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[REALITY CHECK] The Quintessential Query Letter
Perfection, like beauty, is subjective.
But a few days ago, I received what has got to be one of the best query letters I have received in a long time.
I say “one of the best” because others that have ranked high on my personal list of successful query letters have all come from authors who have previously published and have developed a fan base.
There is a lot to be said by following the examples set by others with experience if you would like to do what they are doing, that is to say, get published.
I’ll give a brief outline of the parts of this query letter.
- An introduction that explains how they found out about us. In this case, they have been published in one of our anthologies, and we actually had a chance to meet at a convention.
- A brief description of the manuscript: title, short summary of the main characters, short plot summary.
- A brief summary of their publishing history and experience including titles, publishers, and professional associations to which they belong.
- A brief market analysis in relation to their manuscript and how it relates to their writing and the genre(s) they write.
- Questions for us. Since we only take queries and prefer to save the nuts and bolts until we have shown our interest in the work, any general questions they have for us is fine.
All in all, they presented a clear and concise summary of what they have to offer and why they would be a good candidate for submission and acceptance at our house.
But note what they left out: an extensive bio, reference to attached materials like excerpts or even the entire manuscript, mention of (expected) royalty rates. Going into such detail at the query stage can be taken as presumptuous.
Put all these elements together and you have a query letter that worked. I am intrigued enough to find out more, and if it all holds up, I will offer a contract. Through their query letter, this author has shown that they are professional, organized, and savvy as to what it takes to compete in their genre of choice.
Your query letter may not have all these elements to the same extent as this particular example, but you should make sure that the above information is represented in your letter. You need to show the publisher that you have done your homework.
For a basic example of a sample query letter, visit my blog at Zetta’s Desk.
©2012. Zetta Brown. If you like this post, then stop by Zetta’s Desk or any of her other blogs.
Comment
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Comment by Zetta Brown on July 20, 2012 at 7:54am -
Thanks, Vivienne. When I got serious about wanting to be published, I heard how people were frightened by "the dreaded query letter." But the more I thought about it, the more I realized there was nothing to fear.
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Comment by Zetta Brown on July 20, 2012 at 7:05am
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Hi Timothy,
Not only is it nice to get a response to a query--it's nice when they show an interest, isn't it? :)
I'll tell you what is, in my opinion, the #1 way in which authors who query let themselves down: They don't say how they discovered the publisher/editor/agent.
We WANT to know how people discover us. Did they read one of our books? Did they read an article or "liked" us on a social network? Did we meet at an event? Even if they only discovered us on a list (e.g. Writer's Market)--TELL US! Not only does it tell the publisher/editor/agent that you have done your homework, it gives important marketing information. It tells us that you've taken the time to find out about us before your approach
When we had our submission guidelines posted on our website, we also posted our sample query letter and encouraged people to say how they found out about us. I can't tell you how many queries we got that didn't include this info...or anything else that we asked for.
But then again, many authors fail to follow/read the submission guidelines of their intended publisher/editor/agent. It doesn't get any easier than that.
Sometimes, when it comes to not getting published, the author's problem is what they see in the mirror.
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Comment by Vivienne Diane Neal on July 20, 2012 at 6:53am -
Thank you for the very informataive and helpful article.
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Comment by Timothy Desmond on July 19, 2012 at 4:03pm
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This is really good. When I followed some of these same things/ guidelines in previous email qeries and pitch letters, I began to get repsonses and requests for partials and then also critiques and advice along with the rejections from editors and agents. After years of form rejections, the comments were encouraging. Later, I felt it was "huge."
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Comment by Faith Freewoman on July 19, 2012 at 1:32pm -
I've had my nose glued to a computer monitor, writing and working with some really fun and talented editing clients.
Thanks for the added info, Zetta, it sparked some great ideas!
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Comment by Zetta Brown on July 19, 2012 at 1:27pm
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Hi Faith! Where have you been hiding? :D
If you don't have a previously published track record, you can still use the elements above, but instead of a publishing history, include a brief section about your experience or knowledge, especially if what you've written relates in any way. Treat the query letter like you would a cover letter for your resume...keep it brief and to the point while highlighting the important bits that show you're worthy of getting that publishing contract.
Publishers/editors/agents want to know why you're worth the risk. If you can demonstrate that you know what you're talking about, that helps.
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Comment by Faith Freewoman on July 19, 2012 at 9:52am
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One of these days I'd love to hear your take on exactly what a writer with a less clearly defined track record should include.
Thanks for this, Zetta. It's a keeper.
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Comment by Zetta Brown on July 18, 2012 at 11:48pm
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You're welcome, LeTeisha.
There are plenty of good resources about writing good query letters. This is just my opinion going from what I've seen that works.
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Comment by LeTeisha Newton on July 18, 2012 at 4:48pm -
Thank you for posting this. Everyone needs help with querries from time to time!
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