And the synopsis is an essential part of the submission process - it's where you can prove to us that you have a good handle on your plot.
Q: Do I need to have written the whole book before sending in my sample chapter?
A: No. If accepted, your book will undoubtedly end up being extensively revised before publication, so you would almost certainly have to rewrite it all anyway. It is good to know that you are able to write 85,000 words - many prospective authors don't realise just what a commitment that is - but we do not expect you to have the rest of the book completed.
The best advice we can give to anyone who is new to the world of publishing is to treat your novel submission like a job application - because that's what it is! If you have a question, consider whether it is one you would ask a potential employer - or would you find out the answer for yourself? Be professional. Follow our guidelines, but also use your initiative. Look up technical terms in the dictionary. Check out the 'Writers and Artists Yearbook' from your local library.
Not only do you have to sell an idea to us, you also have to sell yourself as a potential employee - and remember that first impressions count for a lot! If your book is commissioned, we will be investing time and effort in you - we have to be convinced that it's worth our while. Thousands of people will be paying £5.99 a time for your book, and we have to make sure they're not wasting their money.
If you're not a regular reader of Doctor Who books, do some research. Read a selection of our recent titles to see the sort of thing we've commissioned in the past. Remember, writing publishable fiction is a skilled job. Think of the old joke: the brain surgeon tells the writer that he's going to write a novel after he retires. The writer replies that he may do a few brain operations when he has the time.
Good Luck!
