Blog 37: Hello, is it me you’re looking for?

Welcome to another blog, and to the last day of Summer. Yes, sadly it’s true, we can officially say goodbye, as the 22nd heralds the first day of Autumn. I’m sure you've already seen the season shift in the shops with shorts and t-shirts being exchanged for jumpers and big coats. And you will have most certainly spotted the mixture of Halloween and Christmas merchandise on the shelves. There was even a Christmas song on the car radio the other day! It isn’t just that though, is it? The drop in temperature is apparent as I find myself wrapping up more, and over here, in the Northwest of England we have had strong winds and rain. As the weather has turned, so has my stomach. I’ve been ill this week with a bug. However, I am determined not to skip out on one of my weekly blogs, so today, I thought we could look at how to write a query letter.

For those that may not know, this is when your story is all complete, edited and ready to be published; and you need to find someone to publish it. You will then send out a letter to an agent or publisher asking if they will represent you. It’s a good idea to apply to more than one when you are looking to get traditionally published. However, it isn’t a one size fits all situation. Just running off one letter and sending it out to x amount of publishers is not the way to go. You will need to do a little research to find out exactly what they want you to do.

I cannot stress the following enough: MAKE SURE YOU GO INTO THEIR WEBSITE AND FOLLOW THE APPLICATION RULES. This is important to firstly, make sure that you are approaching the right type of agent/publisher, as some will only work on specific types of genres. Secondly, they usually have instructions on how to approach them. Some will want you to do it through an agent, write specific things and not others, such as send the first few chapters of your manuscript or a separate more detailed synopsis. If you don’t follow their instructions, your letter won’t even be read. Make sure there are no errors and double check their name is correct. I know this sounds obvious but if you are applying to a few different ones, you can inadvertently get it wrong. Using their first name rather than Ms or Mr is considered more appropriate nowadays, as the latter is a little outdated and you may accidentally misgender them.

However, with regards to the letter itself, here are a few pointers that are generally required. There are six main points that need to be included: -

1. Professional layout: you may already be intending to do this, however, make sure the first thing on the page (on the left) is your name and address, followed by the publisher’s name and address, then the date beneath: -

Your full name

1^st line of address

2^nd line of address

Town

Zipcode/postcode

Publisher’s name

Address in the same format as above

Date

Dear (first name),

2. Intro paragraph: if you know the publisher or have met them at a conference for example, include this here as the reason you are pitching to them. If not, then just start with something like this: -

Dear (Agent/Publisher’s Name), 

I am writing to you seeking representation for my novel, TITLE, a (number of words)-word, dual POV, adult, supernatural horror.

3. The blurb/short synopsis: introduce your main character, tell them what conflict they are trying to overcome, and give them a reason to care about them. This should finish on a cliffhanger, making them want to know how it is going to play out. Here are a few guidelines to follow: -

• Who's your main character(s)?

• What problem they face?

• What choices they must make?

• What tension drives the story forward?

• What does your character want?

• What keeps them from getting it?

4. General info: here you need to let them know that your book is marketable, which is done by comparing it to similar ones. Ideally, include books that your chosen publisher or agent have been involved in. However, if these books aren’t similar to yours, you can still mention them – as it shows you are interested in their clients’ work.

5. Short bio: a bit about yourself. This is the part to mention any previously published stories, competitions won and how long you have been writing. It’s a good idea to include something more personal to make yourself stand out, such as teaching children creative writing and perhaps being a father of four.

6. Closing: If you are attaching a separate synopsis, sample chapters, or your complete manuscript, then mention it in this final paragraph. Make sure to thank them for their time and consideration, and close with a professional sign-off: -

Sincerely, (Best regards or Many thanks).

Your name

Your email address and phone number. 

So, there you have it. On a separate note, do make sure you check out the agent or publishing house that you are getting in touch with to make sure they are genuine. If they ask you for money, they are not the real deal.

If you are at the point of looking to query right now with your manuscript. Then good luck and let me know how you get on.