Query Breakdown

I've been working on my query letter on and off for quite a few months. It's pretty tight now after lots of feedback and I'm reasonable happy with it. Having said that though I never over look a bit of query advice. Who knows what sort of gems one might glean!

I discovered this post by the author Shawn Klomparens over at Writer Unboxed today. He offers some awesome advice on writing kick ass query letters and breaks down one of his own to show us the process and over advice at each point.

Honestly, if you are querying for going to be in the near future, check this out!

I'll definitely be checking my own against this advice.

More on the Dreaded Query

Once again Natalie over at Between Fact and Fiction has hit the nail on the head with her latest post about the dread query. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to go check it out (whether you are in the midst of the fire swamp that is querying or not).

I'll be back in the next day or so with a new book review.

Query Letters and Book Proposals

I found this little gem at BubbleCow when I was wandering aimlessly about on the net tonight.

I'm struggling with the whole query-letter-and-synopsis-thingy at the moment. I'm trying to write it as I write the novel, the theory being that while I am full immersed in the book I will be able to easily capture the essence of the story.

Honestly, I'm not sure if it is working!

I'm finding all the conflicting ideas about how exactly a query letter should (or should not) be laid out and what should come in where very confusing.

I mean, does it really matter if the hook of my novel comes first or my reasons for approaching the agent/publisher. Will I really be penalised for getting the order wrong here?

Personally I doubt agents are quite that anal. So long as I can hook them with the unique power of my story I should be right, right?

But then, that is a chore in itself, isn't it?

How can I capture the magic of my story in one or two short paragraphs without it sounding like any other fantasy (in a made up country in jeopardy from within, inhabited by fantastical creatures).

After all there are other stories out there about princesses who save the day, other stories with magic and shapeshifters and dryads and centaurs and ... well, maybe not collosus. Sure my creatures are different, but how does one capture that uniqueness in one or two short paragraphs?

Needless to say, it's a work in progress.

Note to self: STOP banging your head against the desk - I'm getting a headache!

Thus ends my rant for today...

Effective Query Letters

Are you struggling to write a query letter? Are you staring at the blank screen willing magical agent / editor irresistible words to simply appear? Uncertain where to start or how to go on?

The agent Janet Reid has some great advice about what to make sure you include and what you ought to be sure to leave out. Make use you check it out.

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2009/10/notes-from-effective-query-class-at.html

Query Letters

If you are at all serious about writing and getting your work published you are going to have to write a query letter. For those of you who don't know, a query letter is a nice letter you send to an editor/publisher telling them a little bit about your book in order to get them excited enough to ask to see your manuscript in its entirety.

When you have written and polished your novel to perfection it's time to write a query letter. They are incredibly hard to write and require a huge about of work, and so they should. After all, it isn't going to matter how wonderful your novel is, if your query letter sucks you are never going to sell it!

Where am I going with this? No, I'm not going to tell you how to write a query letter. What I am going to do is point you in the direction of The Public Query Slushpile over at: http://openquery.blogspot.com
Here you can submit your query letter and have others comment, critique and give you brilliant advice.