Are you an author who has a story to tell and you wish to share it with the world? Getting your work noticed can be an agonizing task, especially when you’re an author in a crowded literary landscape. In order to get your work noticed and chosen, a well-crafted query letter can be the key to unlocking the doors of publication and putting your book in the hands of eager readers.
If you’re a seasoned writer or a debut author, a converting query letter can make all the difference when you want your work to get noticed, appreciated, read and loved. Following are a few tips on how to write a converting query letter.
- Keep it short:
Before you start writing your letter, beware that one page is more than enough. Be concise and zero in on what’s most interesting and saleable in your book and you. Your query should total 250-350 words.
Agents have a short attention span. They like to see white space in an email. It means they have less to read, and it’s easy to read, which is a good thing when their inboxes are flooded every week.
- Open with a greeting:
The very first rule of writing a good query letter is always open with a proper greeting, as in “Dear Miss Smith”. Address your query to a specific agent at a specific literary agency. Do not, under any circumstances, leave off the agent’s name. It makes it look as if you don’t care who it is that represents you.
Agents are unimpressed by greetings such as “to whom it may concern” or if the letter is addressed to the agency as a whole. It leaves a bad impression and also makes you look lazy.
- Flaunt your writing style:
Use your book’s writing style throughout the query letter. Don’t just say that your book will be funny or dramatic, show a bit of both in the query. If it’s a serious book, adopt a more serious tone in the book.
Make sure not to go overboard, remember that the query at the end of the day is a business letter.
- Hook:
Lay out your book’s hook. The hook is an intriguing statement that answers a few key questions. Such as, what’s different about this book, who’s the targeted audience and what will they gain by reading it. Write about the author’s emotional connection to their story.
Emphasize the uniqueness of their work and highlight the challenges of being noticed in the market. Create a sense of urgency and importance around the need for a well-crafted query letter. If you want help you can check out the best query letter examples to aid you in writing a better hook.
- Presentation of basic detail:
You need to spell out the basic book information in your query. Basic book information includes title, subtitle (if any), word count, genre, and target audience. Word count, genre, and comparison titles should come in a two-sentence paragraph.
In this paragraph, you can reference another author or book the agent has represented that you think aligns with your book, such as if it’s in the same genre. You can say something like, “I saw that you represented [author] and I’m excited to present my novel, which is also [genre].” The overview of your project is simply the book’s title, word count, and genre.
It is very important to have these elements in the opening paragraph of your query because the agent will want to know this information immediately. So make sure you give them that information quickly by just including it in your opening paragraph.
- Why you’re querying said agent:
Be sure to mention why you’re querying the said agent. You don’t want the agent to feel like they’re just another name. Include a sentence or two maximum, of why you’re querying that particular agent and why you think they will like your novel.
You can say it’s because they have mentioned liking your kind of book in a Twitter post. You can also reference meeting the agent at a conference or during an online pitch session, etc. Just be succinct and truthful.
- Body of the query:
Be sure to write about the plot in a very interesting and engaging way. Open with the protagonist, by their name or what makes them unique. Make sure to mention the antagonist as well, by their name or what makes them unique.
Add a couple of poignant details about the plot that will indicate a catalyst for change in the protagonist, and finally, what is at stake. Finish the body of the query with an intense hook that makes the agent race to ask for pages. Don’t go into detail about the dozens of complicated subplots and character development because the goal here is to tempt the agent to want to read more.
- Bio paragraph:
write a short bio paragraph. Briefly describe who you are and why you’re qualified to read this book. Describe your writing credits or previous novels if any.
You can also write about the writing groups to which you belong, any writing-related degrees or awards, websites, and magazines you write for, or experience that aided you in crafting this particular novel.
- Contact the agent’s clients:
You can contact the agent’s clients or former clients. Inquire about what the agent is like and what they like. Get the skinny on how they operate.
You will be paying this person through your advances and royalties. You want the best person for the job who gets you and your style.Just because an agent sells historicals doesn’t mean she likes American colonial novels. Look into their nuanced tastes.
- Proper closing paragraph:
Close the letter by thanking the agent for reading your query. The closing paragraph in the query letter is very simple and uses basic sign-off language. Writers often write exaggerated and extravagant statements at the end of the paragraph.
Writers shouldn’t make statements like these because they want to express their enthusiasm for and belief in their project. The agent already understands that you believe in your project, so you don’t want to make exaggerated comments in the closing section. After composing the first draft, be sure to re-read and edit your query letter so that it’s as polished as possible. Ensure you are putting your best foot forward.
