Creating a Successful Query Letter

INSIDER INSIGHT!

Creating a Successful Query Letter

(Excerpted from an article published in Writer's Digest, August 2001)

Every day, thousands of writers mail out query letters. And every day hundreds of agents and editors send back perfunctory rejections. Most editors and agents respond to good queries — they don't like rejecting writers any more than writers like to get bad news. So: What's the best way to get them to say yes? Follow three basic rules: (1) Respect their time, (2) get their attention, and (3) sell your idea (and yourself as writer) in a one-page — yes, one page! — query letter.

Respect the Agent's (or Editor's) Time

Agents and editors are busy folks. As agent Julie Hill told us, “I wish authors would be interested in how much time I do not have!” Agent Kimberly Cameron adds, “Sincerity is important. It lets us know that writers are serious about taking our time, and that means to me that they are serious about their craft."

Remember: You have less than a minute to capture an agent's or editor's attention and interest. If they have to work to try to figure out what your idea is, they won't. Be straightforward and keep in mind what they care about: a viable idea with a clear market written by someone with credibility and marketing savvy.

Do your research: Make sure the person you contact actually handles books like yours. Consult the most recent sources you can find, either in print (such as Jeff Herman's Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers and Literary Agents) or on the Internet (see the Association of Authors Representatives at www.bookwire.com/aar).
Don't pick up that phone! Most agents and editors prefer not to be contacted by phone, and generally do not return cold calls. Look at it this way: Most writers are not trained to pitch ideas convincingly on the phone. It's easy to bungle it, so put your efforts into writing a terrific query letter.
Stick to first-class mail: You might like the reassurance of a certified letter, but that could backfire. As agent Andrée Abecassis says, “Please don't make me stand in line at the post office for registered or certified mail. That exhausts me before I ever begin.” One agent confided to us that he doesn't even bother to pick up certified letters unless he knows the sender.
Check out email: Only use email if you know the agent accepts those kinds of queries. Some agents prefer email, whereas others refuse it, so be sure you know whether e-queries are okay.

Write an Attention-Getting Letter

Your query letter has only one purpose: to get the agent or editor to ask for more material. Here are our four best tips:

1. Focus on selling your book idea

For nonfiction, your letter must convey your sales hook — what agent Michael Larsen of Larsen/Pomada Agency calls “the most exciting, compelling thing that you can say that justifies the existence of your book.” A hook is short, pithy, and engaging, and clearly explains what is distinctive about you and the book and its potential in the market. One powerful agent we spoke to has this advice: “Take the strongest two lines from the pitch (what the book will do and why you are an expert) and use them in the first paragraph of the letter.”
Say what is distinctive about your book idea, but avoid claims like “the only book to . . . ” or “the first book to . . . ” You don't have to be the only or the first, you have to be different in some meaningful way. That means researching the market. As Abecassis says, “Tell me why this book is really different from all the other possible titles out there — and give me specifics, not hunches. Even if there are other competing titles, maybe you have something special to offer that will make it salable.”

2. Show that you can write.

If you're writing a memoir or autobiography, the story itself won't be enough — no matter what amazing or sad or important things have happened to you or your family. Memoir, autobiography, and fiction all require artful writing: good storytelling, an eye for detail, and a compelling narrative. Agents and editors know that people will read well-told stories or stories by or about people (like celebrities) who interest them. Make sure your query letter demonstrates a command of the craft of writing.

3. Sell Your expertise.

Editors and agents are looking for writers they can promote, particularly in nonfiction. The most highly valued authors are those who have built a sizable national platform through, for example, their writing as journalists or their work as experts or consultants. In fiction, editors and agents are looking for writers who have already published (preferably in well-regarded publications) or who have studied with leading writers or gone to schools known for excellent writing programs.

4. If you have been published, be specific.

Agents told us that that it irritates them when writers say, "I am a published author of two books" and do not provide complete information (title, publisher, copyright, year, ISBN). If you haven't been successful, or have self-published to modest success, don't hide it but don't belabor it. Focus instead on what you're doing in this new book and what you've learned that will set you up for success this time around.

Remember: Agents and editors would like to say yes more often. New projects are the lifeblood of their business. Give them all the help you can!