Here I am, sitting in front of the monitor, pissing at the blinking cursor in front of me. I did try to write my query letter. But all I get are complicated sentences that even the DH’s eyes started to glaze over while reading it.
Yeah, you know how it felt don’t you? I am talking to those who already published their debut or 100th novel out there. You’ve been there and done that. There is no mystery that writing the query letter taxes the business side of the writer—like me who now have to turn off the creative mind, turn it inside out and think like a business person—all to have a chance at marketing my novel through my query letter.
I have like a gazillion versions of query letters already written and only recently did it start to take shape the way I want it. And I am ready to send it to the agents only to realize that it’s four more days to Christmas. I have to curb the urge to send it and wait until the first week of January 2009. Gah!
In my previous experience as a writer in my own country, I submitted my manuscript directly to my editor. I didn’t have to write a query at all—just a cover letter. So you see a query letter is something new to me. I like it though; it forces me to understand the business side of writing. I like it—the publishing I mean. I know it’s highly competitive since there are an uncountable number of writers out there competing for the same attention from agents.
However, I am determined to write the best query letter for my novel because I know this is the way to get attention. And I know it’s a game because it’s so subjective—the agent might like it first then not like it later upon re-reading it.
So if you’re in the same stage as me and just starting to write your query letter, here is the format I used:
- 1. Introduce your novel genre, word count on the first paragraph;
2. In second paragraph, start the pitch for your novel. Start with your character and her/his problem and (who and what) and why her/he wants to resolve it. What obstacles she/he face and how is she/he going to resolve it. This pitch must have the hook that makes the agent want to request several chapters or the entire manuscript.
3. Where do you see your novel in terms of marketing? Who are the readers, etc?
4. The fourth paragraph I cited my brief credentials like my writing experience.
5. Thank the agent for his/her time.
Now writing the pitch section is the hardest part for me so I scoured several online forums and found two websites that could help me sharpen my pitch: www.querytracket.net and www.absolutewrite.com/forums. I registered with both forums and found a tremendous number of important resources to help me get my query letter polished and ready to go.
See you there!
Oh! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year 2009!
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