Query Letters

How much importance do you attach to query letters? The Query Letters Board is one of the least used boards on the forum (only six topics and 31 posts in total). Does this reflect the lack of importance attached to writing query letters? Also, if witers think they are good enough to write full length novels, why do they excuse their poor skills at writing a synopsis or query letter as though it doesn't reflect badly on them as writers?

I will look forward to reading the draft of the letter, Marie!

In my opinion a query letter is the first impresssion.
It should be absolutely flawless.

Do not use regular printer paper get expensive, heavy- weight stationary for it.

Try to present your book in an interesting light--have mercy on the recipient. If they fall asleep reading your query letter, they will not wish to see your book.

Keep it short and to the point.

Good paper is a good idea. Haven't needed it, though, because more and more agents want their queries to come in via e-mail or via a form on their web sites.

Shelagh, I think many of us are either working on our own letters which (like me) are too personal to share and/or are going via POD and don't care about the letters.

Malcolm

I was gonna say. Paper is irrelevant to my query process.

Yeah, there are query letter workshops around and some tips. But it is odd that there aren't more submissions here.

lin,

You have mastered the art of gaining their attention by mentioning their children--then you could move on to say,

"If this raises any emotion on your part, you would be prudent to view my horror book manuscript in ts entirety."

If transmitting via email, consider a stationary background-- a rich looking one. It is still your first impression.

Dear Sirs,

I am approaching you to represent my new novel "Blood On The Blue Pencil" because I beleive you to be the agency most capable of grasping the deeper implications of a gripping novel in which an unbalanced writer takes revenge for the rejection of his excellent murder mystery manuscript by subjecting the agency staff's families to grisly, horrendous torture, rape and murder.

Or perhaps you would be interested in my other MS, "Happy Ending For All", in which a similarly disturbed writer is so pleased to have his semi-autobiographical novel accepted and published that he renounces his criminal ways and becomes a best-selling author known for the realism of his work and ability to terrorize writers from competing houses.

Yours Sincerely and hoping to hear from you within 24 hours or else.

lin,

You are a quick learner.

You think so?

I'm 60 years old, gorgeous and supremely intelligent and talented but haven't become a best-seller yet.

This indicates being arrival-challenged.




EDIT:

I forgot to mention charming, fragrant, and well (almost unfeasibly) hung.

It appears you are in like company.

I do think that something original would be most welcome. Picture the submisssions whatever. He/She is more than likely a human being , wishing the day would end so they cam go home and put their feet up.

They are probably drinking coffee by the gallon and poking thumbtacks in their eyeballs as they read through identical query letters--do something to get their attention.

Do not go on for more than one page. This is a business letter.

Probably the shorter the better.

I've told this story before but it is worth telling again. When a friend of mine applied for a job, she added at the bottom of the letter that she was thirty-six. When she attended the interview, the interviewer said that he just had to call her for interview to find out which part of her was thirty-six.

Here is my "terrific" query letter, a publisher's comments, not mine.

Dear Editor,

In 1962, I was a young wife on a military base. The day after my husband left in his supersonic jet for Key West and a possible attack on Cuba, the commanding officer’s wife called and told me to keep my car filled up with gas, not to go far from home, and if called again to head north no questions asked. I always wondered “what if?” and “The Last Flight North” is the result of that question. This novel is 76,000 words.

It begins in October of 1962. Charlie Ames, Marine jet fighter pilot, is deployed from his home base in South Carolina to Key West, Florida to await possible orders for an attack on Cuba. He calls his wife from an unknown location and tells her to leave their home immediately. Soon after her husband’s call, Nancy Ames discovers orders have been given to evacuate all the women and children living on the military base in South Carolina. Nancy connects with three other wives of the pilots from Charlie’s squadron, who then drive to a lodge in Tennessee owned by one of the women to await word on the state of the world and the whereabouts of their husbands. The mystery of where the men are deepens as a little boy gives Charlie’s dog tags to a United States diplomat at a park in Moscow. The pieces of the puzzle unfold over the years through unusual circumstances and unexpected encounters. Loss, romance, friendship, and adapting to a life neither the men nor their wives expected enhances this significant story of what could have been.

Writer friends told me that since I was there, I knew the real story and encouraged me to write a nonfiction book about the experience. Thus, I wrote “When My Husband Went to War in 1962.” This book involves my memories along with well-researched history, bringing the reader up to the present time and has a word count of 85,000. This is a book about the Cuban Missile Crisis with a personal touch. Military experts have called this the most dangerous time in history. The 1960s were a tumultuous time of change that has sometimes been forgotten, days when it was unusual for women with children to have jobs outside their homes and wives were expected to be dependent on their husbands even when they were without them for months at a time. Both books touch on these women’s issues and the changes in their lives over the years.

My writing experience includes writing and editing a manual for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, co-writing a program for people affected by life threatening illness titled Renewing Life which has had over 4000 participants, two historical novels based on family stories, and various other materials, especially those for schools.

Cuba has again been in the news as it is the 50th anniversary of Castro’s revolution and the next few years will most likely bring Cuba and its relationship with the United States into the spotlight. Events in the world today are reminding people about the Cold War. I hope you will consider looking over one of these manuscripts.

Carol Troestler
ctroestl@merr.com

Shelagh wrote:

I've told this story before but it is worth telling again. When a friend of mine applied for a job, she added at the bottom of the letter that she was thirty-six. When she attended the interview, the interviewer said that he just had to call her for interview to find out which part of her was thirty-six.

My point exactly--her age is NA, but provided the drawing point.

Before My Pancreatic job, I was advised by my psychiatrist to write out detailed questions for the surgeon to answer.

One of my questions was Why do both of my conditions begin
with the letter P?

My friend said, " Do not ask him that--he will think you are crazy."

"I don't care," I responded. " I don't have to be sane to qualify for this surgery."

The surgeon was world famous and might have been weary of stilted folks. When he asked me if I had any questions, I handed him the sheet of paper.

He took it, scanned it quickly and began to laugh --it was the only question he answered.

Very important people like to laugh too.

Thanks, Marie. I appreciate your rewrite and will take your suggestions seriously.

Carol

Subject: Re: Query Letters Today at 2:31 pm

Dear Editor,

The commanding officer’s wife called and told me to keep my car filled up with gas, not to go far from home, and if called again to head north no questions asked. It was 1962, the day after my husband left in his supersonic jet for Key West for a possible attack on Cuba, and I was a young wife on a military base.

I was there. I know the real story. Thus, I wrote “When My Husband Went to War in 1962” as a factual account of the Cuban Missile Crisis as seen through my eyes. This manuscript involves my memories along with well-researched history, bringing the reader up to the present time, and has a word count of 85,000.

Already my friends and casual acquaintances are asking me via email when the book will available. Perhaps you could be gracious enough to help me answer that question.

Thank you in advance for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,

Carol Troestler

Veteran Author of books and articles

I like it. I like it a lot.

I agree! You know what that query does? It raises one's curiosity about the book.

Now I'm going to combine this with "living with warriors" and the need we all have for a good news story from the history of our country, and see what happens.

I'm going to work on my list of publishers, printing out their requirements, and sending out multiple submissions to those who are not asking for many chapters etc.

Carol

I agree! You know what that query does? It raises one's curiosity about the book.

I'm not nitpicking here, but suggesting a subtle but powerful shift in your perception of what a query is about.

It compells the reader to read more of the book.

Or it didn't work.

You can write a great query about a book nobody in their right mind will buy. I found out this is very expensive: you end up mailing a lot of MS that get tossed out.

You can also have a great book, and the query reader will nod his head and say, wow that sounds like an interesting book... but not ask to see more.

My suggestions on your query are coming from that sort of pro-active attitude.

It's like the difference between dressing up nicely for your walk around the lighthouse and dressing and walking to try to seduce the lighthouse keeper.

That letter is a winner, Lin, and reminds me of some of the kinds of letters I've typed up but never sent. Mine tended to have profanity in them.

Malcolm

Marie Pacha wrote:

Alice, I thought you said you weren't a writer!

Great job.

In other words, I like it too, but Carol, you're the one that really has to be pleased with it.

Marie

Marie,

I stole the first 2 paragraphs from your letter, threw together the last paragraph and was through.

You actually wrote all of it except for the last paragraph.

I just had a thought... (OUCH!)

Do you think that publishers may be spending their free time surfing
around to see what authors are doing to write that perfect query
letter?

"Hey, Joe. Come here and look at this one! I think I'll publish the query letter and forget the manuscript!"

Of course they are.

"Hey, check this out, they figured out the one about not mentioning two books in one query. So call everybody up and tell them to start rejecting everything that DOESN'T mention more than one title. We want authors with staying power, by God.

I can't wait to watch them squirming around and flaming each other over this one. Buaaaahhh hah haaaaaah!"

Phil Whitley wrote:

"Hey, Joe. Come here and look at this one! I think I'll publish the query letter and forget the manuscript!"

I have a feeling they are making fun of us--never mind we will show them--our query letters will be better than theirs.

I highly doubt any self-respecting Editor would waste a single moment of free time looking for query letters,.

They are probably drowning in them at work.