How To Write a Query Letter
One way you might think about how to write a query letter is as a cover letter. It has its own rules and formatting for the literary world, but essentially you are pitching your project to your potential employer. So, what are the rules? How do you start?
We literally wrote the book on this: Successful Query Letters. I reference it often in my own work! It has real-life examples from real writers like you and a whole lot of helpful notes and feedback from our founder and Executive Editor, Mary Kole.
As an overview, let’s look at a component breakdown:
How To Write a Query Letter
Personalization
Where to start? Avoid that awkward pitfall of “I am a writer and I wrote a book and I am sending it to you in hopes of future publication.”
If you’re imagining halting robot movements, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
This is where you get a chance to make yourself a real person, to stand out against the slush pile. Why are you reaching out to this publisher or agent in particular? Did you see something relatable on their Twitter account that made you think, “Wow, my novel perfectly fits that manuscript wish list for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation”? Or did one of their clients produce your strongest comp title?
Start the conversation right by establishing that human connection. Whenever possible, address the “Dear” of your letter to a real name.
Logline
Loglines are the enticing hooks on Netflix shows and book blurbs that succinctly answer the question, “What’s it about?”
They go something like this:
When [inciting incident occurs,] [character] must achieve [goal] in order to accomplish [impossible-sounding goal].
Here’s an example.
When Starr’s best friend is shot by a police officer and makes national news, she must decide whether to stay silent or speak up about what really happened … putting her own life at risk.
(The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas)
There’s some wiggle room, of course. Not every logline fits a particular formula. But for the most part, there’s a dangling question, whether implied or direct, to pique readers’ curiosity:
Identical twins living separate lives, one Black and the other passing as White, must choose between family of origin and façade. But what will happen when their daughters’ lives overlap?
(The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett)
You can also get a little more in depth in the query with an elevator pitch.
Query Meat
Besides your glowing personality and voice leaping off the page, this is where the pitching part really comes in. What plot points, characterization, and themes define your manuscript?
Unlike the book blurb for your back cover, a query letter should answer more questions than it asks.
We highly recommend revealing your ending.
Why? Because you get to show off to your potential agent not just what neat worldbuilding concept you came up with, but how you solved problems as a writer.
This is the juicy stuff. This is where you show you’ve got chops. Okay, enough on the meat analogy. You get the point.
Logistics
Manuscript logistics are things like word count, title, category, and POV. You’ll want to mention these briefly and preferably all in one place:
“[Manuscript Title] is a YA dual-POV complete at 70,000 words.”
Query logistics should reference submission guidelines and offer transparency on your querying process. If you’re barking up other trees and querying other agents, too, then let them know it’s a simultaneous submission:
“Per the submission guidelines, the first ten pages are attached. This is a simultaneous submission.”
Comparative Titles
Similar titles to yours offer some of the flavor and market viability you want for a stronger pitch. It’s a bit of a Goldilocks scenario with these, as you don’t want to go too popular, nor too obscure.
Frankly, saying you’re the next Stephen King will come across as outrageous, because you can neither promise the success of your manuscript to the level of contemporary bestsellers, nor classic examples. If there’s a strong association to be made, include a couple of lesser-known titles to balance it out.
On the other hand, if you pick niche titles that are super specific to your manuscript, you may be invoking less of an accurate sense of what you’re going for and more of a “Huh?” from an agent. Instead, try to find titles that conjure a similar atmosphere, relevant themes, compelling premise, or that snarky yet loveable middle grade voice of yours.
Basically, you want to give the agent or publisher reading your query an accurate general sense of how your manuscript acts and feels before they start reading. We tend to complicate it in our own heads, but we’re replicating that moment when we’re convincing friends to try something new:
“It’s like the snappy voice of Rebecca Coffindaffer’s Crownchasers and the forbidden romance of Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Will and the Wilds had a baby!”
Keep the baby-making colloquialisms between you and your friends and you’ve got yourself a couple of comps.
Read more about finding book comps here.
Bio
The scariest part, am I right?
While many introverted writers cringe at the thought of trying to talk about themselves, this part doesn’t need to be hard. You don’t need to retrace your writing career to childhood. You don’t even need to get into your love of dogs unless it’s relevant to your talking dog manuscript.
You can just say where you live and whether you have any relevant writing experience like degrees, anything published, SCBWI membership, etc.
When you sign off, include your name and contact information: email address, mailing address, URL, and social media.
And that’s how to write a query letter! The parts can be rearranged to some degree: like loglines, query letters don’t always fit neatly into formulas. But the components should all be there. Infuse them with your unique voice for a full, professional query letter.
Don’t forget to check out the book written by Mary Kole, Successful Query Letters. The perfect resource for all your querying needs!
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