The query letter is a one-page literary masterpiece encompassing roughly 300 words designed to entice publishers and agents. It arouses emotions and sentiments about your novel, causing the reader to fall in love with it and interact with your story. With the query letter, you’re flaunting your skills by expressing your passion confidently, thoughtfully, and concisely.
The query letter presents the insufferable task of reducing your 80,000+ word masterpiece to one page. Accepting this challenge signifies the prospect of facing relentless rejection, which, for some authors, can be the most arduous part of the composition process.
Tip #1 – Understand the Four Components of Effective Query Letters
When drafting a noticeable query, your piece should include the following elements:
- The management: your novels’ genre/class, word count, title/subtitles.
- The hook: a brief but compelling description of your storyline.
- Author bio: tell them about your relevant experience, qualifications, and accolades.
- The closing: Tell them how to contact you.
Personalization or customization of the query letter is optional. We’ll plunge into that later. Seldomly literary agents and publishers necessitate mentioning parallel or competitive titles. This post hopes to assist you with inclusive scrutiny.
Limit your query letter to a solitary page, single-spaced, if printed, or in the region of 200 to 450 words for digital versions. The concise structure is key if you need more assurance; transience causes fewer issues. The more detail includes, the more lifeless your plot appears, so do your novel justice and keep it relevant.
Tip #2 – Write an Effective Opening
Hop on the good foot and open with a sturdy pitch captivating the attention of your prospective agent or publisher. We’ve listed the most popular ways to initiate a query:
- You’ve been backed by an existing client or author; you’ll want to reference the referral immediately.
- Should your material have been requested by an agent or editor, declare it off the bat.
- Most authors prefer to begin with the story, generally utilized when you haven’t set up a tailored, personalized opening for the person you’re querying.
- Beginning dictatorial is one way of getting straight to the point. For example: “(Title) is a 70,000-word provocative thriller.”
- Published or accomplished authors could open with their achievements, particularly if they earned awards or accolades or received an MFA from a renowned institute.
It’s repeatedly noted most fiction authors hardly open the query by citing themselves. One of the reasons is they’re unpublished; the other is they’re most likely promoting the story because they don’t have the luxury of referrals or seminars. In this case, it speaks for itself.
Tip #3 – Mention the Specifics
As mentioned, if you chose to, you could open with the nitty-gritty of your novel, especially if you’re unsure of the nature of structuring and writing a query letter. It’s generally a better decision to delay the novel’s title, word count, and genre to the end of the letter.
The Title
It’s best not to harp on about the title. You’ve undoubtedly selected a premium title, so there is no need to state the obvious.
The Genre
If you’re hesitant about the genre, don’t allude to it; leave it out. Literary agents love comparisons. So, if you mention your novel’s genre, draw comparisons between your manuscript and a recently published title circa the last five years. Mention similarities between the styles or tones of your books as the themes intertwine.
Don’t overdo the comparisons; two are sufficient. Choose wisely and keep the comparison accurate and brief; the more reflective the comparison, the better.
Stay humble, and don’t compare yourself to a contemporary New York Times bestselling author. You’ll portray yourself as condescending and come across as arrogant or flippant. Rather exhibit a subtle grasp of your book’s place in the literary world.
Publishers and agents examine the query letter attentively, evaluating whether you’re well-read and versed, as it’s a sure sign your book is well-written.
The Word Count
Novels generally consist of word counts of approximately 80,000 words. If you’ve embraced your inner author and compiled a 120,000-word book, get ready for a challenge, you’ve exceeded the maximum consideration by 50,000 words.
Each genre has a unique word count paradigm. Some agents may propose reserving this information until the end of the query letter. Get them intrigued by your work before you drop it on them.