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How to Write A Bada$$ Query Letter (+ Querying Tips)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ส.ค. 2024
- Queries! They're how you get an agent. And getting an agent is how you traditionally publish a book. A query is a pitch for your book, a short letter you send to agents to entice them to read more of your book.
I'm going over it ALL. Query basics, my favorite query formatting tips, discussion of comps, bios, personalization, and basic querying ettiquette/best practices.
General query etiquette starts at 14:25 (everything before that is how to write a query)
I have a downloadable guide to queries that outlines this information! Download it here: alexadonne.com/writer-resources/
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I literally did only query work last night> this is awesome :). * Immediately deletes unnecessary rhetorical questions*
I would add one thing: make sure your query has been edited for spelling and grammar. A sloppy query letter might turn off the agent.
This is the 18th „How to write a query letter“ video I’m watching today and this is BY FAR the best.
I wish this advice came sooner lol (but I'm glad I learned what I did and now can fix my faith in my book). I had a "friend" who said that what agents want to see most in queries are marketability and plot. She said the characters don't matter or their arcs because they are basically looking for the next big seller and to market it as so in a query (cringy right?). It always felt off with me but since she was published (she didn't have an agent, she went through a small local boutique as I found out later and after the fact that she didn't have an agent) so I only sent out 2- 4 queries like that (which obviously got rejected) before I lost my faith in my book and the industry because it felt wrong to try to pitch a book like the next harry potter when it's not. Lol, it's better now, working on cleaning it up after visiting it years later and with this, it makes so much more sense that I wish my brain years ago had thought about (though I was sixteen at the time trying to get published). I'm hoping to finally work on a concrete query once I'm done polishing up the cliches that I thought were needed that I hated (because it didn't work and it was played off like every cliche of it's kind and nothing new) but was told it would make the book sell. This channel has helped me for the past year and a half on returning back to a project I thought was lost because it wasn't the "next harry potter" and "wouldn't sell if it weren't". This video hit home to me, there aren't many channels that are dedicated to traditional publishing and how the industry works
i hope your querying journey went well!!
You mean I can't use my maximum_twilight email from middle school to query my book? 😉
The fact that you are character driven focused made me instantly subscribe to your TH-cam channel even though I always got adds for it, but then my professor showed us one of your query videos and I'm like, "She knows what she's talking about."
I was just watching an old NovelTea Show episode on querying. What a coincidence!
Omg your user name Booke vs Movies makes me believe your a judge of books and movies. :D I'm hoping all my work on novels will turn into movies and tv shows.
Could you do a video on finding successful comps for your query? I'd be interested to see what your recommended process for this is if the writer was in fact inspired by a successful megabook. Thank you for putting the excellent video together. :)
I was baffled at first by how much I've heard from you and others warning people to make sure they don't insult the agent or their past clients, thinking "Who would do that in the first place?" Then I remembered the stereotype that writers hold, as Bert Kreischer once said "With that liberal arts confidence." I haven't experienced this yet personally but it reminds me to keep checking myself to remain humble. Thanks for the great advice! I'm hoping to take as much of it as I can and use it when I submit my first book soon!
Of the 800 videos and articles on queries that I have checked out, this is the best advice in the clearest way.
Excellent timing for my train ride home from work. Thank you!
Definitely don't tell an agent what to think.
Your channel is something I never knew I needed. I'm not a novel writer in any way, but not only do you make me want to write, but the tips you give are legit for simply creating a story for any other media, and selling that story. I'm having a blast. Much kudos to you 💜
Seriously... Your channel is magic. ❤️
Thank you so much for this video!! As an aspiring published author, your videos are so helpful to me!
Alexa, thank you so much for your video! I found it very helpful! Great Job!
Definitey saving for later, when I start working on own query. Thanks for the info Alexa. :)
OMG thank you!!! No joke, I have to admit... I was literally trying to type out the query letter you read out loud in a previous video just so that I could get the formatting down for my own and this is SO much easier and more helpful!!! Lol thank you so very much! I am so appreciative for all your work making these videos!!
Thank you, Alexa, for this badass information about how to query.
Thanks Alexa, Your tips are valuable and I like the way you introduce the key elements with humor!
Thank you for this amazing information Alexa.
Follow the submission guidelines.
Don't poop on the genre or lead clients.
Don't insult the agent.
Wow. It just amazes me that these things have to be said. Although, I was an HR Manager for years and have seen similar things in resumes and interviews. (Don't show up to the interview and talk about how much you hate the company) Yikes.
Anyway, great video as always.
This was the best query letter advice video/content I’ve ever heard before. Thank you!
Love your verve and clarity.
Your mic is just so damn good, I love it
This was super helpful, thank you!
Thank you for the information, you made it very easy to understand
Good stuff. I like your explanations and advice, which is better than most.
I love every one of your videos, Alexa. Thank you.
Also that dress (or blouse?) is so vintage and cute
It's a dress! I found it ages ago at a Ross--it was some random brand I couldn't track down again.
I know you made this video a long time ago, but I wanted to let you know your make-up, hair, and dress all look amazing together in it. :)
You gave a really concise and informative blog. Thank you.
You are so much fun do listen too! Thank you for sharing your knowlage! ❤️
Thank you. I’m struggling so hard to write a query for my character driven fantasy. Will try again with your help :)
This is so helpful thank you!!!
This is awesome I need this badly.
“Don’t threaten the agent.” Wow. Uh, good advice I guess.
Very valuable video. Thanks!
Love this. Thank you so much
Love your top!!
I wish I had this advice years ago. I would love to know how you found your comp letters so I can attempt to make my first query letter. Really would love a to-do list of steps to proceed through to navigate this process. Your videos are great! Please keep them coming.
Amazing content. Thank you so much!
Sent my first query the other day,.. looking forward to the first rejection!
Thanks Alexa!
To anyone else having trouble: working backwards with the snowflake method worked wonders for me
I honestly did not know that insulting an agent actually happens in the writing industry. This is news to me. Holy cow! 0-0
Awesome contents.
Hi Alexa, thank you so much for your videos they are extremely helpful! Do you have any tips for how to use Social Media as an author? Sorry if you've already made a video on this! :)
This was great. Also, I love the 1940s thing you have going on.
When there's more than one POV, would you write an extra little paragraph? Or just put the focus on the more primary character?
1 POV/character queries are best, but in some cases you can highlight two POVs... max though. Not more. My personal preference is query focuses on the main main character and the 2nd POV is mentioned as part of the conflict, then when you write your book details paragraph you say "TITLE is a YA fantasy complete at XXXXX words, told from the perspectives of both Character A and Character B."
Thank you!!!!
Back cover copy exercise: Grab a book. Type up the back cover copy word for word. Replace things like the setting name w/ YOUR setting name, character name w/ YOUR character name, all the basic 1-word things. Now, fix what's not true. (e.g., Arthur isn't going to Camelot because the Empire burned his uncle's moisture farm; he's going to Camelot to be the King. Wilbur hasn't been living in a cupboard under the stairs; he's been living on Mr. Zuckerman's farm.) Do this with at least 3 more books in different genres, because all genres have different writing styles, and back cover copies can vary radically in length and reveal different information.
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!
I was wondering about how do you say you are writing under a pen name on the query. Now i know.
So what is the business contact for the Alex Donne Query Services and what do you charge? :)
Thanks for sharing your input! Super helpful for a dreamer writer like me heh.
My question is... if I'm a debut author and querying for the first book to my trilogy/series, is it important to write that in the query? Or is it assumed that the story would have multiple books?
thank you!
love this
Busted!
Dead Fantasy tropes?
Fantasy is a big part of the market. Can you make a video about this?
Thanks for your great information. If the agent asks for the synopsis, can I send the query letter instead?
Alexa -- what about the first three chapters? Do they need to be anything more than just the "big first three?" What should they contain to give an effective preview into the book's nature? I think of the "big first three" as being like a pop-up boutique that advertises a new line of clothing. What do you think? I'd love to hear your analysis of this industry hurdle. :)
A lot of agents say to put the info paragraph (genre, word count, comps) first. What are your thoughts on that? Which one appears to be the "surer" format?
It's a preference agents are free to express, but the vast vast majority of querying advice I've seen over the years has given the format I shared. Neither is wrong. I just personally think it's stronger to hit them with a really great hook and the meat of your book before you give them dry stuff like title, genre, word count. There are exceptions if your pitch/comps/etc. are REALLY STRONG and need to get in front of their face first. I lead with my short pitch, title, word count for Jane Eyre in space, but not for other books.
If an agent's submission guidelines specify a number of pages, will the guidelines also state what word count or text formatting that corresponds to, or is there a standard that is to be assumed unless the guidelines specifically say otherwise?
Show them how you fit into there stable of writers by what you bring to the table.
Hi Alexa! If I have two projects completed (both YA) should I mention that in my query or wait until someone is interested in repping? I'm going to query one project at a time just to keep everything organized. Thank you :)
Only query the project at hand. Then, should they offer, you discuss the other project on the offer call.
Also, what if you want to include drawings in your book. Is it hard to get them to allow that?
Oh so glad you don't need a degree XD. I have a question, do you query with your pen name, or legal name?
I would assume legal. No point in hiding your true name from your agent. They need to know what name to put on the contract anyways.
She mentions this at 14:10. :)
she says to close it off with
[legal name], writing as
[pseudonym]
Very helpful!
Question: How many agents should I query at once? I can't possibly wait for each one's response since it can take weeks so I was wondering should I go low like 3 agents at once and wait for their response or big like 10 agents?
Send only one agent when you are sending it for the first time. Then time by time, multiply the number.. Wish you all the best!
So you make it clear we shouldn't talk too in-depth about our inspiration for the book, but do you think it's a good idea to mention the book is OwnVoice in the query? I know that's a selling point to a lot of agents, particularly in YA.
Yes, that is fine as one line either in the book info paragraph or the bio paragraph. But be careful not to go on and on, and also to be very clear about what it is ownvoices for. Like, you can't have, say, a Native American inspired fantasy with a bi protagonist and just say "ownvoices"... if you're bi, but not Native American, it's misleading. Both very valid identities! But, uh, when someone see's "ownvoices" attached to a Native American story, they expect you to be Native American. Just as an example. You can also just say "this story was inspired by my experiences as a [insert intersections]."
Thanks for your advice Alexa! I was wondering if it's acceptable and encouraged to describe the tone of your novel and if so, where to do it in the letter? For example, my current query letter doesn't really convey that the tone is funny and satirical. And I feel strange calling it funny myself. But I worry agents will get the wrong impression from the query even though I am following the character, conflict, stakes format.
You can convey tone through your comps. So say it will appeal to fans of X & Y and use known/similar satirical/funny writers.
@@AlexaDonne Thank you!
How bland should/ can your bio be? I used to have one that was straight forward but people told me it was boring and too much like everyone else so I tried to make it more interesting. Now I'm not sure.
Seems like I've been doing everything else right though. 🙂
the bio is generally meant to show your credibilities (maybe you've published a short story). imo, a lot of writers' lives are pretty boring, so i'm sure boringness is fine as long as it's not totally awful ('I graduated high school.')
i thought you were going to say its a requirement to have shame to be a writer ! 5.50
I know this probably won't get a response but I was wondering what I should use for comps if I don't really read a lot of books? I'm more into writing than reading. Do you REALLY need comps in a query?
Watched your 22min video in 11min. 2x speed.
Please rate my query letter:
Dear [REJECTING AGENT],
My character wants one thing: to get published. He's been writing to the point where his fingers are aching and his eyesight
isn't doing so hot either.
At least he has his depression to take his mind off of those suicidal thoughts. That is, until an amazing event changes all
of that. But what? And who knew?!
I'm seeking representation for my fourth novel, WE'RE SORRY, BUT..., a funny, gut-wrenching, horrifying, partially-completed
(about 20 pages) light romantic comedy, with lots of gore, about a writer who wants one thing: to get published. He's been
writing to the point where his fingers are aching and his eyesight isn't doing so hot either.
It ain't bogged down by no heavy plot and it don't make the reader hafta think or nothing like that. My cousin Bubba helped
me to get it wrote more gooder.
For comparisons, you can be the judge of that. To me, it's sort of a cross between Gone with the Wind and The Terminator.
[REJECTING AGENT], I appreciate you looking it over. You can best contact me between 3:37 P.M. and 3:39 P.M. on Thursdays.
I won't accept any offer until I hear what a few other agents have to say.
Sincerely,
Alphonso P. Whickenwacker
I would recommend including an intro paragraph and to create a longer synopsis (and remove rhetorical questions as per Alexa's suggestions). I would also edit for casual language so that you present yourself more professionally.
@@AndromedaMoon888 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm
Mad Hatter lol I figured but I was worried you needed actual help
@@AndromedaMoon888 Nah. All in fun!
:)
Queries are currently my kryptonite. I am either too detailed or it's not pitchy enough. I can't seem to find the middle ground. It's so freaking hard.
Yes and synopsis.
I can write a killer novel but those two always seem to fall short
okay wow i am very early
I hate rhetorical questions too
I know you said don't compare to big name books, but does that include the authors as well? Like if I were to say, "This will appeal to fans of Leigh Bardugo." Or "this would appeal to fans of the dynamic cast of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows." Or is that still a no go?
Should I include in the bio paragraph that I've been writing fanfiction for years? Or does that tend to put the literary agents off?
What if writing fanfiction was and is a major part of my writing career? For example, English isn't my first language and without reading and writing fanfic, I would never have properly learned English and studied it at uni, so writing fanfiction feels so important to me, but I guess the bio paragraph could easily go without mentioning it. Could it go without mentioning that English isn't my first language though? Or is that vital for the literary agent? Or do you think they'd just reject my book once they learned I wasn't a native speaker?
Sorry for so many questions!! And thanks so much for such an informative video!!
Personally I wouldn't include any mention of fanfic unless you're mega-successful and will be leveraging that platform for a traditional book deal (like: using the same name, actively appealing to your fanbase, and did not write NC-17 stuff). ie: if you're Cassie Clare (I'm old), yes, but otherwise, no. It will turn off as many agents as it will appeal to.
Hi Alexa,do I include novels that I have published under online platforms like GoodNovel/Reddish/Wattpad
I am not sure how to pitch this in a short form. It is a monumental story changing history.
On July 17, 1996 at 11:15 p.m., I was working in overnight security dozing when my wife telephoned and asked if I had heard about the plane crash over Long Island. Immediately, I envisioned an enormous fiery explosion and told her all the people are dead. What happened can only be described as a psychic phenomena that was channeled to me that lasted on and off for three weeks.
My book proves that a bomb blew the plane up. The government did not want an international conflict. Khobar Towers had just occurred and turmoil raged in the Middle East so no way the government wanted to report that a bomb blew up the plane. Clinton was far ahead in the polling for the Presidential Election only months away and wanted no Mid-Eastern confrontation to affect his popularity.
The CIA made a documentary supporting the government's findings that a spark in the Center Wing Tank caused the plane to blow up which was totally fallacious which is disproved in my book.
I have a prologue, epilogue, and appendix in my book. Should I include these in the word count of my query? If so, do I give each as an individual? Or just say complete at the total word count for all?
Im here
Nowadays most agents want 5 comparables. I read a lot, especially the classics in my genre. I can't mention those because they're classic. I can't mention the relatively new ones that have been hugely successful because they are hugely successful. But, that's why I read them. What is your advice?
Would i need to include the books word count in the query if it's a graphic novel?
Is there any way I could get someone to look at a rough draft query letter?
I am a Dutch writer and I'm writing my book in English. When I send in my query, should I mention that English is my second language, or not? Though I do have a Cambridge English degree, it does not directly relate to my writing... I don't want to ''scare'' them off by telling them I live in another country.
Do you need to query sequels? And how do those review quotes on the back of the book by other authors and news agencies get there? What's the process?
Well, if a book one has been published already, typically that means the first publication rights are gone. Traditional publishers won't be interested in a sequel to something published elsewhere, with only a few exceptions. So you'd usually not be querying a sequel?
Author & review quotes are called blurbs and your publisher works with you to get those. You don't need them for queries.
@@AlexaDonne What do you say when querying a book that you fully intend to make a Trilogy?
Question: when potential agents ask for x amount of pages is it based on your writer processor pages (in my case I use Microsoft word) or “printed pages” bc I know those word counts are VERY different.
Microsoft Word.
I already have a rough copy (50,000 words) of a sequel to the book I'm querying. Do I mention this or just write that there is series potential?
I really like my query letter but I found a spelling mistake in one of my sample chapters which makes me fear I possibly have more. Will literary agents hold this against me?
In the Bio, is it bad form to mention a self-published book, or maybe to stay away from self publishing?
Question! When comparing your book to other titles, can they only be books? Because I would say my current novel is Fallout New Vegas meets The Troop by Nick Cutter. But if comparing it to a video game doesn't work then I'll reconsider.
You can do both! But I recommend if you have a set of comps that aren't books that you also have something about books. So saying something like "will appeal to fans of Holly Black and Susan Dennard" (or whatever) in addition to your X meets Y.
So you said that emails have to be professional--does it matter if they're long?
a query letter should be around one page
What about writing a query letter to a publisher, what are the rules?
Do you need to copyright before sending your manuscript?
Can you still send qurey letter if you still have a publisher?
I find it so difficult to write a synopsis for my book. It's such a complex story, with so many characters, so many things happening. Don't get me wrong, it's not chaotic, it's just hard to summarize. This is the hardest part of querying for me.
I wrote a novel of 88,000 words, it was tough but a wonderful experience, but as I write my query letters my palms are sweating! They never sweat writing my novel! Why is it so hard, especially for agents request only a query letter and no samples?
If you don't personalize the letter to the agent how do you address the letter?