HOW TO CRAFT AN EYE-CATCHING QUERY LETTER
Great! You’ve
completed your novel! It took several
months to hammer out the plot and continuous problems for your protagonist
while streaming in scenery and ingenious dialogue. The first part of the book is explosive, the
middle is sag-free and the ending triumphs!
Now for the pitch: the query letter.
While the query letter may be one of the most toiled
phases of writing, it is necessary. Both
agents and publishers view query letters to determine if your book is right for
their clients. They also want to get a
sense of your novel’s marketability, and, let’s face it, whether it can deliver
high-end dividends. (See Fiction
Writer’s Connection on: Query Letters,
http://www.fictionwriters.com/tips-query-letters.html.)
The
first paragraph of your query letter should grab ‘em right off the bat:
This paragraph is imperative because it represents the
“first impression” of your book. It
should be no more than 50 words. Usually
query letters have three paragraphs, and are limited to one page. You are not telling the reader how wonderful
your book is, but rather, giving an overview as to what your book is about,
roughly, in a sentence. It should be
“well-thought-out,” suggests Moira Allen, from the article: How to Write a Successful Query, http://www.writing-world.com/basics/query.shtml.
What
your second paragraph should include:
This paragraph will have a broader view of your
novel, which specifies the word count; the genre, whether it is mainstream,
science fiction, erotica or historical; the main character’s name and the
essence of their dilemma, (the purpose for telling the story), and lastly, give
details pertaining to the make-up of your novel. The words in this paragraph will run
approximately 120-155 words.
Talk
about you:
The last paragraph of your query letter should wow
them as well. This is your time to list your
important writing accomplishments. If
you have not been published, don’t mention it.
Play up your completed projects. List your affiliations with writing
organizations, and any conferences/seminars you’ve attended. Bring up your connections with other
well-known writers. (LinkedIn and Facebook are excellent social Medias for
this). This is important because you
want to show you can assist in marketing your book, that you know how to get
your name out there. If you have your
bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related field, mention that. If you’ve done radio or television work, state
that as well.
Other
important tips on composing your query letter:
Ø Make
sure the spelling is correct.
Ø Keep
a copy of your query letter.
Ø For
traditional mailings, include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE), only if
you want a response back.
Ø Keep
track of your submitted query letters.
Here
are sample query letters:
Lesson:
Summarize your latest book or article in one sentence.
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