Query letter clinic

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Vision of a Crow

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I am somewhat new here but my desire was to find insight into query letters as a start. I have already finished my book and am about to approach agents or publishers.

I know that there is a query letter thread around somewhere but i simply cannot seem to find it.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thank you.

Vision
 

L.C. Blackwell

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Please note that before posting your work in any SYW section, you need 50 posts. Don't rush to get them, either. This is a very good time to read, get to know the people here, and read some more.

When you do have fifty posts--and you can get them by commenting on other people's queries too!--please read the Stickies at the top of the Query Letter Hell page. The query letter area is called Hell for a reason. New members who rush to get there are sometimes overwhelmed, either by conflicting opinions, or a frank shredding of their query when they'd hoped to get by with a suggestion or two.

Welcome to the forums, and we hope you'll be here a long time. :)
 
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Sage

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While you're waiting and actively participating on AW, a good thing to do to prep for your eventual foray into QLH is to read the queries that are active there, read crits people have given, and give crits yourself. Not only will your critiques add to your post count, but they'll help you figure out what does and doesn't work in queries (which will help with yours, I promise), and will probably get others there more likely to crit your query when the time comes to post it because they recognize the work you gave to others.
 

rwm4768

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Lots of good advice here. Query Letter Hell is a great place to learn. It's the same concept as Query Shark, where she doesn't critique most of the query letters. Instead, the people who go to the site learn from those she does choose to critique.
 

regdog

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Porting to FAQs
 

Vision of a Crow

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Unable to enter query letter hell

Hey, i recently tried to enter query letter hell using the password vista under the name of Vision of a Crow but i was rejected.

Has the password changed or am i doing something wrong.

Thank you, Vision.
 

Sage

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Try clearing your cookies. I remember this being a problem for me once upon a time, and I think that was the fix.
 

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Everybody knows, its the not knowing that makes life bearable... Neil Gaimen

Love this quote!!

Also love query hell and can't wait to post my query. It's so useful to have honest feedback (though, a bit daunting too)
 

Deleted member 42

Everybody knows, its the not knowing that makes life bearable... Neil Gaimen

Love this quote!!

Also love query hell and can't wait to post my query. It's so useful to have honest feedback (though, a bit daunting too)

Read a lot of crits before you post though; really, it makes a difference.

Maybe even try posting a crit.
 

AW Admin

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How can you start a new thread in QLH? I tried but it wouldn't let me. I posted in Historical Fantasy just in case, but obviously I would need it moved to get crits. Thanks :)

Please read the FAQ: Why Can't I Post to SYW?

Especially the part where it explains that you don't magically get access the second you reach 50 posts; it can take over an hour for your status to change because the status script doesn't run all the time.

Please use the intervening time by reading all the stickies.
 

Maryn

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Allow me to echo: Read the stickies. It's really important.

It's also smart to be very familiar with other query letter critiques posted here, ideally by doing a few yourself and by reading a great many. You may see weaknesses and flaws in your own letter by doing that, and improve or repair them before showing it around.

Maryn, who hates query letters
 

Anise

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I don't know how often people are reading this thread, but I do have a question, and I think this seems like the most appropriate place to post it. I don't need to post an actual, finished query for critique. Instead, I could use advice on how to put together an unusual type of query. I don't really know if I've ever seen an example. Is there maybe a forum where I could lay out the parameters and get some feedback on what people think the query should be? Thanks! :)
 
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cornflake

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I don't know how often people are reading this thread, but I do have a question, and I think this seems like the most appropriate place to post it. I don't need to post an actual, finished query for critique. Instead, I could use advice on how to put together an unusual type of query. I don't really know if I've ever seen an example. Is there maybe a forum where I could lay out the parameters and get some feedback on what people think the query should be? Thanks! :)

That'd be QLH, same link as above, and you need 50 posts to put up your own work for critique.

You're free to critique others and ask questions about queries, but the laying out parameters and getting feedback seems (I'm not a mod or anything; when in doubt ask a mod), like it might cross into posting your work and getting critique on it, as that doesn't require finished work or anything.

You might also find some stuff in the successful queries thread, and some of the working queries threads helpful too.
 
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