A query is a sales pitch in the form of a letter, or E-mail, to an agent or editor with the hope of gaining representation for a nonfiction book or novel-length manuscript.
For several years, I have frequented a popular writer hangout on the web. One thing I’ve noted is how many writers are so awed by agents; they worry and fret over something as simple as a query letter. They are convinced that without absolute perfection, their work will be rejected.
What writers need to understand is that agents are not carbon copies of each other. What may be ‘perfection’ to one agent won’t be for another. While agents would most likely reject a slipshod letter packed with typos and errors, they have other reasons for passing on manuscripts. These reasons may have little or nothing to do with the quality of a manuscript…or the perfection of a query.
Some of the reasons agents turn down authors are: they already have clients who write the same genre; their doctors advised them to slow down; they are taking time off to travel with their family; some of their contact editors retired, or moved on to other publishers, and until they establish new contacts, they are hesitant to take on many new clients; they receive hundreds of queries per week; they are extremely picky because an expected sale fell through, or an author turned down a sale that took weeks to negotiate; the query hook/plot resembles dozens of others seen in the past; editors have said they will no longer look at ‘I was abused as a child’ manuscripts; there is too much ‘gratuitous profanity’ in the sample pages. These are but a few possible reasons why an agent may not wish to pursue a writer’s work.
Once a writer realizes that a form letter, or hand-written rejection, from an agent is just part of the process, and not a personal sign of failure, they should be able to relax and move on to the next short batch of agents. The important thing is to keep trying. Maybe next time the timing, or genre, or nonfiction subject will be just what the agent is looking for.
There are a few things writers can do to spruce up a query. Be as concise as possible. Get right to the point in a few paragraphs and keep your letter to one page…if possible. Study the back cover blurbs on books to get an idea how to sell your manuscript with a single paragraph synopsis. The blurbs on the back covers of books are selling points. You need to do the same for your manuscript. Don’t forget to mention the genre/category and approximate word count. Include a short paragraph about your qualifications, if your work is nonfiction. For fiction, mention any workshops you’ve attended, or anything you’ve had published. Always address your letter to a person by name. The Writer’s Guide to Book Editors Publishers & Literary Agents and The Writer’s Market list the guidelines, names, and addresses of agents. To find articles and sample query letters, go to my website at www.carolkluz.homestead.com and click on Writer Resource Directory.
Above all, don’t be discouraged, or afraid to contact agents. They are looking for good writers. That’s how they stay in business. And, remember, one agent’s rejection may be another’s satisfaction.
Julie :)