Thoughts on a good query letter
I’m ready to write a query letter, but I don’t know what to put in it.
If someone makes that statement, I'm willing to bet they aren't ready, because when we are ready, we KNOW what goes in it. What do I mean by that? The first step to writing a good query letter is not deciding what we want to say, it's deciding what that editor wants to hear.
90% of a good query letter is good research. Are we sending it to the right person? To the right publishing house or literary agency? How do we know? For a book to be accepted it has to be in front of the right person at the right place at exactly the right time and has to be something they have a market for right then. We can be too early, too late, talking to the wrong person or house; there are more chances to be wrong than right.
What makes us think we have identified these items and are talking to the right person, place or time? Because if we have, THAT REASON IS EXACTLY WHAT THE AGENT OR EDITOR WANTS TO KNOW.
The best way to convince them we are correct that they are the right place to send our precious work is to identify readers. We need to find writers who are selling books to the same readers we think will like our work. Not people we write like, (saying we write like some well selling author is the most arrogant thing we could say) but it is OK to say we feel we write for the same readers. That's what an editor or agent wants to hear more than anything else, "these are readers I can appeal to and this is why I say that." If we make a convincing case of that in our letter, we stand a good chance of selling our product.
There are a lot of places that offer advice on how to word a good query letter, but that's the easy part; making the case I just described is where the action is. We have to keep in mind when crafting the letter that we can't count on it being read. The first sentence, therefore has the sole purpose of pulling the reader down into the letter. Make them listen to our pitch. "I'm writing to you because ***this reason*** makes me sure that you have a readership base I can sell to.”
My first paragraph following the attention getter is a compelling capsule of the story with one single purpose - to get the editor to read the attached synopsis. (That synopsis has the sole purpose of getting them to request the manuscript). The next paragraph gives brief writing credits to show I'm published and have credible sales. If a person doesn’t have such credentials yet, they shouldn’t say that, but if there’s a reason why we are the right person to write this piece, this is the place to say so and why. I wrap up by asking for the sale and saying I'd love to discuss the project with them.
Each portion of this process has a dual function, the primary role is to keep them reading and going through the letter and supporting material, the secondary role is to transmit the information that step is supposed to transmit. The second step is useless if the first step is not accomplished. If an editor or agent stays in the game and reads the entire letter and the entire synopsis, the odds are at least 90% that they will request the full manuscript. Lose them at any point and a form letter will be on the way.
So are we really ready for that letter? Do we know who it should go to and why they are the right person? The letter itself is secretarial work, the real challenge is the thought behind it. The winners are the people who do it correctly.
