The Writer's Connection(sm),
a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach(sm)

"The Creative Process of Writing is a
Liberating and Therapeutic Experience"

virtualwritingcoach.com
February 2005

In This Issue:

1. Preview
2. Publisher's Note
3. Writing Query Letters
4. Getting into Action

1. Preview

The Writer's Connection explores the creative process of writing and the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and actions. We are an interactive community of authors and readers who share ideas to enhance our knowledge, skills, and experiences in writing fiction in any genre, but our emphasis remains mystery and suspense thrillers.
Published monthly, the Newsletter offers writing tips for authors, coaching suggestions, editing, and marketing information.

Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton and represent only his ideas on producing your first manuscript, and are provided to the general public. Because we are an interactive community of writers, other viewpoints are welcomed and may be printed in future monthly newsletters with permission from Keith Barton.

2. Publisher's Note

February, 2005

Dear Writer's Connection Subscriber,

This month features information about query letters.

3. Writing Query Letters

Okay, you’ve finished “The Great American Novel,” your first, and you’re ready to tell the world about your new book. You’ve browsed Jeff Herman’s book, A Guide to Literary Agents and Publishers, 2005, and you’ve done your homework. You’ve narrowed your list of literary agents down to 20 based on what books and authors these agents have SUCCESSFULLY represented in the past. I mention “successful” because if you’ve never heard of the book or it was #3,567,999 on a declining list based on total sales, then why would you take the trouble to send a query letter to this person. Also check out your agent, make sure he/she belongs to the Association of Authors Representatives (AAR) and has no complaints filed against them.

First, let’s take a look at the most common mistakes first authors make when submitting a query letter.

1. They compare their style to John Grisham, David Baldacci, or another famous and familiar author. Don’t tell the agent what your writing is like; your “voice” will come out in your writing (including your query letter) and you want to be unique. Copying someone else’s style is nonsense. Who would want to have two John Grishams?

2. Check your typos; no one wants to read a manuscript if you cannot make use of the English grammar, syntax, and word usage. This one is a “no-brainer.”

3. Don’t inflate your qualifications; don’t use grandiose statements like “this is the next bestseller which will make you and me a lot of money.” This only shows your naiveté and lack of professionalism.

4. Do not use a lot of jargon and clichés. Example: This blockbuster manuscript is equally suited to the next “Lethal Weapon” movie script and is ahead of its time; or my science fiction thriller surpasses “Dune” in every respect in that the forces of good and evil are portrayed by real politicians.

5. Don’t oversell your manuscript. Again, your agent will determine marketability if you’re lucky enough for the agent to ask for the first fifty pages.

Some Dos:
1. Be succinct; no more than a one page query letter.

2. A brief quote from your manuscript to whet the agent’s appetite as long as the quote supports your reason for the agent reading your book. The quote should be compelling and entertaining. Communicate your confidence, subject matter, humor, spelling, punctuation in your query.

3. Be formal; if the agent’s name is “Kimberly,” don’t call her “Kim.”

4. Be sure to list previous writing credits even if they’re in another medium—i.e. short stories, editorial, non-fiction, and self-help book.

5. Include a short one-page bio on yourself that lists your talents, writing organizations, and other pertinent information to marketing yourself as a writer.

If you’re lucky enough to receive a response in 4-6 weeks, then you will most likely be asked to submit the first 50 pages. The final hurdle is submitting the entire manuscript and you could even lose out after this third cut. Don’t be discouraged. Any good agent will give you specific advice on why he/she cannot represent your work at this time. The more common reasons are: timing, market demand, author representation that might compete with your genre thereby diluting sales for both authors.

The most important advice I can give you is to spend much time in studying, refining, and tweaking your query letter. After spending the last year on your 300-page manuscript you don’t want to “deep six” it by impulsively writing a query that doesn’t pitch the book to sound interesting to the literary agent. They receive 200 queries a week and will only spend 30 seconds on yours. Be sure they remember you for the right reasons.


4. Getting into Action

"Getting in to Action" is a monthly feature of The Writer's Connection. In this section of our Newsletter, we will discuss action steps the writer can take to improved his/her knowledge base in writing novels.

This month's recommendations:

1. Review Jeff Herman’s “How to Write a Query Letter” in his annual guide to Literary Agents and Publishers.

2. The January, 2005,’s Writer’s Digest has an excellent article by Alex Dolan and Sabrina Moreno-Dolan on the “Query Clinic.”

3. Practice writing three query letters: good, better, best. Let a colleague read the one-page letter and ask if they would want to read more about your book.

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Contact Information

Keith Barton, Ph.D.
Voice: 281-893-1735
Fax: 281-893-1145
Web: http://www.virtualwritingcoach.com
E-Mail: keith@virtualwritingcoach.com
(c) Copyright 2003 A. Keith Barton, Ph.D.
All rights reserved.

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The Writer's Connection Mission:

The Writer's Connection is dedicated to helping first-time authors create their first manuscript for publication and to offer an exchange of ideas and opinions from our readers who might be interested in becoming authors.

The Writer's Connection™ is a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach and Keith Barton, Ph.D. and a registered trademark.

We would like The Writer's Connection to be as interactive as possible. If you have feedback, comments, topics you would like addressed, or can suggest additional resources to benefit us all, please email us at any time. Send your e-mail to
keith@virtualwritingcoach.com.

Please forward this issue to anyone you think would find The Writer's Connection interesting and beneficial. Your recommendation helps us keep growing, and ensures an excellent exchange of information and techniques.

Archives

You can read previous issues of The Writer's Connection at our archive at http://www.virtualwritingcoach.com/archive.html.

About Keith Barton, Ph.D.

Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a practicing therapist for over thirty years. He is currently enrolled in MentorCoach and is accepting new clients. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina, consultant to Fortune 500 companies in executive development, founded and managed Texas Community Living Ventures, Inc., in 1986 for providing group home services to persons with mental retardation, and for the past 13 years founded and runs a clinical practice in Northwest Houston. He writes part-time with the goal of completing one novel a year. His desire to coach others derives from his passionate interest in helping others become attuned to their creative powers of storytelling.

Dr. Barton has training in coaching, cognitive and family therapy and health psychology. He has published articles, made presentations and conducted workshops about:

Anxiety and achievement
Stress management
Self-esteem
Communication skills
Marital/relationship enrichment
Wellness issues
The relationship between psychology and spirituality

© 2003 The Virtual Writing Coach and Keith Barton.