A query letter is the writer’s pitch for their book. , Writing one is not easy as it sounds, as the query letter must portray the overall essence of what the book is all about. In addition, the author must ensure that the book is complete. The literary agents will skim the content if it is finished, the tone and style are aligned with them, the genre, and if the book has a compelling story.
In writing a query letter, the segments are subdivided into four to comprehend better the right things to consider.
Segment 1: Query Letter’s Opening
In this portion, the author must showcase that they are professional and know the literary agent, and they have selected them for a specific reason. The author must not send a thousand emails to random literary agents that do not fit what their book is all about. As, literary agents have specific expertise in different genres and sending thousands of emails does not mean that it will do them good. Afterward, the author will indicate the book’s title, the word count, and the book genre.
I am anticipating that you will take into consideration my 90,000-word historical fantasy novel (Books’ Title).
Segment 2: Story
This portion of the query letter could be the most challenging part, as the author needs to provide a summary of what the book is all about. The summary is about one or two paragraphs which could be challenging to do as there are too many things not to include.
Conversely, the primary function of a query letter is to turn the author’s book into a colorful, easy-to-comprehend little box. However, make it seem unusual and unique.
The author must get a birds-eye view of the story and provide details, the setting, and the danger they may encounter, but the author should avoid sounding too generic. The author must portray that the main characters’ situation is distinct. However, they must not give them on what the ending of the story.
Segment 3: Author’s Bio
If the author has any credentials (writing), this is the moment to indicate them and notably include awards or publications. Also, in this segment, they must indicate any prestigious awards and have a well-like blog or extensive email lists. The author can write in a sentence or two about who and what they are.
Segment 4: Closing
The author must finish their letter or email with a short, courteous closing. One of the most basic things to say is, “Thank you for your time and consideration.” You should also include any supplemental information for the submission guidelines, such as opening chapters or a brief synopsis.
Doing all of this could be a daunting task and not fun, but it’s all worth it in the end. So start writing now your very own personalized query letter.