Query Letter Formula

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Cochinay

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I'm probably obsessing about this, but the letters I'm seeing are all so different. I'm just not getting a feel for the right thing.

One very successful letter dives right into the plot and fills a 300 word page with character and storyline.

Another tosses out a mere three sentences of grabby lines about the plot and general subject matter, introduces the author in a sentence, hints at why it's a good "sell," and offers to send chapters and synopsis, all in about 220 words.

These are two entirely different approaches. In fact, the first query letter could be a synopsis if another 300 words were added.

I'm just frustrated, I guess. I know I've got a good novel on my desk. I'm not sure how to present it, or still what to call it, mystery, young adult, whatever. I wrote it for teens, but who knows what others might think.

Time will tell.
 

Jamesaritchie

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If you find a formula, throw it away. The reason great query letters are different is because each is somehow original, and each is very well-written.
 

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The only rule for queries is that they have to hook the agent. Different books with different writers hook in different ways. My queries tend to have a 3-paragraph structure, but that's what works for me. Some books need more, some don't. And sometimes a successful query (at least in the SQ thread) is one that struck the exact right agent at the right time, but wouldn't have necessarily hooked many agents/publishers.

General advice here, but worry about the best way to hook with. *your* book. There are general things you see over & over in good queries--tight writing, short description, active MCs, etc--but the structure is yours to determine, & there will always be exceptions.
 

Lauram6123

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Once you have 50 posts, you can take both versions to Query Letter Hell and let your fellow AWers take a look at them.

But even though you can't post your own there yet, you can still read the stickies and threads. It's amazing how much you can learn about queries by reading and critiquing the work of others.
 

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Once you have 50 posts, you can take both versions to Query Letter Hell and let your fellow AWers take a look at them.

But even though you can't post your own there yet, you can still read the stickies and threads. It's amazing how much you can learn about queries by reading and critiquing the work of others.


This. The password for the Share Your Work room is: vista
 

Phaeal

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Write one of each type and see which one works better for you and betas. And, eventually, you're just going to have to test-fly them by some agents. Do it in small batches and tweak as necessary, but realize and accept that you're not likely to get much feedback from the agents themselves.
 

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It's amazing how much you can learn about queries by reading and critiquing the work of others.

This is so true. Also, http://queryshark.blogspot.com/ is a great resource, though she tends more toward synopsis-y queries (which I also prefer ;) ). In my experience it's really hard to get out of the writer mentality and into the reader mentality which asks, "If I knew nothing about the story, is this something I would want to read?" Short and to the point letters with strong sentences in the noun-verb-second noun format help. And sometimes a killer query isn't enough, just because of how subjective it all is.

And I think a lot of people obsess about their queries. I certainly do. Figure out what your genre is, that should help set the tone of the query.

Good luck!
 

snafu1056

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There are no right query letters, only right ideas. If the idea youre selling is solid, then all you have to be is brief, professional, and not a complete idiot. Dont get caught up searching for some magic formula that will guarantee success, there isnt one. Have confidence in your idea and stay out of your own way.
 

Wilde_at_heart

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As you can see in a recent thread by Mutive, it's mostly a numbers game. I did read through many, many successful queries and honestly, it provoked more frustration than crafting my own has. When it comes to predicting how you can hook one specific individual (even when you really do your research), it's best to realise that you can't. Get your query to where you think, yes, this gives a real feel for the story I wrote, churn it through QLH and then make sure it still is :D, then query widely.

Keep in mind that not all agents even do more than glance at the queries to ensure it's a genre they rep - I've seen some who say they go straight to the sample pages. Because the best query in the world won't ultimately work if the MS doesn't draw them in too.
 

Mutive

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I'm probably obsessing about this, but the letters I'm seeing are all so different. I'm just not getting a feel for the right thing.

There isn't A right thing. In theory, even for the same novel, one could write a lot of (different) effective query letters.

These are two entirely different approaches. In fact, the first query letter could be a synopsis if another 300 words were added.

I'm not a professional writer, but I do work in sales and marketing.

The thing is, if someone WANTS to buy, it's pretty easy to make the sale. (i.e. if an agent desperately wants a book about talking ponies and you hand them a book on talking ponies, they'll probably check it out unless the query letter makes you look functionally illiterate) If someone DOESN'T want to buy, it's impossible to get them to even listen to a sales pitch.

If they're sort of in the middle, that's where the sales skills come in. I suspect this is why sometimes great queries bomb and bad queries get requests. Sales skills help, but if you're selling something someone desperately wants (or doesn't want), that plays a factor, too.

Which brings me to the middle ground, where you have the chance to sell them. That's where going from a mediocre query to a great one is going to help.

I'm just frustrated, I guess. I know I've got a good novel on my desk. I'm not sure how to present it, or still what to call it, mystery, young adult, whatever. I wrote it for teens, but who knows what others might think.

Time will tell.

It's frustrating. QLH can help with the sales pitch, though.
 
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Wilde_at_heart

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The thing is, if someone WANTS to buy, it's pretty easy to make the sale. (i.e. if an agent desperately wants a book about talking ponies and you hand them a book on talking ponies, they'll probably check it out unless the query letter makes you look functionally illiterate) If someone DOESN'T want to buy, it's impossible to get them to even listen to a sales pitch.

This is a great point.

One of the number one reasons on #tenqueries on twitter why Agents reject something is because they don't rep the genre that someone's querying. That includes when someone tries to pitch one genre, when really, it's a different one. Such as, 'pitched as women's fic, but reads YA. I don't rep YA' or 'said it was Romance, but premise is sci-fi' ...
Some will even make lists of things they hate (for one, it's unicorns), or things they're tired of, or what they'd like to see more (twitter again, #mswl).

So part of the 'pitch' is to first off, aim it towards those you think are mostly likely to want to buy what you have to sell.
 

rick_scott79

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There are no right query letters, only right ideas. If the idea youre selling is solid, then all you have to be is brief, professional, and not a complete idiot. Dont get caught up searching for some magic formula that will guarantee success, there isnt one. Have confidence in your idea and stay out of your own way.

but if a query letter works for one person might it not work for another? I just want to get in the door
 

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Rick, you can't rely on someone else's query. You have to write your own.

It's not a question of getting in the door: it's a question of writing a query which makes agents interested enough in your book--not in anyone else's--to request a partial or a full; and your book being good enough to sustain their interest once they start to read it.
 

pannwright

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but if a query letter works for one person might it not work for another? I just want to get in the door

Not really, though! I mean, the same exact one on the same exact agent, presumably, because they'd already accepted it.

I did a lot of research before querying. You just gotta do that and get a feel for it. I can't tell you how many times I see multiple agents say NEVER DO X and then on some agent blog they show a query from a book they ended up repping ... and the writer did X.

Or the agent shares a query and says, "I normally hate queries that start out this way, but this one was so funny!" etc. etc. etc.

Seriously, this stuff gets so subjective that it boils down to individual days. All you can really do is research, read a ton of successful query examples, read them in your genre, read agent blogs on what they're interested in -- even check out agent twitters. Write your own and fiddle with it for a while, then find a forum (or use this one) to get feedback. Then start sending it out, in small batches, preferably to those who won't take 3 months to reply. If you get 100% rejection (which are no big deal, even if they feel like it), re-tool it, ask for feedback, and try again.

There are obvious basics: be polite, don't spend a paragraph showboating your own novel, use proper grammar, spell their name right. There are rules that most agents suggest: don't write a query as your MC, don't write a query that's more than one page. Then there are some that only some follow: open right with the hook, open with the reason for querying; don't use a bio if you've not published anything, always use a bio, just so the agent can get to know you a bit, etc. etc.

For me, I open with: Brief sentence with title, word count, genre (unless agent has ever specified that they prefer it starts with the hook -- then I move this).

Two paragraph-description, heavily edited and critted by nice people. (Establish character, desire, stakes).

Wrap up with a very short bio unless they specifically say they don't want one.

End with a brief thank you.

That's it. I adjust as I see fit. And the way I see it: if I get one thing wrong (agent hates bios, I include bio) that's not going to matter if they adore my premise. Unless your query is an absolute mess, it's not going to turn them off of a good story.
 

Mutive

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Create a thread in QLH (you'll need to use the password to get in), then post like you would any other post. (Then wait for feedback!)
 

Lauram6123

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