Query Letter Examples

I have to share this link I found on Steve Laube's blog today. It's a collection of 23 links to actual query letters that sold a book. Have fun!

-Sonja

Why Your Story Got Rejected

Please note the title says "your story," not "you." When agents send you a rejection letter (or worse, a form rejection letter that's been photocopied so many times the paper looks gray), they are not rejecting you as a person. It's incredibly hard to not take these letters personally, but if you're going to be a writer, you'll have to get used to rejection letters.

When you get one in the mail, it hurts. Allow yourself time to grieve. Fifteen minutes ought to do it. Then move on with life. Have a cup of coffee, or a bucket of ice cream, or a cookie--it'll help you feel better. Then get back to business.

There's a reason your story was rejected, although most agents don't bother to tell you why they chose not to go with yours. Some of these reasons can be identified if you'll look closely. For instance, if you sent your horror story to an agent who only represents romance, then it's a pretty sure bet your story was rejected because it was the wrong genre. That's an easy fix: find an agent who represents horror and send a query. If you sent a 120,000 word western to someone who represents westerns, it's obvious that the word count is entirely too large. (Note: if you wrote a 120,000 word long story, it'd better be fantasy, because no other genre will put up with something that long.)

Sometimes the writing isn't as good as it could be. The mechanics are bad (you put in too many commas, or not enough commas, or forgot to indent every paragraph...). Or the storyline is boring. Or the protagonist is a wimp. Or the antagonist is too weak. The only way to identify these types of problems is to farm your story out to beta readers you trust or to a professional (see the post from last week about professional editors). Again, this problem is fixable, but it'll take work and maybe some cash. You can improve your writing techniques, edit the story, and send out a new query.

Your problem might be bigger than mechanics or characters. If your plot is predictable, or boring, or unbelievable, you may have to give up on that story and start over. There's nothing wrong with this option. Most writers never see their first efforts in print. However, if you just can't bring yourself to let go of the story, even something as huge as a predictable plot can be fixed. Re-structure the story making stronger motivations, higher stakes, and believable outcomes.
Another problem your story might have is an overbearing theme. If you've used your story to preach your pet cause, it's almost guaranteed you won't sell it. People read stories to be entertained, not to have their beliefs challenged or ridiculed. Your book might give readers a powerful emotional experience, but if that emotion is revulsion or offense or rage, no agent will want that story. There's no easy fix for this one, and you might have to scrap the story.

Sometimes there's nothing wrong with the writing, or the genre, or the word count, and your story is still rejected. Agents have hundreds of manuscripts to read through every day, and if they find a story they love, they'll pursue it. If they found it nice, or interesting, or likable but didn't LOVE it, then they pass. You can't know who will connect with your story enough to represent it, so the only option available to send out multiple queries.
I've heard of authors who throw away every rejection letter. Others only save the ones that actual correspondence from an agent (as opposed to a form letter sent out by an intern). Some authors save every rejection slip they get. I'm in that last camp. I even keep a record of every agent I've submitted to, when I sent the query, when they responded to me (if they don't respond to me, they just might find another query from me in their in-box next year), and what that response was. To date, all the responses I've gotten have been "no thanks, not for me." I'm hopeful that someday I'll get a response from an agent that's a request for representation. Until that day comes, I will continue to hone my craft, write compelling stories that offer a powerful emotional response, and query every agent on the planet. Hopefully, they'll begin to recognize my name when they open their queries email folder and feel the need to meet this persistent author who can't take NO for an answer.

-Sonja

To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish.

I've been thinking lately about self-publishing. Another writer friend of mine has gone that route and he's been singing the praises of living without an agent or traditional publishing house. My husband has also been itching to try it out with one or all of my completed novels as he's tired of the "waiting game" -- waiting for agents to look at my queries/proposals/sample chapters and get back to me. I'm in the waiting game now with my newest novel, and it's rough. There are days I get so tired of the game that I want to give up and try underwater basket weaving. But I don't have it in me to quit--I'm entirely too stubborn to not get my own way.

In an effort to say I gave it a fair shot, this morning I bought James Scott Bell's book Self-Publishing Attack! The 5 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws for Creating Steady Income Publishing Your Own Books. I read it in one sitting - it's not that long, and I read fast. It's an excellent book with a healthy dose of reality. It didn't contain a ton of new information, but it contained everything I needed to know. I highly recommend the book. And because it's so short and so reasonably priced, I'm not going to give away the information. Purchase the book if you're interested. But I want to respond to what I learned.

My biggest fear in self-publishing is my lack of experience at doing any of the things covered in Mr. Bell's book. What if I produce a horrible cover? What if I don't format it correctly? What if I do all those things right but can't market the book? That's the biggie, for me. Without marketing, I have no hope of selling more than a handful of copies, and with dismal sales comes the dismal future of not being able to attract an editor or agent if I ever want to go the traditional route. I realize my own weaknesses: I'm an extreme introvert with a mild dose of xenophobia (fear of strangers) and a rather large dose of agoraphobia (fear of crowds). How does a someone like me market a book?

Mr. Bell had several ideas that I can do without confronting my fears head-on (which, by the way, I work on all the time. I'm not one to admit my failings and then comfortably live with them--I actively put myself into situations where I have to deal with it, mostly because my kids would suffer if I never left the house. They like sporting events and theme parks and noisy church events, so we do those thing. Not a lot, but enough.) But back on point: there are ways of marketing a book that don't include crowds and strangers and big cities and monstrously expensive events that would leave me quivering in the corner.

I learned that self-publishing is not beyond my grasp. If I decide to give it a shot, I'll document my journey on this blog and use it as a teaching/sharing moment. Don't hold your breath, though. My two life mottos are "rules are to be obeyed" and "what's the rush." If I decide to self-publish, I will take my time to do things right, and then probably sit on it for some time to make sure I didn't forget anything or do it wrong. 

Comments? Questions? Words of wisdom to share? 

-Sonja

Critique Partner, Critique Groups, Critique Professionals

When you finish your novel, you may think it's time to start sending out queries by the hundreds. It's possible that the story is ready for publication, but it's also possible that you've missed a glaring problem in the text, and you're blind to it because you're too close to the work. It's time to turn to others and ask for a critique.

Family members don't make the best critiquers. They love you, and they're impressed that you've accomplished something as mammoth as writing an entire novel. Most likely, they're going to love it. Every word shines, the plot is believable, the characters are lovable, and you are most definitely the next Stephen King, Nora Roberts, or James Patterson.

 (That's Stephen King, by the way. I'm not anywhere as good at writing as he is. But I'm closing in. Watch your back, Mr. King...)

It's fine to ask your family members to read your story, but they can't give you the kind of critique you really need. You need someone who understands what a novel is supposed to be, how the pieces fit together, how scenes and plot and structure and character come together seamlessly. You need another writer.

My favorite method is to find a critique partner. My very first critique partner was a friend who happened to be a writer. She was gracious in pointing out the flaws in my writing, but she was gentle, and she held back some of her comments because we were so close. It didn't take me long to figure out she didn't want to hurt my feelings. So I went and found a stranger to be my critique partner. I met Melody at a writer's conference. When I heard that she wrote in the same genre as me, I boldly asked her if she'd like to swap stories and critique each other's work. I was amazed when she agreed, and we've been great friends ever since, but she's not afraid to give it to me straight. When something doesn't work, she points it out, knowing that I'll do the same with her work. There are several ways of working out this kind of partnership, but what worked best for me was to email a single chapter of my work to her, and she'd send me a chapter of her work. We'd read each other's work and type our comments into the text using Track Changes, then send the chapter back. We worked our way through multiple novels that way. 

I found another critique partner in an on-line forum of writers. Cyndi posted that she was interested in a critique partner, and I responded. We did the chapter-swap thing through several books, then a timing issue caught me by surprise and I sent her an entire manuscript to critique as fast as she could. She got it back to me within days (bless her heart!) and I reciprocated when she finished her NaNoWriMo efforts and sent the entire story to me. I didn't do it nearly as fast as she did mine, so I probably owe her a coffee or something. 

I've had dozens of critique partners over the years (they come and go as they finish their novel and have nothing else to share, or they opt out for personal reasons, or they don't like my critiquing style--it happens) but I've only met up with two of my critique partners in person. All my other partners are just a name attached to an email message (or a Facebook page). With technology at our fingertips, the entire writing world is available, so don't be afraid to send feelers out. Finding critique partners is easy. When you find a great one, hold on tight.

Another method is critique groups. This is a group of local authors who regularly meet in person to critique each other's work. I've never participated, but I've spoken to people who have. It's a lot of work--you have to read what everyone submits ahead of time, collect your thoughts, and share them with the group at the meeting. It can be immensely useful. It can also be a whine-fest, or an exercise is writer arrogance ("my work is the best thing ever, so you'd better not have any negative comments"), or a socializing event where little if any editing gets done. But when it's done correctly, a critique group can be extremely valuable. The best critique groups have newbies who are still learning the ropes, more experienced writers who are in the middle of their writing journey, and at least one published author who knows all the ropes. Finding this variety can be difficult, but it's worth it.

Those first two options contain a time investment--you agree to critique their work as they critique yours. If you don't want to invest the time (or don't have the time) to critique someone else's writing, you can pay a professional to edit your work. You can find them on the internet, or meet them at writer's conferences. You can pay to have only the first ten pages critiqued, or have the entire work critiqued. You can do it a chapter at a time, or send the entire manuscript at once. You can also ask the professional to focus on some aspect: character, plot, subtext, dialogue, etc. You get to choose. But choose wisely. You need someone who understands your genre, has a good reputation as an honest professional, and can give you comments without destroying your confidence. Honesty is good. Cruelty is not. Also keep in mind that professionals earn their living by doing this, and they charge enough to pay the bills. It's an investment on your part, so keep in mind that this will probably be a significant financial lay-out for you. Shop around--rates vary, but they're going to be around the same per-hour rate. Before you send your manuscript to anyone, get references. The last thing you want to do is shell out a mountain of cash and get a shoddy product. 

The biggest benefit of using a professional is getting high-quality comments that will push you to a new level of writing that you wouldn't get from a non-published critique partner. I've used professional editors in the past, and I've always gotten excellent results. But whatever path you choose (partner, group, or professional), you need to choose a path. Writer's who don't need outside feedback are rare. Give it a shot. 

I'm available, if you're interested in giving it a try. My genres of interest are fantasy, mystery, and suspense. I can also do horror, dystopia, humor, and YA. Please don't come to me with a romance, Amish, erotica, or literary work because I'd be completely lost and probably bored. I could probably handle a historical, if it's not a romance at the core. 

Any comments? Questions? Stories to share about critique partners that didn't work out? I'd love to hear from you.

-Sonja

The All-Important Query Letter

You've got a manuscript that's ready for publication. You've compiled a list of literary agents you'd be interested in working with. Now it's time to send your work to these agents and hope one of them likes your work enough to represent you in your publishing dreams.

Sounds easy. It can be. Some authors find a literary agent right away. Other authors take years to find one. There's no guarantee your path will be short or easy, so put on your thick skin and get to work. The only sure way to get an agent is to ask.

There are two acceptable ways to ask a literary agent to represent you:

1. Pitch your book to an agent at a writing conference.

2. Query an agent via mail/email.

The first way, in person, is the best way. You get to meet the agent and she gets to meet you. You tell her about your book: what it's about, what genre it is, how many words it has, if it's completed, and if there's time, throw in some info about yourself. The pitch needs to be quick because there will be other authors waiting impatiently behind you to get their three minutes with the agent, so you need to have your pitch perfected. It's got to catch the agent's attention and make her hungry to read it. She may ask for the first couple of pages and skim them. Or she may ask you to send her a couple of pages via email to read later. If she's really interested in the book, she may ask to see the whole thing. That's an exciting moment, and you'll rush home from the conference overjoyed at the prospect of landing yourself an agent. Get your manuscript to her immediately (by whatever means she wants, either snail-mail or email) and sit back for the waiting game. It'll take anywhere from one month to six months for her to get back to you. Use the time wisely to work on your next book.

If you can't make it to a writing conference, or if your #1 top agent doesn't attend conferences (it happens), you'll send a query letter. Check your agent's submission guidelines before you do this! Some agents want the first five pages. Some want the first fifty. Some want a couple of pages and a synopsis. Some want pages, a synopsis, and a full proposal. Some just want the letter with nothing else attached. Do exactly what the submission guidelines say to do -- if you ignore them and send whatever you feel like sending, they'll probably deep-six your query. After all, if you can't be bothered to follow the guidelines, they can't be bothered to read it.

Query letters are easy, once you master them. But just like everything else in life, mastering the art of query letters takes time and practice. Noah Lukeman has an excellent e-book called How to Write A Great Query. If you're new to query writing, I suggest you purchase the book. But you can live without it. There are basically three parts to a query letter:

1. Introduce yourself

2. Introduce your novel

3. Ask for permission to send more information

These three parts can go in any order, although that last one makes sense last. I like to begin with #2, introducing the novel. I begin with a hook, a single sentence about the book that is intended to pique a reader's interest. Or it could be an entire paragraph, like the blurb on the back of a book. The main goal of this is to make the agent want to read the book. Make her thirsty for more.

The second paragraph tells about you. Not what you do in your free time or how many kids you have, but information about your writing career. Do you have other books published? What makes you uniquely qualified to write this book? If your novel is about time-travelers, it's good to point out that you've got a PhD in physics. If you're writing a mystery, it's wise to mention that you were a homicide detective for 15 years. If you have no publishing credits, it's ok to write that you are unpublished, but it's not necessary. The goal of this paragraph is to let the agent know a little bit about you. 

The last paragraph is ultra short. It's basically a "thank you for your time, may I send you a sample chapter" type of thing. 

You can find sample query letters on the internet, if you need more than I've given you here (you probably do -- don't feel bad about that). Try this one by Charlotte Dillon, or this one by Preditors & Editors. Margot Finke posted three examples of successful queries on her site. There are tons more out there, so feel free to surf for a couple of days to get a feel for what a great query letter looks like.

-Sonja

I Wrote It -- Now What Do I Do With It?

Congratulations. You finished writing your novel, and you're ready to see it in print. What's the next step?

It depends. Do you want to go with a traditional publishing house, or do you want to self-publish? If you want to do it yourself, please go to the library or check on-line for the proper procedures. I don't know the first thing about self-publishing, so I won't be any help to you. If, however, you wish to explore the traditional publishing route, then I've got a few pointers to get you moving in the right direction.

Most of the larger publishing houses do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. In other words, authors can't send their manuscripts to these houses and expect someone to read them. Most houses rely on literary agents to look at available manuscripts and choose the ones that are actually ready for publication. (The ready-for-publication idea is the topic for several blog posts, but I won't get into that now). For the purposes of this discussion, you probably need a literary agent.

A literary agent is a person who will represent your interests when it comes time to make a deal with a traditional publishing house. He'll pitch your novel to the houses he thinks might be interested in publishing your novel, and if one (or more) of them want the novel, your agent will work on making that happen. The agent's goal is to get you the best deal possible. He's got a strong motivation for doing this--he gets part of the profits, but he doesn't get paid until a contract is signed. There are some shifty ones out there, so you've got to do your research when trying to find the reputable ones. Use the website "Predators & Editors" to weed through them all.

Finding literary agents is easy. Look on the internet. Getting one to look at your work is the hard part, but I'm going to address that at another time. I want to focus on the search. Not all literary agents will be a good fit for you. You need one that actually represents the genre you write. If you write horror, an agent who only represents romance won't be interested in seeing your novel. Some agents represent only CBA (Christian books), some represent only ABA (everything else), some represent both. If your book has a strong Christian theme, you'll want an agent who represents religious books. 

Market Guides are the best way of finding which agents represent your genre. Go through one and make a list of all the agents who are currently accepting queries and who represent your genre. Hopefully you'll get a nice long list. Then you'll have to research each one. Go to their websites and look around. How many authors do they represent? How many book deals have they brokered this year? What are their submission guidelines? Contact a few of the authors represent on those pages. Are they happy with the service they've received from their agent? Once you've done all your research, put the agents in order with your favorites at the top. 

As you'll be working closely with the agent on something near and dear to your heart, you need to make sure you choose an agent you like personally. If there are personality conflicts, it won't be an easy partnership. About the only way to guarantee you'll like the agent is to meet him in person. You could make an appointment and show up at his office, or you could attend a writer's conference where he will be and introduce yourself. Or hang around his lunch table and listen to he speak with other people. Or go to the class he's teaching and listen to him for an hour or more. Meeting the agent in person is not a necessary step in the process, but ending up with an agent you can't work with is a nightmare, so it's worth the effort.

By now you should know which agent on your list would be the ideal fit for you and which ones you'd be happy with if you can't get your top pick. The next step is to query, which I will cover in my next post.

-Sonja

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The New Year

Happy New Year, faithful followers! I have a New Year's resolution to share with you: 1280 x 1024, same as last year. 

 Sorry, a little geek humor there... 

Last year (2012) I resolved to post three days a week. I mostly succeeded. Some weeks I posted more than that, some I missed completely. I had a guest blogger for a time, and took some time off around the holidays. But I call 2012 a success.

For 2013, I'm keep that three-post-a-week goal, but I'm adding to it. Here are some things you can look forward to from my blog in this new year:

• I'm going to tag all previous posts so the site is easier to search. At the moment, it's impossible to search, even for me, the all-powerful creator. Tagging will help.
• Bring in more guest speakers. Melody Steiner was awesome. She's agreed to come back, but I'm looking for more. If you're interested, leave me a comment or shoot me an email message and I'll be overjoyed to hear from you.
• Google Analytics tells me the most popular posts from 2012 were regarding personality disorders (characterization) and the business of writing (query letters, agents, etc). I'm going to try to focus more on these topics in 2013. I'll still post on other topics, and as I love to blog in series, you can bet I'll still work my through my favorite books on craft and passing that along to you.
• I'm going to try adding more photos to my posts. I understand that helps readers feel connected. Or maybe they just like looking at something other than words. I'm not sure what the appeal is, but all the blogs I read on "improving your blog" say to put photos into each post. So I'll work on that. 

That should keep me busy for 2013. If you have suggestions on topics you'd like me to blog about, feel free to let me know. I'm always open to suggestions. 

On a personal note, this year I'm going to finish writing my ninth novel, try extra-hard to finally find an agent, and hopefully sign a contract before the end of the year to see one of my book in print. I'm going to home school my kids in the manner they've become accustomed, keep my house from collapsing under the weight of dust, and try out some new recipes. I'm going to lose a little weight and therefore improve my health. I'm going to re-design my office/craft room for maximum efficiency. And to top it off, I'm going to learn to be content with all that God's given me. I have a great life, and I'm going to enjoy it this year!

Do you have resolutions for this year? Care to share? I love hearing from ya'll. I think I've said that before...

-Sonja