Writing the PERFECT Query Letter

Let's talk today about that darn letter you all hate to write - The Query Letter! I know you all hate it because of the huge uptick I have seen (as well as other editors and agents) of the number of you turning to A.I. written letters. For those of you doing this, let me say that your taking that approach is probably the reason so many of  you are seeing an equal uptick of rejection letters, or more likely, no response from those editor and agents. So, with that in mind, let's talk about that perfect query letter.

FOLLOW THE RULES  I cannot stress this one enough. Do exactly what the editors and agents ask for. If they say to NOT include attachments, then don't. If they say send the first three chapters, do just that. You might feel you are helping them out by doing more, or you want to show them the "really good part of the story" but that approach will get an automatic rejection. If you can't follow the guidelines, you are demonstrating that the odds are, you will not follow the revision letters we send to you.

THE THREE PARTS There are three parts of that query letter and you need to include all of these parts. THE BASICS, THE BOOK, THE BIO

• The Basics include: title, genre, word count, the high concept and why you are contacting that editor or agent. You may include comps to other books, but make sure you explain why (see below under Show Don't Tell. Make sure you know exactly what your genre is. You will also note I am saying word count not pages you have written. 
• The Book is where you are going to tell us a brief summary of the entire novel. We need to know who the characters are, the conflict and the general plot (including the ending). Don't give us something such as "and along the way our character meets quirky characters and faces different obstacles and challenges) Come on. NO DUH!
• The Bio is where you tell us about you THE WRITER. If this is your first book, tell us what else you have planned or in the works. If you have been published in the past, tell us what you wrote, who published it, etc. If this book has won awards, tell us. If this book has been published before give us sales numbers (not reviews).

MAKE IT PERSONAL Make sure that you are talking directly to that individual editor or agent. Know what the like and showcase that. If you met them before, tell them when and where. Show us you have done the research. BTW, here is how we know you are using A.I. "I am pleased to share this story with you because of your extensive background in...[and then you tell us something we don't do].

SHOW DON'T TELL You have been told to do this in your writing so you need to do this here as well. When you talk about comparable book, then don't just give us names, explain why and how your book is similar. When you tell us why your book is a perfect fit for us, then explain why. 

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL Every letter you write will be different. Do not just write, Dear Agent and then mass send it out to everyone. This connects back to MAKE IT PERSONAL.

Look, the query letter is just the same as a cover letter for your resume. This is where you showcase why you are the best candidate and why your story is the things we have to have.