Hey everyone! First blog post of 2010. As promised, we'll be discussing writing query letters. It is the first part to snagging an agent once you've gotten your list of properly vetted agents together.
Query letters are one of the hardest parts about the whole writing process. You have to fit in the important parts of your novel, what makes it unique in about 200 words. Not an easy feat as one might imagine.
So here are a few tips on how to go about it. We'll discuss format and then cover three important questions to answer in a query to provide the agent/reader with an exciting hook that will make them want to read the manuscript.
So, format. That's the easy part. Remember that this is a business letter so you want to come off as professionally as you can. That means, ending the salutation with a colon, and the closing with a comma. See below for general format.
Dear [Agent Name]:
I am seeking representation for [TITLE HERE IN ALL CAPS], a XX,XXX-word (round to the nearest 1,000 words) [genre]. NOTE: This can go at the bottom of the letter, before the closing as well. Also, if you envision your book to be the first in a series, it must be able to stand alone. Generally, using language such as "is a stand alone with series potential" conveys the intended information to the agent.
Paragraphs 1 and 2 (sometimes 3) present the meat of your novel. In these paragraphs you'll want to answer three questions: 1) what does your main character want? 2) How do they plan to get it? and 3) What happens if they fail to get it (the stakes)? Once you've included thsi information, you can add other details to round it out.
The final paragraph is reserved for writing credentials. Don't worry if you don't have any. Many agents know that first time authors don't have any previous publication history. If that's the case, the solution is simple. Just don't include this paragraph.
The manuscript is available upon request. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address
Your Phone Number
Your Email
So, I thought I would share my query letter for EUTERPE'S SONG so you can get a feel for what a decent query letter looks like. Keep in mind, I had a lot of help on this letter. It went through about 9 or 10 revisions before it got to this point. Here we go.
Dear [Agent Name]:
Ten-year-old Abbie Rollands swears she doesn’t know why other kids around her break into dance or write love poems when they’re supposed to be doing long division. But when her mother sends her to see a psychologist after she is suspended from school, she knows she's in big trouble. But trouble doesn't even begin to cover it when Abbie blacks out during one of her sessions. She wakes up to find herself imprisoned in a room with no door, in the company of two unfamiliar girls.
As if that wasn’t freaky enough, Abbie and her new companions learn they are three of the Greek Muses and they’re not alone -- the entire Greek pantheon still exists all over the world, being reborn each generation. In fact, Abbie’s psychologist, Dr. Phillips, is really the Greek goddess Persephone! She plans to keep the girls locked up, using their gifts to write a play that will sow discord and heartbreak whenever it’s performed.
Abbie and her fellow Muses must learn to control their abilities and rely on their growing friendship if they are to have any chance of stopping Persephone’s plan. If they don’t, never seeing their families or homes again will be the least of their worries.
EUTERPE'S SONG, a middle grade urban fantasy complete at 35,000 words, is a stand alone with series potential. The manuscript is available upon request. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Me
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