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. The secret to writing a successful query letter the. An overly long blurb hints to editors and agents that your book might be overly long and need tightening. A brief note about you who you are and why you wrote the book. A query letter for a nonfiction book isnt all that different from a fiction query. How to write the perfect query letter query letter example. Query letter a former literary agent and former aar member reveals how to write an agent query that gets top literary agents reading your book. Query letter sample literary agents and literary agencies. Back when i was a literary agent, i ran a word count on every query i received for a week. In this case, the firsttime author had a connection to the agent. Agentquery connect is our coolest way to help aspiring writers. Feature film options with movie studios like dreamworks. Their loyalty will always be to the author and project that already exists in their portfolio. Write it poorly and an agent will assume your book is also poorly written.
Thus, tackle writing your query letter in three steps. Below is a sample cover letter otherwise known as a query letter sent by an aspiring writer to a literary agent. The pov in your book blurb is a very subtle but important element, and the best query letter book summary will always take point of view into consideration. The query letter that literary agents love to read if youve written a book, are currently writing a book, or are even remotely interested in writing a book, then one of the things youll soon need to consider is how to tackle a query letter.
The first few times i wrote query letters my stomachache did a fandango. In a single page, the writer aims to make the editorpublisher get interested in reading or publishing the entire story. Different publishers have different submission guidelines. It must stimulate and intrigue to secure your allimportant first date. The ideal number of comp titles in a query is two or three. Yes, a query should be a professional business letter, but honestly, writing a query in the same manner as a regular cover letter is a recipe for snoozeville. Query letter basics for the childrens book market book. Whats an agent query letter hookand whats the best one to use. Whether youre writing a fiction novel or nonfiction book, youre going to need to know how to write a query letter. Five strategies for a more evocative query letter blurb.
What is the best book query letter format and email query letter format. This article is part of a series called get a literary agent. The query letter is so much of a sales piece that its quite possible to write one without having written a word of the manuscript. When submitting book queries, your letter has precious little time to grab the attention of the literary agent reading it. To write a killer query, you need a onepage letter with three basic sections or paragraphs. Queries should include the following three elements. All it requires is a firm grasp of your story premise.
Mar 21, 2016 one of the easiest ways to learn what makes a good, standard query letter is simply to see an example of one that does its job well. Strategies to help capture agents attention through your. The query letter that literary agents love to read godly. Essentially, a query letter is a way to introduce yourself and your work to a literary agent or editor. Writing a query letter can determine whether a literary agent asks to see more or sends you a cordial form letter intended to let you down easy. Successful query letters and winning examples the goal of query letter is to elicit an invitation from an agent or editor to send in sample chapters or the whole manuscript. A book contract with houghton mifflin harcourt hmh a multibook deal. You read that correctly by admin on july 29, 2014 in agents.
Getting startedcompiling a list, researching agent listings, and following submission guidelines how to recognize real agents writing the synopsis writing the query letter sending out your query letters playing the waiting game make sure your manuscript lives up to your query the psychology of querying. How to write a query letter that grabs a literary agents attention. Jul 29, 2014 since then my agent and i parted ways and i had to look for another agent. Literary agents for childrens books 20192020 use our free list of literary agents to find childrens literary agents accepting submissions for fiction and nonfiction. How to write a query letter that gets manuscript requests. Ive put them here on this page, so you can read some that worked and figure out just how to do your own. Cover letter example for fiction writers to send to agents. Start with a completely finished and polished manuscript fiction or a book proposal and 3050 sample pages nonfiction.
After all, a query letter is a way to make connections with agents and editors and garner interest in your work. Query letter how to write an irresistible agent query. We specialize in representing fiction and nonfiction for adults, young adults and. Friends of mine, old hands at the writing game, admit to still feeling a twinge of anxiety when they have to write a query. I read and recommended to my agent boss queries for fiction, non fiction, childrens, ya, howto, investigative journalism, category fiction, literary fiction, etc. Something about the book enough to make the agent want more something. This article is part of a series called successful queries. However, if youre trying to get an agent or publisher for a book or. I read over 100,000 query letters in my time in new york publishing. Sep 02, 2008 what is the best length for a query letter.
How can i tell which advice about query letters to followand ignore. A query letter is a one page letter with three concise paragraphs. Since they were all for fiction, one of my readers made a special request to include a nonfiction query, so here it is, a query. On the road to traditional publication, your query letter plays a central role in getting literary agents and publishers to notice your book. Query letter sample how to write an agent query sample query letter the query letter sample below will help you create a successful query letter of your own, so you can get a top literary agent, publisher, and book deal. Today, for the first time in any venue ever, i will be sharing that query letter, along with commentary in italics. The length of a query letter bookends literary agency. Similar to the query letter that you would write an agent, you can use a query letter to contact smaller publishers directly. You have one page and 300 words or less to woo a literary agent into falling in love with your. Actually, its rude to go over one page in a query letter, not to mention unprofessional.
In your first sentence you demonstrate you that you have researched the agent and are not just sending off query letters to any agent with a pulse. Oct 07, 2017 if youre a nonfiction author who does not yet have an agent, you can save yourself time and energy by doing what novelists do. So let me dissect this really good query letter and extoll its virtues. A query letter is a vital document for writers seeking traditional publishers or literary agents. A query letter is a onepage letter sent to literary agents in an effort to get them excited about your book. Agentquery find the agent who will find you a publisher. In this instalment, learn exactly how to write a query letter to a literary agent and find out what they really want.
The 10 dos and donts of writing a query letter writers digest. The literary agent s guide to writing a non fiction book proposal will lead you through the steps to constructing a convincing book proposal that will make the best case possible for your project. Youll close with, im currently working on a proposal. How to write a query letter that gets manuscript requests jane. This novel is the followup to the watchmaker of filigree street, which. The literary agents guide to writing a nonfiction book. In a page or two youll tantalize the agent with your idea, credibility, platform, and the market for the book. Its a free social networking site that allows our aqc members to meet and greet onlineabove and beyond the traditional message boards and writers forums. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your manuscript. How to write a query letter that grabs a literary agents. Youve done your research and know the basics of writing an excellent query letter, but what comes next. Dec 11, 2018 subscribe and follow our how to write a book series.
Today im going to break the query down into three sections to create an easy templateformat you can use to write your own query. Nonfiction is often sold on the basis of a proposal. Near the bottom of each query youll find a link to the authors website and a link to buy the book the query is for. A poorly written query letter will axe any chance you have of the agent wanting to see read your manuscript. Since they were all for fiction, one of my readers made a special request to include a nonfiction query, so here it is, a query by cynthia shapiro.
Dec 10, 2018 so if the book youre pitching is too close to one the agent represents or the publisher has published, this might actually be a liability for you. Jun 25, 2019 similar to the query letter that you would write an agent, you can use a query letter to contact smaller publishers directly. Your query letter should evoke the same tone as your novel. Query letter how to write an irresistible agent query for. Writers use these letters to pitch their ideas to editors and publishers.
Then they mail, email, or messenger the book to the publisher. Remember the old saying, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Remember, this letter is your introduction as a writer, so errors in the query are unlikely to go down well. How to write a great literary agent query letter youtube. Assuming agents dig your query letter, get intrigued by your sample, and adore your full manuscript after they request and read it what happens next. The only difference is that book agents first meet with publishers or call them on the phone, to tell them what a book is about and get permission to send it.
How to write the perfect pitch letter to an agent curtis. Learn how to write a query letter that will get an agent to request your. It features actual query letter examples to literary agents that. Youre about to make a virtual sales call, and your query letter makes the first impression. Choosing the right point of view in your query letter. Because of this, and because agents are very busy people, the writer kept the letter brief and to the point. How to write a query letter with examples of real successful. I also have an mfa in creative writing and my non fiction writing has appeared in the new. Im writing to seek representation for my first novel, talking to the dead. Publishing agents have to write query letters, too. The process of concocting a query is not nearly as difficult when you know the right formula. How to format an email query for literary agents and literary.
Ive seen a lot of query letters that worked this way. Read a sample literary agent query letter jericho writers. Query letter examples a former literary agent and former aar member discusses. But i wanted to give you a simple, straightforward set of instructions. Once you find an agent you would like to represent your book, the pitch letter is the next step in the traditional. So, how do you write an intriguing query letter, one that will leave the editor or literary agent wanting to read more. Sample query letter actual letter that landed a book deal hi name of person. You should put just as much care and attention into crafting and polishing your query as you did into your manuscript. I cant overstress how important a good query letter is. Query letter sample below reveals how you can double your chances of getting the attention of book agents and publishers. Are you struggling to write a nonfiction query letter to literary agents. A literary agent answers the question of how long can a query letter be and is 250 words too long for a query letter or is it okay to go longer.
If you read the sample query below, and check out the information sources offered in this article, you will realize there are many different ways to write a successful query letter. Let us all learn from emily conrad, who was both gracious enough to send me a good query letter and generous enough to let me use her as a guinea pig. Aug 18, 2018 make sure you have the correct phrase in the emails subject line. Its a chance to showcase your writing to the agent. The following is an actual query letter that helped author romanus wolter sell his manuscript to wiley publishing. A query letter format that makes agents take notice.
Weve gathered these samples from agency websites, agent blogs and the agentquery forums. Cynthia submitted this book to me in 2003 and i put her through hell. Some smart writers customize their comp titles in a query to reflect books represented by the literary agent theyre querying, or the publisher theyre submitting to. Query letter basics a query letter is a single page cover letter, introducing you and your book. Comp titles in a query and other questions about book comps. In order to have a book published by a traditional publisher, you will likely need to know how to write a query letter to find a literary agent a query letter is part business letter, part creative writing exercise, part introduction, part death defying leap through a flaming hoop. Post your query letter and receive indepth feedback and critiques. The definitive guide query letters are a recurring theme here since every writer needs one, and there are hundreds of posts online full of query advice. How to write a query letter agentquery find the agent who will. Query letters for childrens book fiction musings archive for april 2003.
How to write a query letter for nonfiction tck publishing. Every agent will have different pet peeves, different priorities, and different interests, but most likely every single agent who received this query was compelled to move on to at least read gia cribbss first chapters, which, by the way you can do right now in any book store or. How to write a query letter for literary agents books. Read a sample literary agent query letter with hints. Jan 17, 2020 the query letter has one purpose, and one purpose only. Therefore, the query is a sales piece, and its all about the art of seduction. A great query should not only tell an agent what your book is about, but it should also match your book s tone. This post focuses on query letters for novels, although the same advice. To help inspire you, weve collected 116 examples of successful query letters from famous authors spanning various genres, from crime fiction, to fantasy, to young adult. Sample query letter nonfiction authors association. What happens when that query letter works and an agent requests your novel. But literary agents do not have the time to read every set of sample pages they receive. Though query letters may sound straightforward, learning the ins and outs of writing a successful query letter is important for anyone hoping to break in as a writer. The query letter is a shortcut to agent access, but it still demands that you face what you may fear and resent most about writing the proposal.
List of literary agents 20192020 book agents looking. Just before we look at it, i should say that i am a real author describing a real book this letter pretends th. Successful query letters and winning examples writing. Jan 05, 2016 a query letter for a nonfiction book isnt all that different from a fiction query. Other times, you query to determine if you should write the piece, such as a nonfiction book. The magical lemon tree recipe book is a middle grade contemporary fantasy novel, complete at 56,000 words with series potential, and will appeal to fans of the truth about twinkie pie and the peculiar incident on shady street. How to write a query letter for a literary agent nathan. Agent query letters that actually worked for nonfiction. In addition to the successful query letter, youll also see the thoughts from the writers literary agent about why the letter worked. If you dont get to the meat of the book right away, your query might end up in the recycling bin. Feb 03, 2020 a query letter is an introductory letter sent to a literary agent to see if theyd be interested in representing your book and helping get it published. I originally posted this example of a good query letter back when i was a literary agent, and the lessons still apply today. In fact, some literary agents accept only query letters and request sample pages only from writers who present a strong query letter.
In addition to posting these query letter samples, we will also get to hear thoughts from the writers literary agent as to why the letter worked. Nonfiction query sample regular blog readers probably remember the queries i posted in january and if you missed them, check them out. The query letter has one purpose, and one purpose only. How to write a darn good query letter ny book editors. Literary agent scott mendels take on writing a nonfiction book proposal. In broad strokes, the two of you will discuss how the agent might help develop your book and career, and then theyll offer you representation. With loads of hints and tips on how to get your letter right you want to know what a great query letter to literary agents should look like. Writing a pitch shouldnt be too difficult after going through the steps ive outlined previously. How to write a query letter in 7 steps the reedsy blog.
Its a short letter that includes critical details about your book genre, word count, title, synopsis as well as demonstrates your awareness of the market. The author, andy ross, is a literary agent who has worked with authors and publishers in creating proposals that have led to book contracts. Most literary agents will not even consider a query letter with more than one page or front and back. Keep in mind, however, that agents and publishers wont want to cannibalize their own lists. A query letter is a way of introducing your writing to editors or literary agents and publishers. How not to write a darn good query letterdont go beyond one page. But most authors simply have wrong ideas about how to truly make their query letter get an agent s or agent s assistants attention because most of what has been previously written or told about writing an effective query letter is complete nonsense. This letter is short, sweet, and definitely to the point. So write a professional, intelligent, concise, intriguing query and not only will you entice an agent to ask for more, but youll move yourself one step closer to a book sale. How to write a query letter for a literary agent nathan bransford. It and the manuscript that went along with it generated five offers.
While query letters vary a little depending on who the agent is and their guidelines and what type of book youre writing novel, nonfiction. Sometimes writers submit a query letter about a piece theyve already writtensuch as a manuscript for a fiction novel. If you know what your book is about and you know why someone should want to read your book what benefits it will provide and why it is uniqueyou should be able to write something pithy in 50 words or less that describes your book perfectly. Youre courting an agent on behalf of your manuscript, and the query letter is your calling card. Of course the letter will sound clunky and artificial at first, but youll be able to smooth it out. When youre pitching fiction to an agent or publisher through a query letter, your ultimate goal is to get your manuscript read. Mar 10, 2009 regular blog readers probably remember the queries i posted in january and if you missed them, check them out. If you write fiction or narrative nonfiction, a query letter is your first and often, your only chance to get an agent interested in reading and, with hope, signing your work.