Let’s talk about query letters, today. I recently edited a query letter for a client and I think some of the items he needed to improve are things my blog readers could stand to learn from, too. In writing your query letter, many of you are going to do quite a bit of research to learn more about the marketability of your work. If it’s a memoir, you may want to learn more about how well your type of memoir sells, and in what specific markets. If it’s fiction, you’ll want to know who usually buys that type of work, and what aspects of your style or subject matter most appeal to book-buying readers, so you can make your pitch accordingly. I’m sure, if you’ve done any research into query-letter writing, you already know this. Now, once you have all that information, you’ll want to keep it in mind as you write, but bear this in mind: whatever you just learned, the publishing agent you’re querying probably already knows it.
Don’t Forget about Style in your Query Letter
Query letter writers, let’s address another issue I often notice when I’m looking at query letters clients have written–that of style. Remember that your query letter is a sales pitch for your book and as such it should intrigue the reader from the first word. Basically, you are Don Draper, this letter is an advertisement … Read more