Include book cover in query letter to agent?

Question

I'm emailing a few agents about a novel I wrote. Typical query letter, attaching a summary and the first three chapters, as they request.

I happen to have commissioned a book cover for the novel, which I think looks great. Would it be a good idea to also attach this to the email?

I can think of some upsides: might make it feel more "real" to the agent; might help convey the tone of the novel; might help show commitment. But I can also think of some downsides, primarily that it's not usual practice, or might come across as arrogant.

What are your thoughts? Is this ever done? If you were or are an agent, how would you react to this?

Answer 1

I think that is a definite marketing mistake on your side by trying to sell your book that way. Nobody else does it so you would look more like an amateur.

I was an agent briefly, and would take it as 'amateur' or 'beginner'. I would scan your text submission, but it would need to be really good to get me to read it enough to make a decision. Other agents might feel differently, but overall I suspect it makes it harder to sell your manuscript.

Publishers create their own covers, and just because you like the cover you commissioned, does not mean they will. The same goes for pictures for childrens' books: they don't want yours, as they have their own artists and their own preferences for what they would want in the book.

Now, if you are trying for an agent to submit to a very small publisher, then it might be useful. What you should do in that case is check the agent/publisher's web site and do exactly what they say they want done with a submission. Any deviation will likely hurt more than help.

I would suggest that you spend no more money except on editing and then self-publish your book using your cover. Use that experience to learn all about how the publishing business works so that your next novel, which should be a lot better than the first one, will be easier to sell to an agent.