What’s That?
A few months ago we shared some tips on how to find an agent to query once you’ve written a book and are ready to seek representation. Now we’re going to delve into that next crucial step in the process: drafting a query letter. But what exactly is a query letter? Here’s a pithy definition from nybookeditors.com: “A query letter is a one-page letter sent to literary agents in an effort to get them excited about your book. You have one page and 300 words (or less) to woo a literary agent into falling in love with your story and then requesting your manuscript.”
Sounds simple enough, no?
I think of a query letter as an elevator pitch in written form. A kind of get in and get out, whetting their appetite just enough to make them think a) I want to read this book and b) I trust this story in this person’s hands.
How to Begin
Yes, writing the novel was very hard, but now you’ve moved into the marketing part of the process, where you’ll have to use both your creative mind and a dash of business acumen.
There are several bedrock parts of a good query letter (more on that in a minute), but where I generally like to start (ahem, struggle) is in the summary of your work. I know what you’re probably thinking. I just wrote hundreds of pages–how do I summarize it all in a single paragraph?! My mentor in graduate school said that if you could summarize a piece of writing succinctly, that meant it wasn’t good. I’ve learned to bend this idea a little. I think you can pull out the key aspects for a summary, but of course you will leave things out for the sake of brevity (and to avoid major spoilers!). If it’s easy to summarize, that’s questionable. But even complex things can be summarized with a little elbow grease (and caffeine…and ice cream…).
Who are the main characters and what are they seeking? What is at the book’s core? Take some time to really think about what it’s about. You’ve just spent what likely amounts to years of your life with this manuscript, but now take a step back and try to think about it objectively.
The Nuts & Bolts
Query letters are generally three paragraphs long:
- Intro
- Summary
- Bio
In the introduction, this is where query letter experts all agree you need to find a way to connect to the agent. Have you met them at a writers conference or connected with them online at any point? Do you know them through a mutual friend? (Side note: Make sure having this connection is helpful. A friend of a friend once encouraged me to query his ex-girlfriend and say that I knew him. Needless to say, I don’t think mentioning him helped…). At the very least, if you can’t find a tangible connection, make it clear that you know what they’re looking for in a manuscript right now (these needs can change, so make sure your research is current) and why you think your work fits into that mold.
This is also where you’ll want to include the word count for your novel. Know the constraints of your genre! Is there a ballpark range for how long a particular type of book should be? I remember reading once that Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight was way too long for young adult fiction, but it was plucked from the slush pile by an intern who had yet to learn this rule of thumb. Most of us will not be so lucky as Ms. Meyer, though. An agent wants to know up front just how long (or short) your book is, so don’t forget to include this part.
We already talked about the summary, but I just want to reiterate that this is probably where you’ll spend the most time brainstorming and tweaking. Your book is amazing and literally the reason for this letter, so don’t give this part short shrift!
The last paragraph is where you’ll provide a very succinct biography, highlighting any relevant accolades you may have. Don’t get too in the weeds here, naming every last magazine your work has ever appeared in. Stick to one or two publications, but definitely touch on any writing-related awards you’ve won or been nominated for. The point is to leave the agent with a good feeling about your writing prowess.
Other Things to Consider
Many people will advise you to include “comps” in your letter. What other books (or sometimes film and TV) could you compare your manuscript to? “It’s The Handmaid’s Tale meets Interview with a Vampire” or “The Hunger Games” and Bridget Jones“. Whatever your niche is, linking it to other successful books is going to make it that much easier for an agent to understand what it is and how to sell it. Or at least, that’s what they say. I’m terrible at comps (maybe because I’m a self-important millennial who thinks what I’ve written is a stand-alone work–ha!), so I have yet to successfully pull them off, but I do think they can be helpful.
If you want to keep the querying process going at a good clip and can’t abide the thought of response limbo, you could include some lines at the end, such as, “Please note that this is on a multiple submission. However, if you are interested in reading the completed manuscript, I will be happy to give you exclusivity for six weeks.” I always feel a little icky saying this, but you know what? It’s your book and your time, so if you want to try to nudge responses along, this is one potential way (or maybe some agents just laugh when they see this. Hmmm).
Have a Party
But seriously. When I started writing my first query letter years ago, I was daunted by the process, so I threw a little get together for my writing friends and called it “Query Letters and Q Foods”. Everyone had to bring a query draft and a food that started with q (If I recall correctly, quinoa, quiche, and quince made appearances). We ate and helped each other revise and polish our letters, and it made the experience a lot less arduous and solitary. Writing communities are the best!
We hope you found this guide helpful. Are there other questions you have about this process? Feel free to drop us a comment here or on our socials: Twitter, Instagram, and/or Facebook.. And if we don’t know the answer, we will ask someone who does!
Happy querying!