The Do’s and Don’ts of Querying
I doubt anything induces anxiety among writers more than querying. The continuous stream of rejections chip away at one’s confidence.
On the weekend, I attend an excellent presentation by the Donaghy Literary Group on the querying process. I decided to share what I heard with others. The query letter is like a resume. You may have great work experience but if your resume is poorly drafted, you may miss out on job interviews. Similarly, weak query letters put you at a huge disadvantage.
Typically, the querying process has two components – the query letter and a synopsis. How do they differ? The best way to describe it is, the query letter shows while the synopsis tells.
Purpose of a Query Letter
to get you foot in the door
stand out over the other submissions (the average agency can receive 10,000 a year)
seduce the agent to want to read more
Components of a Query Letter
personalized salutation (show that you researched to agent)
information about your book (genre, word count, title)
hook (1-2 sentences that summarize the book)
a paragraph describing the character’s, motivation and conflict and how the conflict is resolved, but don’t give away ending (100-200 words)
a writing-related bio (optional if the author is unpublished)
close
Some Do’s and Don’ts
research agents and agencies
don’t waste your time sending mass or blind emails
don’t use alternative emails, only the ones listed in the agency’s submission guidelines
always include genre, if the agent isn’t interested in your genre then you are wasting your time querying them
be clear on the genre and don’t overwhelm with too many
it’s important to include word count, if the word count is too high or low for the genre, you will get rejected
spelling and grammar are important
agents like to see comparable titles but it shouldn’t be books older than 3-5 years
highlight only major characters in query letter
the bio should be brief and limited to past published works, past agent representatives, writing contests, etc.
include social media
word of advice regarding social media, avoid politics and controversy, use your social medial only for writing
every agency has submission guidelines on the website, follow them closely
do not send anything not requested
do not mention money, make demands in query letter or raise anything that might turn off an agent
Some agents will ask that a synopsis be sent along with the query letter. The query letter is intended to be a hook to get an agent to want to read more. A synopsis is a story map of your manuscript.
Components of a Synopsis
premise – tell about world, setting, key characters
rising action of conflict – focus on conflict, what are the stakes and hurdles
climax – what the MC overcomes
character growth – walk through plot and how the characters change
resolution – in the synopsis you are expected to include the ending
Do’s and Don’ts
tell the story in your own voice
even if your manuscript is told in first person, the synopsis should be third person
be detailed, focus on what’s important
describe MC’s successes and failures
describe MC’s emotions and feelings
be sure to describe the MC’s growth
tell but don’t neglect your creativity
a synopsis is typically 1-3 pages or 500 words, agents do not have time to read longer ones
