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Writing a Successful Query Letter

I've written lots of queries with about a 99 percent rejection rate. My few successes have been with independent publishers who have open submissions year-round or have a small window when they accept submissions. Authorspublish.com is an excellent website for information on when these windows open.

Agents also operate this way, so your response time will be short if you know someone in the business, a teacher, or a fellow writer of novels or screenplays in the same genre as yours who can give you advice or names of people they know or have met.

Several free and pay-to-play websites have gathered agents' request and their availability to new clients. Discovering the next great writer is essential to their continued success, so don't waste their time if they specialize in two or three genres and your work doesn't fit into any of those. Manuscript Wish List and Querytracker are great resources. Screenplay writers have similar websites available. Some are subscription services, while others are free.

A query letter is an email or letter sent to a literary agent or publisher to pitch a book or other written work. It is an essential tool for writers who want to get their work published, and it can be challenging to craft a query letter that will catch the attention of an agent, publisher, or producer and make them want to read more.

Agents and publishers are in the business of making money, so don't waste their time. While it's their job to develop new material, the workload is heavy. Your novel or screenplay must be as polished and ready for a reader before you start querying. Proposing an idea for an unfinished novel/    screenplay wastes the time of your contact and will "poison the well" with that reader.

Here are some tips for writing a successful query letter:

  1. Keep it short and to the point. Query letters should be brief and concise, typically no more than one page.
  2. Start with a hook. The first sentence of your query letter should grab the reader's attention and make them want to keep reading.
  3. Introduce yourself and your work. In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and provide a brief overview of your book or other written work. Previously published work can also lend credibility to your proposal.
  4. Explain why your work is unique and marketable. In the second paragraph, explain why your work is exceptional and why it will appeal to a specific audience.
  5. Provide a summary of your work. In the third paragraph, provide an overview of your work, including the plot, characters, and setting. Then, explain the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Now is not the time to be coy by withholding how the story ends.
  6. If your book has won a contest or placed in the quarter or semi-finals, mention this as a qualifier. This means contest readers have responded to your work. That's a big selling point. Even if you didn't win, readers bring their subjective views into the final rounds, so making the first or second cut means your novel or screenplay works. Also, if you have contacts with published writers in your genre and they are willing to give you a blurb, that too can help lend credence to your work.
  7. End with a professional close. End your query letter with a professional close, such as "Sincerely," and include your contact information.
  8. Proofread and edit carefully. Make sure to proofread and edit your query letter carefully to ensure that it is error-free and well-written.

By following these tips, you can increase your chances of getting your work noticed by an agent or publisher. It's also good to research and tailor your query letter to the specific agent, publisher, or producer you are contacting, as they may have their preferences and guidelines.

 Research aided by AI.

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