Helpful Hints from the President of Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency

Writing a Query Letter

I’ve heard authors comment that writing a query letter is harder than writing a book. Having received some stunningly bad queries from very good authors, I’ve come to believe this must be true. I’ve even received a couple of threatening queries, one that reminded me of how easily an agent’s reputation could be ruined by a rejected author, and one that commented that we were sure to meet some day and he would let me know then what he thought of my comments on his book. Needless to say, I wasn’t overly eager to have those two as clients.

Today, most queries come as email. Our agents prefer this, as we like to keep the office clutter to a minimum. If a good e‐query letter has a synopsis and sample chapters attached, it’s convenient to open, read, and respond, so you get your answer much quicker. A caveat here, don’t get sloppy just because it’s email. It’s still a business letter and should look like one. Format it just as if you were sending it on your best business stationary. Include your contact info with a phone number, e‐mail address and web site if you have one. This sends the message that you are a professional, and  professional people make the best clients. If you query via snail mail, be sure to enclose a SASE. Send a clean, attractive package with a legible address and return address. Sufficient postage goes without saying.

Your query letter begins long before you actually write it. It starts with getting to know your book. This sounds like a no‐brainer but apparently it isn’t. I’m amazed at the number of writers who stutter and stumble when asked to describe their book. If you’ve prepared a good query letter, memorize the first paragraph and quote it. If you’ve done it right, you can use it as a pitch the next time an agent or editor asks you to describe your book. That one paragraph will tell them all they need to know about genre, sub genre, word count, protagonist, plot, and story line.

An example:

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B.S. Author. {that’s for best selling author, not what you’re thinking}

1 Main St.

Somewhere USA

Phone 555.555.0000

wwww.mywebsite.com

email@address

July 1, 2010

Dear Ms. McClure

Attached you will find a synopsis and the first three chapters of my 75,000 word mystery cozy, Dead for Some Reason. My protagonist, Suzie Que is a hairstylist who  discovers her favorite client dead in her shampoo chair and has to find his killer because her scissors are stuck in his neck. Her stalker ex‐boyfriend and her new lover are both suspects until the ex boyfriend saves her from her lover when she discovers he murdered the client in a fit of jealous rage.

I have two previously published books in this genre. After I retired from the Metropolis Police Force to be a stay‐at‐home mom, I began writing, drawing on my experience in law enforcement to give my books a realistic edge. I am a frequent speaker and have published several articles in trade magazines. I invite you to visit my website to see my schedule and learn more about my career both as an author and policewoman.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my submission. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely

B.S. Author

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This works because it describes the book in one brief paragraph, then goes on to establish the author’s credentials. It also says that she will be promoting her books, both on her website and as a speaker. Publishers like to hear that, and agents like to be able use that information in a pitch. And, it’s brief enough that the agent can get all this information in a few seconds. When you consider how busy agents and editors are, brevity is very important.

That brings us to a few things to avoid. Once again, this is a business letter. Don’t be cute. You don’t need fancy fonts or gaudy colors, and you don’t need clutter. I’ve received submissions where I would swear the submission packet was longer than the book. I couldn’t figure out where the book started, what might be prologue, or what was synopsis. A good query letter, a short synopsis, and the first three chapters of the book would have been quite enough.

I get submissions addressing me as Mrs. Maxx, Ms, Sullivan, or just Dear Agent. Now, I’m not picky about my name. My husband often calls me Mac, or McClure rather than Holly, and I find it kind of sweet. But in a query letter, getting the name wrong says that the writer isn’t exactly a stickler for accuracy. Keep the query letter short and informative. Grammar and spelling is important. If you can’t do it right in a short letter, I’m going to assume you probably got it wrong in a book.

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Bad query:

Hi Sullivan;

I’m writing a book about a murder and would like to giv you a shot at getting it published for me. I’m willing to take a small advance of $10,000 and let you keep anything over that. I have wrote almost 40 pages of this book and my wife and mother and sister all say that it is the best book they ever read and my sister teaches english in the third grade so she would know. I never wrote a book before so I figure I’m just a natural writer. Anyway, I always believed you can’t teach a person to write, they have either got it or they don’t.

Bla bla bla bla etc etc.

I want to have a contract before I send you this book so I can protect it from being plagerised. I don’t want anybody to steel this idea because it’s the only one I’ve got for a book so send me a signed contract so I can send you my book.

Yours truly,

D. A. Writer. [yes, it does mean what you think.]

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Exaggerated, yes. But only slightly. I’ve seen every element in this letter, perhaps not in the same letter but I’ve seen it done.

Three things a good query letter should be:

A. Professional: Business letter style, no gaudy colors or fancy fonts, grammatically correct, spell checked.

B. Informative: Describe your book’s genre, sub‐genre, word count, protagonist, plot, and storyline. Provide brief bio as it pertains to your writing.

C. Respectful: Get the recipient’s name correct and use formal salutation. [Dear Mr.

Jones, as opposed to Hey Joe.]

And in conclusion, don’t be intimidated by agents and editors. We need you as much as you need us. If you didn’t write the books, we wouldn’t have anything to sell or publish. So get those query letters polished up and in the mail.