How To Write A Kick-A** Query Letter

You can find guidelines for writing query letters inagents slog through sometimes hundreds of
many different places: online at sites like Charlottequeries each day. Get to the point, and grab their
Dillon's, in resource books like Writer's Market, orattention. Period.
at your local writer's group or conference.Okay! Below is my original query letter for One
However, I thought it might be helpful for me toNight in Boston, along with a few notes in
post the query letter I used when I was seekingbrackets. Good luck with those queries, and
representation for One Night in Boston. Of the 42remember: do not let rejections stop your query
agents/editors I sent it to, 36 requested either aprocess. What one agent turns down, another
partial or a full manuscript as a follow-up, which ismay very well scoop up with excitement and
a pretty good return. Ultimately, I securedenthusiasm. Keep at it!
publication with Samhain Publishing, and it will be aDear Susie Agent:
Summer 2007 release.Can anything really change in 24 hours? Can
In total, I've queried 4 novels over the last 6everything?
years and received all kinds of feedback along theMy mainstream romance novel, One Night in
way. Now, I'm sharing with you the tips I've foundBoston, offers a twist for the contemporary
most helpful:romance reader because it takes place over the
1. You are writing a business letter, or a businesscourse of a single day and night. (Think of the
email, depending on the agent's preference, soaward-winning television show "24" translated into
follow the standard format. Contact info,the romance genre: twenty-four hours unfold in
paragraphing, spacing, closing, should all betwenty-four chapters.) Complete at 85,000
appropriate and correct.words, One Night in Boston tells the story of
2. Open your query letter with straightforwardMaggie Doyle and Jack Major, college lovers who
information. Some people suggest a "hook" in themeet ten years after their relationship ends and
first paragraph--just don't make it too long! I'd alsodiscover a renewed attraction that is both
suggest including the title of your work, the genre,stronger and more complicated than the first love
the word count, and why you're contacting thethey shared. As RWA indicates that you are an
agent (reference, response to conference pitch,agent who is accepting new romance writers I
found the agent on Agentquery.com, etc).thought you might be interested in taking a look.
3. The middle paragraph(s) should include a general[Opening paragraph includes general info about the
description of your work, including the mainbook, its length, its topic, what makes it unique,
characters and their struggle/conflict. What is theirand why I'm sending her this letter]
central goal? What is the overall theme of theMaggie, a single but struggling entrepreneur in rural
story? How is this work both similar to, andRhode Island, faces foreclosure on her interior
different from, other works on the shelvesdesign business, thanks to a spiraling small-town
today? What will make this attractive to theeconomy and her mother's nursing home bills. Her
target audience? Who is the target audience?only option: find the stepbrother she hasn't
4. Include some brief biographical informationspoken to in years and convince him to loan her
about yourself. This means any educationthe money she needs. Jack, meanwhile, has
experience with writing and any publishing historycarried on his family's business legacy and become
or contest wins you might have. It doesn't meanCEO of a major Boston corporation. He's also just
a long-winded description of how your great-auntbecome engaged to a successful attorney, who's
loves your work or how your three cats keepplanning the city's biggest wedding and driving
you company when you write in the wee hourseveryone crazy doing it. Though the marriage will
of the morning. If you don't have any publicationsjoin two prominent families and please his father,
to your name, or specific background that relatessometimes Jack still thinks about the fireworks of
to your genre or topic, then don't put anything athis first love.
all. A simple statement such as "The Mystery ofMaggie's search for her stepbrother leads her
Seven Slippery Sisters" is my first complete noveldirectly to a high-profile charity ball...and to Jack. A
is fine.dance, some reminiscing, and a spontaneous kiss
5. Close with an offer to send more material, ifstartle them both into realizing that old feelings
you haven't included any in the first mailing. Makehaven't died. But then Jack's fiancée
sure to indicate that the work is complete (and itarrives at the ball, and Maggie flees only to find
should be, if you're querying agents).herself trapped in a violent storm that has closed
6. Proofread twenty times. At least. Then give ithalf the city streets. Jack follows her, but when
to five other people and ask them to proofread it.Maggie reveals the reason she left him in college,
By the way, this includes confirming the spelling ofand the reason she cannot be with him now, both
the agent's name. Don't rely on one website orare forced to realize that people change, that
source for this; I'd check at least 2 differentmemories are tempered by years, and that time
places.alters even the things we most want to stay the
7. Open your letter/email with Dear First Namesame.
Last Name of agent. "Dear Agent," "To Whom It[Two body paragraphs give a very general
May Concern," and "Dear Sir or Madam" are toooverview of the hero and heroine, their goals,
generic and suggest that you didn't do yourtheir conflicts, and the underlying theme of the
homework. You need to target a specificbook: that time changes everything, whether it's
individual, and I recommend using the person's full24 hours or 10 years]
name rather than Mr./Ms./Mrs. to avoid anyI am an RWA member who earned her PRO pin
possible gender screw-ups. Ashley Grayson, forin 2003. Previous online publications/contest wins
example, is a man. Wonder how many queryinclude "Time for Teacher", a narrative essay
letters he receives addressed "Dear Ms.published by in 2002, and "Hawkman and the
Grayson..."??Widow Thompson" (short story) and "Untitled"
8. Make sure to follow the agent's guidelines when(poem) which won 1st and 2nd place in
submitting material. Some will ask for a queryWriterOnline's Mystery Contest (2003) and 5
letter only. Some accept emails only. Others wantSenses Contest (2004), respectively. I am
the first three chapters. Include a SASE for snailcurrently working on my next One Night...book,
mail responses. Tell them they may recycle thewhich will also explore the ways and places desire
partial/full manuscript unless you want to pay thecan bloom overnight. A synopsis, sample chapters,
return postage to get it back.or the complete manuscript of One Night in
9. Make a generous list of agents to target. ManyBoston is available upon your request. Or, you
people have an "A," "B," and "C" list of their topmay prefer to read an excerpt on I am available
choices, and they work their way down. Unlessvia email () or telephone (999-999-9999). Thank
the agent says "No multiple submissions," Iyou for your time and consideration.
recommend sending your query letter to multiple[Closing paragraph, while a little long, mentions my
agents each day/week/month, according to yourprevious writing experience - notice no full-length
timeline. The query process can take a long time,publications - my membership in Romance Writers
and there's no need for you to wait for a replyof America, which indicates an interest in and
from each single agent before you send outfamiliarity with the genre, and my contact info.
another query.While I did mention my plan for future One Night
10. Your query letter should be no longer than 1books, it's not a wise idea to query more than
page (or its equivalent, for an email). Really,one project at a time.