DO
- Do your research! Find out books a publisher or agent have previously represented that you've read and liked, or books that have similar qualities to your own. Just remember that the people that read your query letters are real people and they'll appreciate the fact that you've taken the time.
- Do make it interesting! No one wants to read something that is boring, which includes publishers. You have to hook the reader immediately, not only in your story but also in your query! One of the biggest mistakes a writer makes is spending two years of their life writing a book, but spending five minutes on a query. Make sure that your query is something you would read and say "Dang! I need to see more of of this book!" Because even if you send in a manuscript, odds are it won't even get touched unless you have a good, interesting query.
- Do use your voice! Your query should be written in the same type of style as your book. If your book is a mystery, make the letter mysterious. If it's a comedy, then make the editor laugh. If it's a fantasy, make your query sound fantastic. You get the picture. Your query should be a tantilizing tasty tidbit of what your book is like.
- Do include the ending! I don't care if you wrote a mystery and the idea of revealing the murderer nauseates you. The publisher wants to know everything about your book to make sure you have a solid story they can sell. I also realize there are some out there who worry about their book idea being stolen. Don't worry. Any refutable publisher will not do that.
- Do include only what is relevant. Your query doesn't need to include how many cats you have, how long you've dreamed of being a writer, or how your "best friend thought it was great!". Include things like any degrees you hold that are relevent to your book. If you're a history major who wrote a historical fiction, then include that. Include any articles or short stories you may have published in a magazine. But if you wrote an article on gardening and your book is about aliens who come to earth and suck human' brains out through a straw, then leave it out. I can't rehash this enough. Also, if you don't have any experience, then don't include anything. Don't just make up things to build yourself up. Let your story speak for you (through your query, that is).
DONT'S
- Don't write a generic query. I'll let you in on a little black spot on my querying history. I did this huge boo-boo, no-no and I seriously wish someone would have been there to give me this advice. I wrote a generic query letter, typing in the name of the first editor I intended to send it to and saved it that way. I figured, "I'll just substitute the name of the editor and no one will be any the wiser." (Can any of you guess where this is going?) Well, when I sent out my first equery I just copy-and-pasted that query letter and guess what? I forgot to change the name to the editor I was sending it to. And guess what? I got a rejection along with a life-time of embarassment. So, learn from me. Editors can tell a generic query when they read one. So go back to the first "Do" on the list and impelement that information when you write a query for a specific publisher. It will go a long way!
- Don't write a long query! Your query should be no more than two pages. In fact, preferably your query should be able to fit on a single sheet of paper. I know, it sounds impossible. But that's part of the fun of being a writer! Being able to condense your two hundred page book into two paragraphs. That is your duty. And it is also your duty to make it interesting to read. If any of you figure out a way to do this, let me know. I'm still working on it.
- Don't include every single detail. Choose the most important points in your story. This includes characters. If the character doesn't make a huge impact, or if a certain scene doesn't help explain the plot then don't include it. Keeping this in mind should help you to be able to keep your query short while only including the most important information.
- Don't forget to be grateful! I know this can sometimes be tough after recieving your umpteenth rejection. Be sure to include a thank you, thanking them for even looking at your letter. But a little bit of courtesy can get you very far in the publishing world.
Well, I think that's about all. I hope that this helps you in writing your query. But don't take everything I've said as the gospel of query writing. This is just what I've learned. Good luck in your pursuits and keep on writing!
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