Quit Using AI To Write Your Query Letters

Honestly people, just stop it! Will you! Those of you who think using AI to write your query letters is so much easier are making huge mistakes! There is no easier path to a rejection letter than taking this approach. Sure, taking 90 seconds to type in some basics about your story into that little search bar might seem easy, but the outcome is something that will leave us snoozing and make me say no immediately.

Why?

There is no life.

There is no personality.

And those AI machines just spit out generic fluff that frankly every story out there should have. Let me show you what I mean...

I typed in the following:

Write a query letter to Scott Eagan at Greyhaus Literary Agency for my 75,000 word contemporary romance about two characters in corporate America fighting for the same position but falling for each other.

And here is what I got back... Sure the formatting looks good, and on the surface things look OK, but look below and I will show you immediately where I am going to shut you down.

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[City, State ZIP Code]

[Email Address]

[Phone Number]

[Date]

Scott Eagan

Greyhaus Literary Agency

[Agency Address if known or leave blank]

Dear Mr. Eagan,

I am seeking representation for my contemporary romance novel, Climbing Together, complete at 75,000 words. Given your interest in smart, emotionally driven romance with strong character dynamics, You tell me where I said this? There is nothing on my blog post or on  my website that says this. I believe this story may resonate with your list. You have just told me but you have not shown me. At this point, I have read this and seen that this is blah, flat and boring and I have given up on you. But let's assume I keep going. I'm in a good mood and it is sunny right now in PNW....

Emma Greer and Nate Larkin are rising stars at one of Chicago’s top marketing firms—and both have their eyes on the same coveted VP position. Their rivalry is fierce, public, and deeply personal. But behind every cutting remark and stolen idea lies a growing attraction neither of them can ignore. Can we get any more cliche' here? As corporate politics, late nights, and emotional vulnerability begin to blur the lines, Emma and Nate must decide if winning the job is worth losing a shot at something real. Again, this is simply just a bunch of words. You have told me nothing about the book. You have told me nothing to want me to read more. I am always reminding you here that if I have questions, I will not ask for more of your story. I will just pass on your book. Maybe means no!

Climbing Together blends witty banter and workplace tension with emotional depth, exploring ambition, vulnerability, and the unexpected ways love can challenge what we think we want. Again, cliche' stereotypical and you have not shown me how this happens. This simply looks like you went to a list that someone gave you to put in your query letter because "it works". Sorry but I gave up on you mid way though the 2nd paragraph! By that point, I have already seen that this is A.I.'d... It will appeal to fans of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game and Julie James’ Practice Makes Perfect. This is where A.I. gets really funny. Since the computer has no clue what your voice is like, it cannot make any judgement call here. 

So, here are the blurbs from Amazon on the two stories. Ummmm, these are not exactly the same, other than sort of polar opposites coming together. The first is Thorne's and the second is James'.

#1 Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And 
they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive 
maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing 
company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is 
clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.
Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back 
down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and 
Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. 
And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

#2 Payton Kendall and J.D. Jameson are lawyers who know the meaning of objection. A feminist to the bone, Payton has fought hard to succeed in a profession dominated by men. Born wealthy, privileged, and cocky, J.D. has fought hard to ignore her. Face to face, they’re perfectly civil. They have to be. For eight years they’ve kept a safe distance and tolerated each other as co-workers for one reason only: to make partner at the firm.

But all bets are off when they’re asked to join forces on a major case. At first apprehensive, they begin to appreciate each other’s dedication to the law—and the sparks between them quickly turn into attraction. But the increasingly hot connection doesn’t last long when they discover that only one of them will be named partner. Now it’s an all out war. And the battle between the sexes is bound to make these lawyers hot under the collar…

You have to remember that the computer is just guessing. It does not know who you are. It does not know your voice. It does not know the voice of the comps. 

Your job is to SELL you and your book. Your query letter is not just to give me generics. I will also say, this is part of the reason I am not a big fan of Query Manager because most of the authors over there are simply sending out form query letters without considering who they are sending the query to.