Yep, pretty difficult. What makes a query letter so difficult is how it is less about your novel and more about selling it: why would this agent want to represent you? What’s the point; why would he or she care about your story?
And this is where it gets hard. Sometimes (okay, many times) you will send out a few (okay, several) query letters and get no takers. Sometimes the reason is an agent’s taste, or maybe your writing needs to improve, or the story needs a massive overhaul. Whatever it is, the query letter is a daunting task that few people know how to perfect.
For the most part, I can only give you tidbits that I’ve heard elsewhere. First, keep it simple. You don’t need to tell everything about your novel in a query letter, just the basics. Don’t get fancy with how awesome you think it is, or that it is the next Harry Potter that will sell a million copies. No one knows that, and to show an agent ignorance about the marketplace or about the business is just sad. And why would an agent work with you if you think so highly of yourself?
Some websites like AGENT QUERY have many suggestions on how to write a query letter. It is not the only kind, however; only a guideline. You know your story and you know how you want to tell it.
Here is what they have to say about it:
Quote:
A query letter is a single page cover letter, introducing you and your book. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not a resume. It’s not rambling saga of your life as an aspiring writer. It’s not a friendly, “Hey, what’s up, buddy. I’m the next John Grisham. Got the next best selling thriller for ya,” kind of letter. And for the love of god, it is NOT more than one-page. Trust us on this.
A query letter has three concise paragraphs: the hook, the mini-synopsis, and your writer’s biography. Don’t stray from this format. You won’t catch an agent’s attention by inventing a creative new query format. You’ll just alienate your chances of being taken seriously as a professional writer. A query letter is meant to elicit an invitation to send sample chapters or even the whole manuscript to the agent. It’s not meant to show off how cute and snazzy you can be by breaking formatting rules and going against the grain. Keep it simple. Stick to three paragraphs. The goal is to get the agent to read your book, not to blow you off because you screwed up the introduction.
A query letter has three concise paragraphs: the hook, the mini-synopsis, and your writer’s biography. Don’t stray from this format. You won’t catch an agent’s attention by inventing a creative new query format. You’ll just alienate your chances of being taken seriously as a professional writer. A query letter is meant to elicit an invitation to send sample chapters or even the whole manuscript to the agent. It’s not meant to show off how cute and snazzy you can be by breaking formatting rules and going against the grain. Keep it simple. Stick to three paragraphs. The goal is to get the agent to read your book, not to blow you off because you screwed up the introduction.
When sending out query letters, it is better to send them in bulk to many different agents rather than one at a time. It could take two to six weeks to receive an answer (sometimes longer or shorter). If an agent wants to see your stuff, he or she will ask for a partial (half of your novel) or a full (all of your novel). When giving a partial, it is exactly how it sounds: only give half of your novel, nothing more or less. After this an agent may or may not ask for the rest. It will take lots and lots and LOTS of time in waiting (think about it, an agent isn’t only reading your book. He or she could be reading many at the same time). And if your novel is around 400 pages, that is a lot to digest! An agent has to think of many different reasons why he or she will represent you rather than just simply reading a book. An agent has to keep all of this in mind.
