How to Write a Fantastic Query Letter
How to Write a Fantastic Query Letter
Get Literary Agents Begging to Represent You
Get Literary Agents Begging to Represent You
Okay, so maybe agents won’t beg for you. But they will at least take notice of your query letter and make the time to read it — which in the current publishing climate can be rare. But I get ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning.
What is a Query Letter?
Your query is your first line of attack — your entry point to the traditional publishing world. Editors at Big Five houses will not take un-agented submissions, so nabbing yourself an agent is the first step in your publishing journey.
Your query letter is how you get the attention of an agent.
It is your calling card, your book’s introduction. It lays out what the book is about, how long it is, why you think this agent will be a good fit for it, and tells a bit about you, the author. Remember, a good query letter will get your toe in the door — the quality of your book needs to do the rest. Note that when sending queries, you will need to follow the guidelines each agent sets out. Some will request a query only. Others will want a query and the first ten pages. Still others might want a query and the full manuscript. (This is rare.) For non-fiction, an agent may want the query plus the full book proposal. Reading and following each agent’s guidelines exactly is imperative.
But it is your query they will read first, so it all begins with writing an amazing query.
How to Write a Kick-Ass Query Letter
This is my sure-fire, three-part formula for writing a query letter that rocks. I’ll list the three parts of the query first and then go into each segment in detail.
Three Parts of a Query
Introductory paragraph
2. Two-three paragraph synopsis of story
3. One paragraph on your bio and/or qualifications to write the book
Let’s look at each in turn.
Writing Tips: Your Author Platform
Author platform. The words strike fear and trembling into the hearts of many a writer. Because, what is an author…medium.com
Introductory paragraph
Here you write why you are querying this agent. The idea is to show the agent that you’ve researched her and you’re not just scatter-shotting queries to anyone you can find that has an email address. (Yes, some people do this.)
Your reasons may include:
Another author recommended you. This is the gold standard, what every writer wants! A recommendation won’t automatically get you representation, but it will get your letter to the top of the heap.
You read the acknowledgements in one of the agent’s author’s books and your work is similar. Solid reason to query.
You saw his/her description on a writing organization’s website and thought it would be a good fit. This is how I found my agent. I belong to the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and I saw Erin’s description and what she was looking for in one of their communications. This also signals to the agent that you take your work seriously enough to invest in it through joining associations.
Your work is similar to a current title and she represents similar titles. Some agents like comparables, as in real estate.
In this introductory paragraph, you will also briefly and succinctly describe your project in terms of word count:
“My 90,000 word completed novel”
“My 30-page book proposal”
Two to three paragraph synopsis of the story
Yeah, this is the hard part. It’s like writing a mini-synopsis and writing synopses is hellish, mainly because they end up sounding so dry. And that’s because it lacks the drama of your actual story. But persevere! A couple tips:
Tell the main parts of the story, but don’t get bogged down in detail. Hit the high points!
A good way to start (even if you eventually edit this out) is to state what the character wants (example taken from my own successful query letter):
All Madeleine Miller wants is for her new Portland business, the Bonne Chance Bakery, to be a success.
Make certain you add in the emotional elements of the story. Agents want to see the connections between characters, their relationships, etc.
Limit the characters you mention by name to three or four. Any more gets confusing.
For a query, you don’t have to tell the ending. (If an agent or editor requests a synopsis, you do.) You can hint at it, by asking a question:
But in her efforts to save the bakery, will she lose herself?
And whatever you do, show the conflict of the story as much as possible!
One paragraph bio
Mention any publishing credits, no matter how obscure or tiny
Mention expertise in a field about which you are writing. For instance, one of my clients had a long career as a nurse and made her main character a nurse as well. She mentioned her nursing experience in the query.
Mention details of platform. “I regularly speak to conventions of dentists, and since the main character of my book is a dentist…” Also list social media cred, too: “I am active on Twitter and Facebook…” And if you have big numbers on any of these sites, for God’s sakes, put those in!
Detail the names of authors with whom you have studied. This is a good tactic to use if you don’t have many publishing credits.
Dealing With Uncertainty is Hard
But you must. All writers and creatives do.medium.com
A Few Tips
You can also list possible demographics. “Readers of Lee Child and Vince Flynn will be drawn to my story.”
Your query should be one page, including the salutation and sign-off, no more! (Of course, this is a bit harder for them to gauge when you are sending via email, but hold to it as best you can anyway.)
It is polite to end with, “Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.” Or a variation of those sentences.
The best sign-offs are the simplest: Sincerely, cordially, warmly, etc.
Sending it Off
You’ve done your research, and you have a submit list. So now all you have to do is get your query out the door. This can be daunting, like sending your first-born child off to school. But you can do this. Take a deep breath. And bear in mind:
Most agents these days take only email submissions, though a few hold-outs prefer snail mail only. This is a completely personal opinion, but I’d steer clear of the snail mail group. I prefer an agent who isn’t still mired in the last millennium.
If another author has recommended you, put that in the subject line! Something along the lines of, “Referral from Famous Author: Fiction Submission.”
When addressing the agent, it is best to use her or his full name, because you don’t know if she is a Mrs., or a Miss or if she likes to be referred to as Ms. And calling someone Mr. So and So just sounds weird these days. Avoid these mine fields and use the full name.
Bear in mind that many agents simply don’t respond to queries they aren’t interested in. So send yours out in batches of ten or so — but make certain you have carefully researched every name on your list!
That’s it! That’s all there is to it! Easy, right? Well, maybe not exactly. But you’ll be happy you took the effort when you enter into a relationship with the perfect literary agent.
