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Query Letters for Works of Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Articles Lindsay A., Writing Center tutor Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor's specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you. You have finished or are in the process of finishing your first book. Congratulations! You are an aspiring journalist who wants to write for a print or online magazine or newspaper. Fantastic! The next step on the path to publication is writing a query letter that will help sell your masterpiece or your writing chops to an editor or agent. Query letters are brief overviews of your book or article idea that busy editors and agents are more likely to read; they are also often the only way to promote your book or idea at a major or minor publisher since few accept manuscript submissions or full articles from unsolicited writers. The structure and content of the query letter has a few core elements, but often the specific requirements differ depending on a number of factors, including the genre of your work, the editor or agent who you are targeting, and your own personal intuition (after all, you might need to break a few rules in order to be uniquely you). Accordingly, this is a general overview of the common format of both the query letter for works of long fiction, long non-fiction, and magazine/newspaper articles. The best advice in writing either the query letter is to do your homework. Find the publishing company, literary agency, or magazine that best fits the style and content of your book or potential article. Does the publishing company have different imprints, or sub-publishers that work with your genre? Next, do research on the different editors and agents who might suit your needs the best. What other books or articles have they worked on and with which already-published authors? Finally, research the submission requirements of the publisher or the editor, whether they ask for a query letter or a book proposal (see the section on book proposals), and what elements are required. The Query Letter for Fiction and Non-FictionA query letter is essentially a sales pitch, where you are the salesperson and your novel is the product. A successful query letter is short, clear, unique, and compelling, and will persuade an editor or agent to publish your work. No more than 1 single-spaced page in length, and whether it is fiction or non-fiction, a query letter includes:
The Format of the query letter follows the format of a formal business letter. The Hook and The Overview generally comprise the first paragraph of your query letter. The Author Biography is the second paragraph, followed by the third paragraph, the Conclusion. Since you are writing a query letter, it is assumed that you are seeking representation and it is not necessary to spend the time (and space) writing that in an introduction. However, if you have been referred to an editor or agent by a mutual contact or have met them before, it is appropriate to include this information at the beginning of the proposal. The Format
The Hook The hook is a one-line description of your book’s distinguishing feature meant to immediately capture the editor or agent’s attention. An engaging hook demonstrates your book’s unique angle—whether in terms of plot, subject, or the quality of the writing—its main tension, or unique content without using fluffy or vague descriptors and useless, presumptive adjectives. A fiction book generally does well with a plot- or character-centered hook; a non-fiction book can open with an interesting statistic about the subject; memoirs or autobiographies tend to require emphasis on your strong, fascinating writing style that elevates the book above regular storytelling. Here are some example hooks (geared towards fiction) with an analysis to follow: Example 1: Moby Dick is a novel about a group of sailors chasing a white whale. Example 2: Moby Dick is an ocean-adventure tale told from the point of view of Ishmael, a sailor concerned with his captain’s growing insanity over the whale they are hunting. Example 3: Moby Dick is an exciting adventure epic set on the high seas about an intrepid and ethnically diverse group of sailors, including the relatable narrator Ishmael, who, under the command of their obsessive and crazy captain, hunt the elusive and vicious white sea creature who attacked them. Which one did you like the best? In general, Example 2 would be the strongest hook. Be careful not to err on the side of vagueness like in Example 1, and be careful not to err on the side of detail like in Example 3. The trick for the hook is for it to be specific without being evaluative, interesting without being exaggerated, which is why Example 2 is the strongest of the three. The second example states right away the genre of the work and orients the editor or agent to the style of the novel. It also provides detail without exaggerating the scope of the book, while setting up a major tension that will unfold within the story. Be careful not to provide too much detail or too many conflicts. If you have written your book to be interesting, you do not need to write how it is “exciting” or describe every feature of it, since those details add nothing notable for the editor while they waste valuable space in your query. Overall, in crafting your hook, focus on the one point of interest that sets your book apart from all the others the editor or agent has already read or heard about. The Overview The overview of your novel should be no longer than a paragraph and provide a brief explanation of your book’s scope beyond the hook. Ideally, however, your hook should be able to stand on its own. As such, think of the overview as text that is necessary in explaining your novel but ultimately scannable or skipable by the editor or agent who is reading the query. Remember that the overview and the query letter in general does not give a detailed synopsis of your book, so in the case of fiction books it could be a good idea to end the overview in a cliffhanger in order to pique the interest of the editor or agent. In the case of non-fiction books, consider including some facts about the dearth of information in your book’s subject area. Finally, use concrete descriptions about the subject of your book instead of vague descriptions about how your novel is “about life, death, growing up, and love” or “medical treatments of the 21st century.” Example: Ishmael befriends a few crewmembers that share in the concern about the captain’s sanity as they voyage around the world in relentless pursuit of the white whale. And while the crew might seek adventure, the captain seeks revenge—at any cost. The Author Biography The query letter is mainly about your book and not about you as the author. Therefore the author biography should be brief and mention only a few facts about your writing history, past publications, writing awards, or experiences relevant to the book you have written (for instance, are you an electrician who has written a manual for electricians?). If you do not have extensive writing history or awards, avoid inflating the experiences you do have for the sake of sounding impressive—your book is the most impressive and important part of this query letter and should do the selling for you. Also, avoid mentioning that you have never been published since this is already assumed and unlikely to gain you sympathy with the editor or agent. In general, mention one or two details about you as a writer or as a professional that is relevant to the novel you are pitching. Example: I have won national awards for two novellas and three short stories. Example: I worked as a sailor while compiling and writing several in-house pamphlets on different classes of sea-faring vessels. The Conclusion or Sign-off The last part of your query letter is a succinct conclusion in which you wrap up your pitch. This is where you write that you have included a self-addressed, stamped envelope for any response the editor or agent might send, and that you look forward to hearing a response. You do not need to provide any detailed contact information: if the editor or agent wants to contact you, they can use the information you have provided in the letterhead. Example: Please contact me if you are interested in reading a full or partial manuscript of Moby Dick. I have enclosed a SASE. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you. Above all, the query letter should demonstrate your best writing in your unique voice in order to demonstrate clearly to the editor or agent the quality of your book and your writing style. While this may sound daunting, just remember that you’ve written an entire book—what’s one more page? General Tips Be brief. Links
The Query Letter for Magazine or Newspaper ArticlesThe query letter for magazine/newspaper articles is similar to one for a fiction or non-fiction book, except that often you have not written the article yet. (Though it is possible for you to have written the article, avoid sending the article since it could seem like you have been unsuccessful selling it elsewhere or are trying to resell an already published article.) The query letter in this case pitches an editor an idea that you think will make a compelling article that the editor can include in her upcoming publication. Accordingly, the letter is your opportunity to prove to the editor that you have a good idea and that you are qualified to write about it. No more than 1 single spaced page in length, a query letter for articles includes:
The Format
The Hook The hook for a query letter for magazine/newspaper articles should capture the editor’s interest in any number of ways. Depending on the proposed subject of your article, you can ask a question, offer a startling fact, establish a tension and offer a resolution, or even try the “attention-grabber” where you leave the editor with a cliffhanger. Remember to research your target publication to see which hook is the most appropriate—if you wish to write for a magazine like The Economist, an attention-grabber or first-person hook would not be effective; if you are going for Redbook, a dry statistic might not be the best one to use. Here are some successful (i.e. sold) examples, taken from Writing-World.com’s article, “How to Write a Successful Query” by Moira Allen.The problem/solution hook: The pet magazine market is an ideal place for newer writers to "break in". However, it is constantly flooded with inappropriate submissions. To break in, one must understand what these magazines want, and what they won't accept. ("Writing for Pet Magazines," sold to Byline.) The Informative Hook: Thanks to a translation glitch, Microsoft was forced to pull its entire Chinese edition of Windows 95 from the marketplace. Microsoft recovered—but that's the sort of mistake few small businesses can afford! ("How to Localize Your Website," sold to Entrepreneur's Home Office) The personal experience/anecdote: Forget-me-nots. I love their wistful name. I love their tiny blue flowers. And yes, I love that growing them is as simple as pie. ("Forget-me-nots: Simply Unforgettable Spring Flowers," by Mary R., sold to Fine Gardening) The attention-grabber. This might be a good "hook" for a query about parachuting in Yosemite: As I fell from the top of Yosemite's El Capitan, I wondered if my life would truly flash before my eyes—or if I would stop screaming long enough to notice. The Pitch The pitch is a succinct outline of the scope of your article. It should include the proposed title of your article, a projected word-count, and the specific subject of what you are offering the editor.Example: “Writing for Fido” will be a 1,200 word article on the best strategies and worst mistakes of aspiring authors for pet magazines. The Overview The overview provides a more detailed description of your proposed article. This is where you outline the specific points the article will cover, highlighting the main topics and subtopics you will cover.Example: This article will first outline the intended audience that pet authors should consider in writing their pieces. It then covers the basic format of pet writing, discussing the most relevant information an author should include. Finally, the article will provide general tips or “Dos and Don’ts” to provide the author with a quick reference for future writing. Author Credentials Like the query letter for fiction or non-fiction, the query letter for articles includes information that is relevant to your experience as a writer. List your professional or educational experience, writing experience, writing awards, personal experience with your topic, or past publications that are similar to your proposed piece.Example: A graduate of the Local College, with a degree in Writing and Publishing, I have penned two other articles that outline appropriate methods for writing for publication. I also worked as a junior editor on Local College’s student publication and have direct experience with both successful and unsuccessful articles. The Conclusion or Sign-off The last part of your query letter is a succinct conclusion in which you wrap up your pitch. This is where you write that you have included a self-addressed, stamped envelope for any response the editor or agent might send, and that you look forward to hearing a response. You do not need to provide any detailed contact information: if the editor or agent wants to contact you, they can use the information you have provided in the letterhead. It would be a good idea to provide an estimated time of article completion. Example: Please contact me if you are interested in my proposed topic. I have enclosed a SASE. If you are interested in the article, I can send it to you within three weeks of your approval. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you. Links Write A Cover Letter Or A Query Letter: The BasicsMore of a list than a fully written article, this site provides several helpful Dos and Don’ts of writing the query letter for articles and also provides a full-length example of a query letter. |
