Drafting the query and sending it out has to be one of the most talked about, most feared, and most important parts of the entire writing for traditional publication process. As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a good impression, and with so many agents not even wanting a writing sample pasted along with your query, you really have to nail it in order to even have a chance at seeking their representation.
Now what I’ll share below can be taken with a grain of salt. There are many ways to craft a successful query and this is merely one method. And I don’t have an agent. BUT, I have queried two manuscripts now, and have gotten a lot of requests and a lot of agent compliments on my query. My first manuscript was completed in November of 2010 and queried for three months. It generated 8 full requests and 6 partials. Technically it still has a full and two partials out, but I hired an independent editor to help me clean it up. My second manuscript was finished at the beginning of April and has been in query mode for a month. So far that one has resulted in 4 full requests and 4 partials.
A quick bit of advice before I jump into the nitty-gritty details–you hear it all the time, but really, make sure you’re ready to submit before you query. One agent responded to my latest query within 4 minutes, asking for my full. What if I was still revising and just sending out feelers, like I’ve seen so many people talk about doing? That agent could’ve been sitting at her desk, her interest completely piqued, wanting more of whatever genre I have (in this case, Magical Realism/Historical), and if I wasn’t ready, I could’ve wasted that opportunity. And I guarantee you I would’ve been kicking myself! 🙂
Moving on, keeping in mind the many ways of doing so, how do I choose to craft my query letter?
As with the manuscript, I think the first paragraph is key. For some people, they believe that means jumping right into the quick synopsis of their book. I take a different approach. My first paragraph is always personalized to the agent. This is only a few sentences–mine are generally four sentences here and then the transition sentence into my synop–but it’s so important! Yes, you should query widely, but agents need to know you did your homework and want to work with them for a particular reason. Also, why would you want to work with someone that could potentially be a bad fit?
I know it doesn’t feel this way, but really, an agent works for you. The best case scenario involves several agents loving your work and offering representation, and it will be up to you to choose the best candidate. You are the boss! So make sure you research your candidate pool. Look to see what genres they represent, and take special care to read interviews where they discuss their favorite genres, the ones they are most interested in, and the genres they are flooded with. If you find a match, comment on that . . . along with a particular client of theirs that you love, something in their bio that you have in common, if you follow their blog or twitter feed, or if you met them at a conference. Compliment them! Social networking has allowed us to get to know these agents–not just how many sales they’ve made, but their personality. If a particular tweet made you laugh, consider mentioning it. If you learned something valuable from one of their posts, definitely include that. Then I always end that paragraph with a transition sentence into the synopsis of my work where I state the title and genre, let them know it is complete, and give the word count.
Onto the fun part, the query synop. One paragraph? Two or three? How much info to give? Agents can be contradictory on these points, but it’s been my experience that if you give them an engaging, well-written synopsis, they’ll bite on it regardless of whether it fits their preferred method. The best advice I saw was from agent Kristin Nelson who said the synop should focus on the first thirty pages of your manuscript. The second bit of advice I’ve latched onto is to make your synop sound like jacket-copy. That is one of the best compliments I’ve gotten, and I get it quite often–even from agents who pass on my manuscript for whatever reason. Pick up a few novels off your bookshelf and see how these are worded. What parts of the story do they focus on? What elements, character, and setting details do they give? Now mimic it!
Regardless of manuscript tense or point of view, the synop is written in active, present tense, third person. And make sure you flavor it with voice. Remember, many agents don’t ask for sample pages with the query, so this could be your only chance to let them get a sense of your voice and writing style. I often take my favorite sentences that come at the key plot points I’m focusing on, and pretty much cut and paste them into the synop (changing, of course, the POV and tense if needed). Pay special care to your last line. Leave the reader wanting more, the big ‘why we should care’ punch. Again, study your favorite examples of the books on your shelves.
(For those interested, this is by far the biggest part of my personal query. And it does not follow the one, two, OR three paragraph recommended method. Although I always stick to the one page total rule, my current query synop is 306 words and is 5 paragraphs–although one is really just a one liner. And I still get compliments and requests. The point here, as with writing in general, is to know the rules and expectations so that if and when you choose to break them, you do so intentionally.)
Next, I restate the title and show where it fits into the market. Who will my manuscript appeal to, and why? Sometimes I reiterate why I queried this particular agent here, if I have something of a more personalized reason. And then I finish this section with a couple personal bio-type statements. Here is an example of mine: It is this Homeschool Mama’s second young adult novel and stands alone, though it does have sequel potential. I belong to the Houston YA/MG Writer’s Group, The YA Sisterhood, and Kappa Delta Writer, and I have a network of supportive critique partners.
The last bit is quick, stating their agency guidelines and what you’ve included with the query. An example could be: Per agency guidelines, I have pasted the first five pages of my manuscript below. Please let me know if you’d like to review the full manuscript for consideration. <–I add this, even though it is like a ‘no, duh’ for agents, just as a way to show again that it is complete (the full is ready to send) and ends with a call to action on their part. Can’t hurt. 🙂
Then I thank them for their time and include my contact info.
Question 4 U: This is how I draft my query, but there are SOO many ways to do this. How do you draft yours? Any great tips to share? AND Any great news on your own query submission journey? I love cheerleading fellow authors, so if you’ve gotten requests recently, share below and let us congratulate you!
