The writer’s query letter is an ambivalent process for most people, and for many, it is the piece of writing that receives the least time and attention. Query letters are more than a listing of introductions, author’s biography, and a thank you at the end.
A query needs structure and without it, a writer’s work may be doomed for the slush pile.
Query Letter Structure
A query letter’s purest form of structure is in its paragraphs.
A quality query letter should be three paragraphs, but not more than four.
Keep it short, concise and to the point.
Get to the Point – the First Paragraph
The first paragraph is all about the hook. Hooks should grab a reader’s interest. The first paragraph can be filled with questions, but they do not need to be answered in the letter. If the agent wants to know what happens next, they can find out in the manuscript.
Use the query to sell the work as if it was being marketed it to the reader. In a sense, the agent that is being queried is one of the book’s actually first readers.
Get on With It – the Second Paragraph
The second paragraph tells the agent or publisher who the protagonist is and gives them some idea where the story will go, what genre the story falls into, and get them wanting for more.
However, according to Noah Lukeman, literary agent, the letter writer should never use the name of characters in the letter. Much a like someone trying to familiarize themselves with characters in a book, an agent attempting to read the name of a character will face a similar problem.
Making the agent learn the name of a character will slow them down and pull them away from the letter.
The second paragraph should offer a short description of the plot, according to Lukeman.
In doing so, keep the plot paragraph to three sentences.
Hard to do, but it must be done, Lukeman said, but the longer the plot paragraph, the more damage that may be done to the query letter because it leaves the writer open to rambling and wasting time and words.
Author’s Bio – the Third Paragraph
The author’s bio shows where a writer has been published. The more quality outlets where a writer’s work has appeared, the more likely an agent will call.
If a writer does not have any credentials, there are things to do that can help, but it takes time and, good writing to work around them. However, keep this in mind if there are no (or minor) writing credits to be claimed:
- Do not list minor, local newspaper and magazine credits --it makes the writer look minor and local
- Put only relevant information in the bio
- Do not get personal – do not waste words and do not make it look like a want ad
- Do not forget the visuals – writers with book credits should put the titles of their books in all caps while people with relevant newspaper credits should italicize the name of the publication they wrote for
Wrap it up – Closing the Letter
Close the letter with something like: "I look forward to hearing from you. I'm prepared to send you the first three chapters and an outline or an entire manuscript; please let me know what you would like to see.”
According to Marg McAlister, author of Writing Query Letters, keep the last paragraph short, simple and sweet.
Make sure to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the editor or agent’s reply. If an editor responds with a yes, return the book promptly, and in the cover letter mention that the piece is being sent at their request.
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