Query Letters

Compiled by Teresa DesJardien (1995)

You send a query letter to a publishing house for two reasons: 1) to learn if they are interested in and accepting the type of material you have to sell, and 2) to present, as briefly and succinctly as possible why they might wish to see your material.

Of the former, you should know this absolutely before you ever query that house/line/editor. There is no point in trying to interest a Contemporary Romantic Suspense editor in a historical epic, even if it does have suspense in it. I highly recommend you go to your library and peruse the book WRITER'S MARKET (updated yearly) to see if the house you are interested in accepts and/or wants queries. (Also to see if they accept unsolicited or unagented material.) Some houses demand a query first (as opposed to a synopsis and sample chapters); some specifically do not want query letters, so look up that house's preference before querying. Your submittal will have a better chance of lingering a minute longer on an editor's desk if you follow that particular house's requirements.

Also, just as you would if you were sending a synopsis and chapters, be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for the editor's response. Always!

The query letter differs from a synopsis and chapters in these ways:

a) It is single spaced.
b) It is no more than two pages long. Do your very best writing here! The editor wants to know in the shortest time possible what your story idea is.

The best, most succinct way to sum up a plot is to have a catchy first sentence (a "grabber") and then to say what the conflict between your hero and heroine is, and what change has to come over each of them for the conflict to be resolved.

Do:	Address the editor by specific name, such as Ms. Jane Jones (Not: "Dear Editor." How rude!)
Don't:	Use the editor's first name by itself. They may resent such familiarity, and it shows a lack of professionalism on your part.
Do:	Write an opening line that will pique the editor's interest. (Example: "Mandy and Daniel met in Heaven, but can their love exist on earth?")
Don't:	Write an opening line that is too boring, too cryptic, or about your self. (Example: "World's greatest living author is proud to query you regarding her short contemporary novel, a sure-fire runaway bestseller hit!") Gag! I promise the editor will toss this immediately in the return pile.

It's a good thing to include (after you give them your plot idea) any personal information that shows you as a serious writer or knowledgeable in the area of your manuscript's setting, but do not tell them how many pets you have, and that your aunt and best friend 'just loved' your manuscript.

Example (presuming you have written a book with a western/cowboy/horse-care provider theme): "I have been a member of Romance Writers of America for three years, have belonged to a writers' critique group for a year, and recently won second place in the Yahoo Western Hearts contest. I have bred and worked with horses since I was thirteen, and teach weekly classes in specialized horse grooming techniques." (Note I never said how old I am. It's irrelevant because it can be presumed that I am an adult, so "since thirteen" is enough to show that I've been doing this for a while. Never put in anything that is irrelevant; it will just take up precious space.

You may not have any credits to list. That's okay. Just promote your storyline--that's what the editor is buying. It's great if you have particular expertise to support storyline authenticity, but it's not necessary. (I'd sold a half-dozen Regencies before I ever set foot in England--and I certainly wasn't alive 180 or so years ago, so virtually all of my authenticity comes from books. But then, I guess I could have listed how many books on the English Regency I had read, for that would reflect a certain expertise.)

Can you submit multiple queries? (Multiple queries are queries to more than one publishing house for the same material.) Again, read the publisher's requirements, but also keep in mind that a query is just a question to see if they are interested in looking at what you have to offer. Just be sure to keep a log of what query was sent to which house, and when (And also to log any responses).