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:
- Keep
it short and to the point. Query letters should be brief and concise, typically
no more than one page.
- Start
with a hook. The first sentence of your query letter should grab the
reader's attention and make them want to keep reading.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- End
with a professional close. End your query letter with a professional
close, such as "Sincerely," and include your contact
information.
- 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.
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