You’ve written a great book that you know the public will love. However, in order to get your manuscript published by a publishing house, you need to first get them to read it. This is where writing a strong query letter comes into play. Our guide will show you how to format your query letter to give you a fighting chance at getting published.
Why you need a query letter in the first place
Look, we know you have a great book. But publishers don’t. In order to get their attention, you must write a query letter that inspires the publisher or agent to want more from you. Think about it from their perspective. They are in business to make money. Your book has to make them money. The query letter is essentially your sales-pitch.
Writer’s Digest has a good article on what to do and what not to do when writing a query letter. Click here.
What publishing agents are looking for
Publishers are very busy professionals. They only have a few moments to skim your letter and make a decision before moving on to the next author’s query letter.
What agents are looking for is:
- The book is finished and ready to go.
- Your book is in a genre that they represent. This is very important! Do your research ahead of time!
- The book fits their style of books. Are they into scary vampire horror or silly ghost stories that make you laugh? Be sure you are pitching the right story to the right agent.
- Your book sounds like a compelling story that folks will want to read.
- You show professionalism in your writing.
How to get the agent’s attention
The most important thing you can do is personalize your opening. Spell their name correctly. Did you meet them at a literary event or book faire? Did you speak to them? Is your book similar to others they have published or represented? Make sure that you state such in your query letter.
How to show your book is a good read
I know it is difficult to narrow your book down to a few sentences, but it is of great importance. Make sure that you use only specific, essential details, make it clear that your protagonist is compelling, and make sure their story is clear.
Never do a cut-and-paste job when trying to sell your book. It’s obvious to professionals and it makes you come across as an amateur. Don’t use generic tropes like “romantic story about heartbreak and new-found love”. Avoid such things as “exciting page-turner” or “awe-inspiring”. The agent or publisher will be the judge of that!
How to format your query letter properly
Describing your book in a single page query letter is difficult. However, you can do it! There is a standard format you may follow.
Section one should inform the agent that you know who they are, whether you met them previously at an engagement, that you targeted them for a reason, and that you are not simply blasting your query letter to every agent you found online.
Section two is where you summarize the story in one paragraph. This may seem daunting, but it really isn’t. Be specific so the agent knows who and what the book is about. Your goal is to encourage them to want to read more.
Section three should provide the agent with the length of the manuscript, whether they have exclusivity and for how long, and how the agent may contact you. Exclusivity is not necessary in many cases. It typically is used when an already established author wants to change agent representation.
The last section should be your closing comment. Something simple as “Sincerely” or “Thank you for your consideration” is fine.
Have you been successful with your query letters and have gotten published? Share your experiences by commenting below! Your fellow writers would love to know.
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