cover letter for literary agents example

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Read a sample literary agent query letter, with hints & tips.

By Harry Bingham

Sample Query Letter & Template Included

You want to know what a great query letter to literary agents should look like? We’re going to show you a perfect sample letter in a moment.

But we’re also going to figure out what your query letter needs to do – and how you’re going to write it.

This blog post will give you everything you need – and I promise that if you are talented enough to write a book, you are EASILY capable of writing a strong, confident query letter.

OK. We’ll get stuck in in one second.

But I should probably tell you that I am a real author describing a real book. The query letter below pretends that this book is a first novel and I have no track record in the industry. That’s obviously the case for most people reading this, but if you DO have a track record of note, then for heaven’s sake tell agents about it. Boasting is good!

What A Query Letter Should Accomplish

Your query letter needs to accomplish the following goals:

• Introduce the purpose of your letter (ie: to secure representation).
• To define in a very concise way the manuscript that you’ve written (ie: title, genre, word count).
• To introduce your work at slightly more length – so you say what it is (setting / setup / premise / main character).
• To give a sense of the emotional mood of your work – what is the emotional payoff for the reader?
• To give a hint of your book’s USP or angle.
• To help the agent understand where your book would fit in the market by including comparable titles and agent personalisation.
• To say something – not much – about you.

The Structure of your Query Letter

Here’s the structure that most query letters should take. There are some exceptions (notably non-fiction and literary fiction), but for most purposes your query letter should comprise the following:

• Introductory sentence – include your purpose for writing (you’re seeking representation!) book title, wordcount, genre.
• 1-2 paragraphs about your book – what your book’s about and why a reader will love it.
• A brief note about you – who you are and why you wrote the book.

We’ll expand on these things shortly.

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A sample query letter

First up, however, here’s a query letter of a sort that would make any sane agent want to start reading the manuscript in question:

Dear Agent Name I’m writing to seek representation for my first novel, TALKING TO THE DEAD, a police procedural of 115,000 words. The book opens with news of a murder: a young woman and her daughter have been found dead in a rough area of Cardiff, Wales. The house where they’re found is in poor condition, but in the corner of the room is a platinum bank card belonging to a local millionaire. A millionaire who died in a plane crash some nine months previously. New recruit, Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths is assigned to the investigation. Puzzling as this crime looks, it’s not the heart of the book’s mystery. It becomes rapidly clear that Fiona Griffiths herself is a very peculiar woman, who is withholding crucial secrets from the reader. Who exactly is her father? What was her childhood illness? And what is it with her and corpses? I currently run my own small consultancy business, and  this is my first novel. I look forward to writing further novels in the series. I enclose the first three chapters and a synopsis. I hope you like what you see and look forward to hearing from you. Yours, Harry Bingham

Simple right? And you can do it, no?

Here’s that query letter again with my comments highlighted in bold:

Dear Agent Name [ probably Jenny Smith, for example, rather than Ms Smith or just Jenny. But do check spellings, please! Someone called Jon may be annoyed to be addressed as John. ] I’m writing to seek representation  [the purpose of you getting in touch]  for my first novel, TALKING TO THE DEAD, a police procedural of 115,000 words.  [title, genre, word count – all defined fast and clearly.] The book opens with news of a murder: a young woman and her daughter have been found dead in a rough area of Cardiff. The house where they’re found is in poor condition, but in the corner of the room is a platinum bank card belonging to a local millionaire. A millionaire who died in a plane crash some nine months previously.  [This sets up the basic premise of the crime story. Already, the agent has the basic co-ordinates she needs to navigate, including location. I haven’t explicitly mentioned that this is a contemporary novel, but if it’s historical or speculative you certainly need to spell that out.]  New recruit, Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths is assigned to the investigation.  [Introduce main character – clearly and succinctly.] Puzzling as this crime looks, it’s not the heart of the book’s mystery. It becomes rapidly clear that Fiona Griffiths herself is a very peculiar woman, who is withholding crucial secrets from the reader. Who exactly is her father? What was her childhood illness? And what is it with her and corpses?  [This hints nicely at the book’s mood and USP. It starts to suggest the emotional payoff – a mystery to do with the book’s central character. In effect, this is where you deliver something like the book’s elevator pitch – the reason why the agent has to know more.] I currently run my own small consultancy business, and this is my first novel. I look forward to writing further novels in the series.  [A line or two about me. Confirmation that I understand I’m writing a series – an important touch for this kind of fiction. If you are writing in any genre that expects a series (eg: plenty of children’s genres) make it clear that you understand that expectation.] I enclose the first three chapters and a synopsis. I hope you like what you see and look forward to hearing from you.  [Wrap it up. The whole letter easily fits onto one page. And yes, I know you’ll be sending an email, but you know what I mean.]

Now you know what you’re doing, we’ll get into a slightly more specific analysis.

The Components of Your Query Letter

The 1 sentence summary.

• You need to say why you’re writing. (You’re seeking representation, right? So say so.)
• You need to give the title of your book, either underlined or (better) in italics, please.
• You need to give the word count of your book, rounded to the nearest 5,000 words. (And one word of advice: just be sure your word count is approximately right for the market.  Advice here .)
• You need to give the approximate genre or territory of your book.

If you do those things, the agent can instantly understand what you want and what you’re offering. You will also, by the way, prove yourself to be a swift, professional writer.

It’s absolutely fine to model your sentence after the one I’ve given you above. It’s my copyright, but I don’t mind a bit of plagiarism.

What’s your genre?

It’s all very well for me to tell you to define your book’s genre: my books have a really clear, easily named genre. But that’s just not true of lots of books. If you’re writing a historical novel involving a cross-cultural romance amidst the wars of the 18th century Ottoman empire – what is that book? A romance? A war story? Historical fiction?

The simple truth is that it’s all of those things and agents aren’t that fussed about putting things into neat boxes, because fiction has never come in neat boxes.

So just describe the book, in 1-2 sentences. “The novel follows Ali, a caliph in the 18th century Ottoman empire and his romance with Anya, a Balkan servant girl. The novel centres on the XYZ war and has its climax during the 17xx siege of Dubrovnik.” Now, I’ve just made that up – I don’t know if there was a siege of Dubrovnik, but you can see that I’ve explained what kind of book this is without needing to reference a genre. If your book doesn’t fit any neat category, then just do the same.

The 1-2 Paragraph Introduction To The Book

First, it’s important to say what this is not.

You are not writing a back-of-book blurb. But nor are you writing a detailed outline of your story. (That’ll come in the form of your synopsis – get more synopsis help  right here .)

What you  are  doing is explaining  what  your book is and  why  a reader will feel compelled to read it.

That ‘what’ element will typically be a matter of presenting some facts. You need to give some more information about your settings, your premise, your characters and so on. You don’t need to be as salesy as a cover blurb, and you don’t need to be as dry as a synopsis. It’s almost as though you were chatting to your best friend and telling her about the book you’ve just been reading.

The ‘why’ element is equally crucial. Here, you are conveying something about  emotions . What is a reader going to feel as they read the book? What kind of atmosphere will they inhabit? What kind of emotional payoff or challenge is likely?

Comparable Titles

Including comparable titles is a clear and simple way to help authors understand where your book fits in the market. It’s important to query agents who specialise in your genre, and comparable titles help them get a sense of where your book would fit in with their list. Some people choose to include this in the introduction of their query letter, while others add it in later on; you can place it anywhere that suits you.

The standard advice is that you should try to include two or three comparable titles. You could reference them by saying ‘readers of x, y, and z would love (your book)’ or ‘x meets y in (your book)’. Make sure that you also describe why your book is unique and detail the extra elements it adds to the books you reference.

Personally, I’m a little sceptical that agents always need this kind of triangulation. Done badly, and it can seem a bit crass – a bit unsophisticated.

For this reason, and if you do choose to go the comparable title route, it’s important that the titles you use are genuinely similar to your book. Though it can be tempting to reference books you admire, it’s helpful to show an understanding of the market you’re writing in and give the agent a sense of the overall tone/style of your book. The titles should be commercially successful and contemporary (ideally from the last two years or so) to show your agent why you think your book will sell in the current market.

Oh yes, and don’t just pick the current genre bestsellers as your comps. That’s a bad idea for two reasons: first, everyone else will do it, and second, it’s actually important you pick the books and authors that really do give the agent a real clue as to what you’re all about. That could be the book currently at the top of the NYT bestseller list … but it probably isn’t.

Agent Personalisation

Agent personalisation is a very brief part of your query letter, but it’s an important one. Lots of writers eagerly send query letters to lots of different agents, and agents want to know that you put some thought into deciding to contact them specifically. As with comparable titles, this is a section which can go anywhere in your query letter.

Providing an agent with a specific reason why you chose to query them will help make your query letter stand out, and it also shows that you’ve done your research.

Maybe they represent an author in your genre who you’re a big fan of, and that’s how you found out about them. Or perhaps you discovered them on Twitter, or went to an event they took part it where something they said really resonated with you. Let them know! Including this element of personalisation will make your letter more memorable.

Again, don’t do this on auto-pilot. If you genuinely have a particular reason for writing to this particular agent, say so. If not, keep silent. Most agents have 2-3 big name authors and a horribly huge proportion of the query letters coming to those agents say, “I am writing to you because you represent Famous Author X and I think that my book …”

Yeah, right.

If in doubt, just keep quiet.

A Brief Introduction To You, The Author

Luckily, agents don’t care too much about you. Nor should they. They should care about the book, and only the book. That’s a fine, honest, meritocratic approach. May the best book win!

That said, agents are obviously curious about the person behind the manuscript. So tell them something about yourself. It’s fine to be human here, rather than resume-style formal. It’s also OK to be quite brief. For example:

“I am a 41-year-old mother, with three children, two dogs, one husband, and the finest vegetable garden in the southwest.” That’s much better than “I spent twelve years as an ACPO-registered bookkeeper with a variety of small and medium enterprises by way of clients. I was nominated for the New Mexico Young Bookkeeper Award three times, and was successful on one occasion (2003).” Believe me, agents don’t care – and nor should they. Your manuscript matters. You don’t … much.

Why you wrote the book

If there is a real connection between who you are (a shrimp fisher, let’s say) and the book you’ve written (something to do with the sea and fishing) then it’s worth another sentence or two to tease that out a bit.

But don’t feel compelled to do that. In my case, I wrote a crime novel, just because I wanted to write one. I’m not a cop or ex-cop. I have no forensics expertise. I have no legal expertise. Or anything else relevant. And that doesn’t matter, of course – what matters is the quality of the book.

So if you have something good to say, say it. If you have nothing to say, then say nothing and don’t worry about it.

Your previous writing history

If you have some real background as a writer, then do say so. For example, you might have written a textbook or similar on a topic relevant to your own professional area. Or you might have won or been shortlisted for a major short story prize. Or perhaps you work as a journalist or copywriter. Or something similar.

If anything like that is the case, then do say so.

But if it’s not – don’t worry! We’ve seen a lot of agent query letters that say things like “I haven’t had much writing experience, but my English teacher always used to say that I would be a writer one day . . .” And, you know what? It just sounds feeble. So don’t say it.

Agents know that most slushpile submissions will be by complete newbie authors. And that’s fine. JK Rowling was a newbie once . . .

Writing a series?

If you are writing a series, then you should say so, much as I did in that sample letter above. Agents will like the fact that you recognise the series potential of your work and that you are committed to taking the steps needed to develop it.

What you don’t want to do, is sound overly rigid or arrogant. (“I have completed the first four novels in my  Lords of the Silver Sword  series, and have got complete chapter outlines for the next 11 titles. I am looking for a publisher who will commit fully to the series.” — if you write something like that, agents are likely to reject you out of hand.)

How Long Should Your Query Letter Be?

Your overall letter should not run to more than one page. (Except that non-fiction and literary authors can give themselves maybe a page and a half, maybe two). And that’s it.

If you’ve written your query letter, and would like some feedback before querying agents, why not purchase an agent submission pack review from us.

We can help YOU get published. Did you know, we have a complete course on getting published? The course covers absolutely everything you need to know: how to prepare your manuscript, how to find agents, how to compile your shortlist, how to write your query letter and synopsis – and much, much more besides. That  course is quite expensive to buy . . . so don’t buy it. The course is available completely free to premium members of Jericho Writers. Not just that course. You get our Agent Match tool for finding literary agents. You get our awesome How To Write course. Plus our members get regular opportunities to pitch their work live online to a panel of literary agents. Sounds good, doesn’t it?  So hop over here and find out more about joining us .

Query Letters: The Exceptions

OK, there are a few exceptions to the above rules. Of those, the two most important ones you need to know about are:

You Are Writing Literary Fiction

If you are writing genuinely high end literary fiction, agents will want you to strut a little, even in your query letter. So if you were writing about (Oh, I dunno) a fictional nun in 14th century Florence, you might talk a bit about the themes of your work and what inspired you to pick up this story.

This kind of thing:

“ I got the idea for this story, while working as a game warden one winter on the Hebridean island of Macvity. I was all alone and with a deeply unreliable internet connection. It occurred to me that my solitary life had its religious aspect and I became very interested in female monasticism. Blah, yadda, yadda, blah. ”

(Sorry for the blahs, but personally I like books that have corpses in them.)

The idea of this kind of approach is that you are selling the book (its themes, its resonances), but also you’re selling yourself – you’re showing that you can walk the talk as a literary writer.

You Are Writing Non-fiction And You Have A Remarkable Platform

Let’s say you are writing a cookbook and you have a couple of million people who subscribe to your YouTube channel. Or you are writing a book about motorcycle repair and you have a motorbike-themed blog with 250,000 monthly readers. In those cases, you have to delineate your platform in enough detail to convince an agent (and ultimately a publisher) that you are the right person to write this manuscript.

In those cases, then your query letter does need to outline your platform in sufficient detail. You may even want to kick that outline over into a separate document. However you handle it, the “one page query letter” rule can safely be binned. Your prospective agent wants to know what kind of platform you can supply – so tell her.

Oh yes: and having a website is not a platform. Having 10,000 followers on Twitter is impressive, but means nothing in the context of national or international marketing. In short: if you are going to make a big deal of your platform, your platform itself needs to be a big deal. That means having six- or seven-figure numbers to boast about. Nothing else will really cut it.

You Are Writing Non-fiction And You Have Extraordinary Authority

Much the same goes if you are (let’s say) writing a book of popular psychology and (like Daniel Kahnemann) just happen to have a Nobel Prize to wave around.

If you bring amazing authority to a topic, then you need to cover that, either in your query letter or a separate bio. Again, the one page rule just doesn’t apply.

Literary Agent Etiquette

So. Let’s say you’ve got a shortlist of agents. You’ve checked those agents’ websites for their specific submission requirements – probably opening chapters + query letter + synopsis.

You use our query letter sample and write your own perfect query letter. You avoid any weak language, misspellings or grammatical howlers, of course.

You use our advice to put together your synopsis ( advice right here ). You don’t spend too long on writing the synopsis either, because if you use our techniques, that process is simplicity itself.

You read the opening chunk of your manuscript one last time – and follow our simple rules on  manuscript formatting .

And then – well, you send your stuff off.

You light some candles, pray to your favourite saints, tie a black cat into a knot and throw a mirror over a ladder. (Or under it? Or something to do with a wishing well? I’m not sure. Superstition isn’t my strong suit.)

Anyway. You get your stuff out to at least 6 agents and preferably more like 10-12. You wait an unfeasibly long amount of time – but let’s say 6-8 weeks as a rough guide.

What happens next? Well.

Rejections do happen, and are likely to happen even if you’ve written a great book. (Because agents have their hands full. Or just like a different sort of thing. Or have an author who is too directly competitive. Or anything else. It’s not always about you or your book.)

But if you send your material out to 10-12 agents, and find yourself being rejected, then you have to ask yourself:

• Am I being rejected because I’ve chosen the wrong agents?
• Am I being rejected because my query letter / synopsis are poor?
• Am I being rejected because my book isn’t up to scratch?

Truthfully? The third of these issues is by far the most common.

If you’ve written a great book, and a rubbish query letter, you can still find an agent. The other way around? Never.

If you are confident that you’ve gone to the right agents, and have been rejected by 10+ people (or heard nothing after 8 weeks, which amonts to the exact same thing), then the probable truth is that your book is not yet strong enough for commercial publication.

And, you know what?

That’s not a big deal.

All books start out bad. Then they get better. So getting rejected is really just a signal that you still have further to travel down that road. ( Find out about the type of rejection letters to look out for here. )

Remember that getting third party editorial advice is the standard way of improving your work. We offer outstanding editorial help and  you can read all about it here .

Alternatively, join the Jericho Writers family, and you can get a ton of help absolutely free within your membership. Free courses on How To Write. Free courses on Getting Published. Free access to AgentMatch. And so much more.  Find out more here .

Happy writing, and good luck!

About the author

Harry has written a variety of books over the years, notching up multiple six-figure deals and relationships with each of the world’s three largest trade publishers. His work has been critically acclaimed across the globe, has been adapted for TV, and is currently the subject of a major new screen deal. He’s also written non-fiction, short stories, and has worked as ghost/editor on a number of exciting projects. Harry also self-publishes some of his work, and loves doing so. His Fiona Griffiths series in particular has done really well in the US, where it’s been self-published since 2015. View his website , his Amazon profile , his Twitter . He's been reviewed in Kirkus, the Boston Globe , USA Today , The Seattle Times , The Washington Post , Library Journal , Publishers Weekly , CulturMag (Germany), Frankfurter Allgemeine , The Daily Mail , The Sunday Times , The Daily Telegraph , The Guardian , and many other places besides. His work has appeared on TV, via Bonafide . And go take a look at what he thinks about Blick Rothenberg . You might also want to watch our " Blick Rothenberg - The Truth " video, if you want to know how badly an accountancy firm can behave.

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How to Write a Submission Cover Letter That Will Wow Literary Agents

As a writer, you spend countless hours perfecting your manuscript, pouring your heart and soul into every word. But did you know that the cover letter you include with your manuscript submission is just as …

Written by: Adam

Published on: November 20, 2023

The purpose of a submission cover letter is to introduce yourself and your work to literary agents. It gives you the opportunity to make a strong first impression and convince the agent that your manuscript is worth their time and consideration. While the content of your manuscript is undoubtedly important, a well-written cover letter can help it stand out from the slush pile and increase your chances of getting noticed.

Understanding the purpose of a cover letter for manuscript submission

Before diving into the nitty-gritty of writing a cover letter for manuscript submission, it’s crucial to understand its purpose. A cover letter serves as a professional introduction to your work and provides a glimpse into your writing style and personality. It should be concise, engaging, and tailored specifically to the agent or agency you’re submitting to.

When a literary agent receives a submission, they often have limited time to review each one. A well-crafted cover letter can pique their interest and make them eager to delve into your manuscript. Think of it as a teaser, enticing them to read further. It’s your chance to showcase your writing skills and convince the agent that you’re not only a talented writer but also a professional who understands the industry.

Essential elements of a cover letter for manuscript submission

Now that you understand the purpose of a cover letter, let’s explore the essential elements that should be included. First and foremost, your cover letter should be professional in tone and format. Use a standard business letter format with your contact information at the top, followed by the agent’s details and the date. Address the agent by name if possible, as it shows you’ve done your research and personalized the letter.

Next, introduce yourself and mention the title of your manuscript. Briefly explain why you chose to submit to that particular agent or agency. This demonstrates that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in working with them. Highlight any relevant writing credentials or experience you have that make you uniquely qualified to write the manuscript. Keep this section concise and focus on the most impressive aspects of your background.

Finally, provide a brief summary or pitch of your manuscript. This should be a compelling and concise overview that captures the essence of your story and leaves the agent wanting to know more. Avoid giving away too much detail or spoiling the plot. Instead, focus on intriguing the agent and creating a sense of curiosity. Think of this section as a movie trailer – it should leave the agent eager to dive into your manuscript and discover the full story.

Tips for writing an attention-grabbing opening paragraph

The opening paragraph of your cover letter is your chance to make a strong first impression and grab the agent’s attention. Start with a compelling hook that will immediately engage the agent and makes them curious about your manuscript. It might be an intriguing question, a shocking statistic or a captivating anecdote. The key is to make the agent want to keep reading.

After the hook, briefly introduce yourself and your manuscript. Mention any relevant writing credentials or experience that make you stand out. Highlight why you chose to submit to that particular agent or agency. Show them that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in working with them. This personal touch can make a significant impact and show the agent that you’ve put thought into your submission.

Remember to keep the opening paragraph concise and to the point. Agents receive numerous submissions every day, so they appreciate brevity. Avoid rambling or providing unnecessary information. Instead, focus on crafting a strong and attention-grabbing opening that leaves the agent eager to read more.

How to showcase your writing credentials and experience

When it comes to writing a cover letter for manuscript submission, showcasing your writing credentials and experience is essential. This section allows you to demonstrate your expertise and convince the agent that you’re a talented writer who is worth their consideration. Here are a few tips to help you effectively showcase your credentials:

Highlight any relevant writing achievements: Focus on the writing credentials that are most relevant to your manuscript and the genre you’re targeting. This could include published (or self-published) works, writing awards, or any other accomplishments that demonstrate your skill and experience (such as building an audience on social media).

Provide details but be concise: While it’s important to provide some context and details about your writing credentials, remember to keep it concise. Agents have limited time, so make sure to highlight the most impressive aspects without overwhelming them with unnecessary information.

Tailor your credentials to the agent or agency: Research the agent or agency you’re submitting to and tailor your writing credentials accordingly. If they have a particular interest or speciality, highlight any relevant experience you have in that area. This shows the agent that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in working with them.

By effectively showcasing your writing credentials and experience, you can establish yourself as a credible and talented writer. This increases the agent’s confidence in your abilities and makes them more likely to consider your manuscript.

Crafting a compelling summary of your manuscript

Perhaps the most crucial part of your cover letter for manuscript submission is the summary of your manuscript itself. This section is your chance to give the agent a taste of what your story is about and entice them to read further. Here are a few tips to help you craft a compelling summary:

Keep it concise: Your summary should be brief, typically no more than a few paragraphs. Focus on the main plot points and the core themes of your story. Avoid getting bogged down in unnecessary details or subplots.

Capture the essence of your story: Your summary should give the agent a clear idea of what your story is about and what makes it unique. Highlight the main conflict, the protagonist’s journey, and any intriguing elements that set your manuscript apart.

Create a sense of curiosity: The goal of your summary is to leave the agent wanting to know more. Don’t give away all the details or spoil the ending. Instead, create a sense of curiosity that compels the agent to dive into your manuscript and discover the full story.

Crafting a compelling summary takes time and careful consideration. It’s often helpful to draft multiple versions and seek feedback from trusted peers or writing groups. Remember, your summary is your manuscript’s first impression, so make it count.

Do’s and don’ts of writing a cover letter for manuscript submission

To wrap up our guide on writing a submission cover letter, let’s go over some essential do’s and don’ts to keep in mind:

• Address the agent by name if possible.
• Tailor your cover letter to the agent or agency you’re submitting to.
• Highlight your most relevant writing credentials and experience.
• Keep your cover letter concise and to the point.
• Proofread your cover letter for any grammatical or spelling errors.

Don’t:

• Ramble or provide unnecessary information.
• Oversell or exaggerate your writing credentials.
• Give away too much detail or spoil the plot in your manuscript summary.
• Forget to personalise your cover letter for each submission.
• Forget to follow the submission guidelines provided by the agent or agency.

By following these do’s and don’ts, you can ensure that your cover letter is professional, engaging, and tailored to the agent you’re submitting to. Remember, the goal is to get a foot in the door, make a good first impression and convince the agent that your manuscript is worth their time and consideration.

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How to Write a Cover Letter for a Book Submission

If you’re wondering how to write a book submission cover letter, first of all: congratulations! You’ve written a whole novel , and edited the completed manuscript so it’s ready to submit to literary agents . That’s a huge achievement!

While the world of publishing and the manuscript submission process might seem opaque, we’re very lucky here at The Novelry. We have a whole team of experienced authors and editors who have been on both sides of the process – so we know how to write query letters that really grab literary professionals’ attention.

Read on for our top tips on crafting the perfect cover letter. Remember, the cover letter is one of the most important ways to ensure the package you submit stands out from the crowd.

While you’re here, be sure to look over other articles in our creative writing blog – they’re full of tips and tricks for navigating the publishing industry. For example, you can find advice on how a writer can create the perfect hook for a novel , and how to write a synopsis to go with it. You might also want to cast your eyes over our tips on how to start a story and write a great first paragraph.

Plus, you can read this article with a literary agent’s advice on novel openings so that your first three chapters are as strong as they can be.

And if you really want a tip-top submissions package, sign up to one of our creative writing courses. Our structured programmes will take you step by step through the novel-writing journey, ensuring your book aligns with the publishing market at every stage: from a cracking idea to a beautifully formatted manuscript. You get one-to-one coaching from a bestselling author in your genre, and access to a roster of professional editors who can whip your manuscript into shape. Plus, we work with the leading literary agencies in the UK and the USA, and we know exactly what they’re looking for!

And always, always remember to read the instructions on each agent’s and publisher’s website before you even think about putting together a submissions package.

But above all, do away with any fear or nerves: manuscript submission really isn’t scary stuff! It’s all very straightforward, and agents are on your side ! They want to share great stories with the world. Think of this as another stepping-stone to seeing your book on the shelves, not an obstacle.

The basics of writing a book submission cover letter: tone

The first thing to establish before you start writing the cover letter for your book is the tone.

It can be a difficult balance, and – understandably – a significant choice for a writer. After all, this isn’t a cover letter to apply for any old job where your writing prowess might not be a huge factor. This is your chance to prove your prose is worthy of agents’ extremely limited time.

The temptation to show off your skills and your writing style might be strong. But remember: that’s why you submit sample chapters. Think of this more as a business letter. Keep it professional, to the point and easy to read. Keep your word length and sentence length in check; this is no place for purple prose.

Some writers also hope their query letters will convey their personality – and so they should! If it feels right, feel free to add a splash of dry humour, and give the agent an idea of who you are (without recounting your entire life). But again, maintain a balance and stay on the professional end of the spectrum rather than going all-out wacky.

A brief note on conveying your personality: be sure to write in the first person, as yourself. Some people think it’s kooky or endearing to write their letter as their protagonist. It might feel original, but unfortunately agents have seen it before, and few will be amused.

Above all, proofread, then proofread again, and then proofread a final time. You might even ask a friend from your writing group , or a savvy editor, to give it one more proofread for good measure. What you really don’t want in your cover letter is a grammatical or spelling mistake. You’re selling the agent on your writing – keeping it error-free is the bare minimum!

Key elements of cover letters in publishing

Once you’ve thought about tone, consider the topics your cover letter should address.

There are five key elements in the query letter that writers send with their book submissions:

Generally, you’ll write a cover letter that hits those topics, probably in that order.

The word count

Before we think about how you’ll address these elements, and how much of your cover letter each will take up, it’s worth thinking about the overall word count.

Again, you might find yourself wrestling your writerly instincts (even if you’re fond of writing short fiction…). You need to keep your covering letter short and snappy. After all, you don’t want the agent to spend all their time reading just your letter. You want them to turn to your manuscript as soon as possible, and get right into those three sample chapters (or however many their guidelines request).

At most , your pitch letter should take up one page (in a legible font size, please. We know your tricks!)

1. Writing the hook for your book submission

The very first thing in your letter will likely be your hook. It’s right there in the name; its job is to hook the reader into your fiction.

As we mentioned, you can get in-depth advice on how to write a great hook for a novel in a dedicated article, but we’ll give you some brief pointers here.

It should be a very short paragraph, which includes the title and genre of your novel, along with the pitch or hook. Put simply, it will go: ‘[TITLE] is a [GENRE] in which [PITCH]’ .

The hook should be (ideally) a single sentence, and sum up the premise of your book. To nail it, you’ll want to consider these factors:

• What your novel is about
• Who it’s about
• What’s at stake for your protagonist
• What stands in their way
• What they must do to achieve their goal

Some writers find it helpful to use titles of works they’re comparing their novel to, often in the ‘X meets Y’ format, or ‘X but in Z setting’. For example:

• Alien was pitched as ‘ Jaws but in space’
• George R.R. Martin’s pitch for A Game of Thrones was ‘ Lord of the Rings meets the War of the Roses’
• Our writing coach Katie Khan’s debut novel, Hold Back the Stars , was pitched as ‘ Gravity meets One Day ’

If there are titles or concepts that fit, this can give agents an immediate idea of what to expect in your manuscript.

Plus, you’re offering proof of concept. That’s integral to any compelling business proposition, but it’s especially important in the world of publishing. While the industry has risk-taking pretty much baked in (given only around a third of published books are profitable), there’s still hesitancy around signing books with a premise that’s completely untested.

Which brings up another important point: don’t make the mistake of comparing yourself to an outlier or phenomenon (like Harry Potter , The Da Vinci Code or Fifty Shades of Grey ). Not only could you come across as a little self-aggrandising, but not all agents want to bet on outliers. They might prefer the security of a surer thing.

2. The story paragraph

Once you’ve given the basic hook, you’ll be relieved to know that you have another, longer paragraph to summarise your story.

This is one of the most essential parts of your cover letter. Importantly, it sits apart from your hook, synopsis, chapter outlines and/or sample chapters.

To give you an idea of what you’re aiming to write, it’s akin to the blurb written on the back of book covers. It should be stirring and pithy. It should also make it clear what question will drive readers to the novel’s end from its very beginning.

Make it as intriguing as you can and feel free to end on a cliffhanger. The agent needn’t know the entire story at the point of submitting. Plus, they’ll usually have requested a more detailed synopsis as part of the submissions package, so they’ll turn to that if they want more detail. Or they might even ask to see the full manuscript! But this letter is your chance to grab their attention and stick in their memory.

While you want to distil the essence of your whole novel into this section, do try to keep the focus on its beginning, the part that makes us keep going. That’ll make the literary agent want to read the rest of your materials!

One fact you should always include is the total number of words in your full manuscript.

Examples of story paragraphs

To give you an idea, here are a couple of examples from popular books. We’ll put the novel after the paragraph, so you can see how easily identifiable the work should be from its brief description. Hopefully it will give you an idea of the amount of detail to go into.

Mrs Bennet wants nothing more than to secure good marriages for her five daughters and is thrilled when a wealthy young gentleman rents a nearby manor. When middle daughter, Elizabeth, is first introduced to eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she finds him cold and arrogant – and he seems unimpressed by her quick-witted charm. However, as the weeks pass, both Darcy and Elizabeth find themselves reconsidering their first impressions. — Summary for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Summers span decades, winter can last a lifetime and the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. It will stretch from the south – where heat breeds plots, lusts and intrigues – to the vast and savage eastern lands, all the way to the frozen north where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men... All will play the Game of Thrones. — Summary for A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

As you can see, neither is especially literary or complex in its language, but each gives the reader a sense of the tone of its corresponding novel. Likewise, without giving away the whole plot or spoiling the ending, we have a very good idea of where the stories will take us.

3. Addressing the market in your cover letter

We touched on the notion of staking your novel’s place in the market in your ‘hook’ paragraph. If you didn’t do it in your hook, this paragraph is your chance. If you did, now you can dig a bit deeper.

In any pitch letter, you should align your work with other things that have been successful.

It doesn’t have to take the form of ‘X meets Y’. You could just write something simple, like ‘people who enjoyed Example Book will also enjoy my novel’, or ‘This novel would sit comfortably in a bookshop alongside Example Book and Another Great Book ’.

Of course, this requires a deep and very up-to-date awareness of your genre. While it’s good to have an appreciation of the classics, it’s often best to draw parallels with recent successes and show you understand current trends in your cover letter.

Some good avenues include:

• Reading bestseller lists (like the Sunday Times or the New York Times)
• Browsing bestselling titles of online retailers like Amazon
• Checking which books are stocked on supermarket shelves (and particularly those that stick around for months)
• Seeing what bookshops have in the windows and on the front tables

Bonus points if you mention authors represented by the agent you’re querying! (And a stern reminder to be very mindful of copying and pasting cover letters from one agent to the next; they should be carefully personalised each time.)

This section should make it easy for a literary agent to identify your target audience. It will give them clues as to which editors and publishers they can pitch your novel to, and how it can be marketed after publication.

4. Mention the agent in every cover letter

We just touched on the importance of personalising your cover letter, but it’s not just in the published authors you mention.

You should write about the agent and any relevant details about why you’ve chosen them. Most agents receive hundreds of query letters a week, so if you want them to give you their time and attention, show that you’ve given them yours.

Of course, you don’t want to give the impression you know every detail of their life. Not only could that be creepy, but you’re adhering to a tight word limit – don’t let yourself go over one page!

You can – and should – use a couple of your precious sentences to show you know their professional background. While researching individual agents might seem time-consuming – especially on top of all the work you’ve already done – it’s vital.

And it’s not just manners; it’s important for your long-term success, well after you sign with a literary agency. After all, this is ultimately a business deal and a professional partnership. You need to be sure that it’s the right fit for you and your novel.

So use agents’ online presence on their agency website or professional profile to see the kinds of authors they work with, and the ones they admire. If they align with your style – great! You can feel good about submitting to them, with the promise of a fruitful partnership on the horizon.

5. Writing about yourself in your query letter

Finally, we come to the topic many novelists least like to write about: themselves.

You’re in luck, because most agents want this section to be very brief. Remember, the focus is on your fiction and its viability. Your life story isn’t relevant. While your passion and commitment to writing are indispensable, the fact you’re trying to publish a novel you’ve written speaks for itself. Don’t wax too lyrical.

In fact, there’s pretty much only one concrete thing that every agent wants to know about you, and that’s whether you have any publishing history.

Don’t panic if this is your first book! Unless it says otherwise in their submission guidelines, the vast majority of agents are open to debut authors (and many are actively looking for them).

If you haven’t yet published any books but would like to include something about your writing experience, you can mention other publications or practice you’ve had. It could include:

• Experience in a professional realm (maybe you’ve worked as a journalist or a copywriter)
• Online creative writing courses you’ve taken (especially if you’ve done any with The Novelry, which literary agencies love!)
• Short fiction you’ve published
• Writing awards you’ve won

Some people include a brief line about their day job or other details of their life – particularly if it’s relevant to the genesis of their fiction. For example, Harriet Tyce was a criminal barrister, and wrote two novels centred around criminal barristers. It was clear where she found story ideas for her thrillers – or at least their protagonists.

This type of connection can give agents confidence in the accuracy of your writing, suggesting your editor will have a lighter workload when it comes to factual discrepancies. Plus, it can be helpful when it comes to marketing (if you’re happy to divulge your background).

If your job is uninteresting, unrelated or you’re trying to keep it under a page, feel free to omit details beyond your fiction writing. Agents are more interested in you as a writer than as a person.

And that’s pretty much it! All that’s left to do is to thank the agent for their time and consideration, and sign off. Done and dusted.

What happens next?

So what happens next? Agents will usually give an expected window for responses on their website, and this can be anywhere from a few days up to six weeks, or even longer. It’s important that you respect this timeframe! Follow their guidelines about when and how to check on the status of your submission.

Similarly, if an agent passes on your submission, please do not badger them for an explanation or ask them to reconsider. Agents can only take on authors and stories that they genuinely feel they can champion, and they know their own tastes – be gracious about rejection and try not to take it personally. Remember, publishing is a small business and agents have long memories!

And the fact is, dealing with criticism and rejection is part and parcel of a writer’s life; that’s why it’s so important for us to develop resilience .

Tips from The Novelry’s partner literary agencies

At The Novelry, we’re fortunate enough to partner with some of the world’s leading literary agencies.

They’ve kindly written articles for us in which they share their experiences and advice on querying agents, as well as on a whole range of other fascinating topics which you can read on our blog.

Here are some of the gems they’ve shared:

• Keep the body of the email as short as possible; send materials as attachments, unless otherwise directed.
• Include your attachments (i.e. the sample chapters, synopsis/outline and anything else that’s requested) as a Word document if possible. Most e-readers don’t deal well with PDFs.
• Proofread very carefully; a single mistake could make an agent give up on your submission.
• Be respectful and humble.
• Address agents by name. Some may prefer a title and last name, others are happy to be addressed by their first name. If in doubt, go for the more formal option. But never address them as ‘Sir/Madam’ or anything similarly anonymous. Triple check you have spelt their name correctly!
• Always send exactly what they ask for on the website. If they request the first three chapters, send them. If they only ask for ten pages, send that. Some might not want any sample material in the first instance, so don’t send any! You need to make it clear that you’ll be able to follow directions from your agent, your editor and your publisher down the line.
• Tell agents who you hope your audience will be. Think of the common marketing technique across media, ‘ for fans of ’ or ‘ if you liked X you’ll love this ’. Imagine your book on an online retailer – what titles would it appear with under ‘Customers who bought this also bought…’ or similar features?
• If you’ve been rejected by an agent who’s offered some reason for their rejection, don’t resubmit your edited manuscript requesting new comments. They aren’t your editor. If they want to see a revised version, they’ll tell you.
• Don’t pester agents for a response. If they’re going to reply, they will when they have time. Hopefully their auto-response or guidelines will let you know what to expect (i.e. whether they respond to unsuccessful submissions, and what the window usually is for responses).
• Use a professional-sounding email address. Not the silly address you created in high school, and no joint accounts with your partner. Remember, agents are considering not only whether they can publish your book, but whether to sign a professional contract with you. Act accordingly!

Sample cover letter

Finally, you might want to look at examples of successful pitch letters for books.

We look at sample cover letters in depth in our courses, analysing what works well and why.  

In the meantime, you can also look at other cover letters online. For example, author and editor Phoebe Morgan shared her sample cover letter here , and agent Juliet Mushens has published one here .

Of course, making it all the way through to bagging your dream literary agent and getting a publishing contract means your manuscript will need to live up to the promise of your perfect pitch letter. The best way to make sure it does is to join us for The Finished Novel Course . We’ll get your novel ready for publication and connect you with your perfect partner agent who knows the publishers that will love your story. Sign up and start today to become one of our sparkling success stories!

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Hints for a Great Cover Letter

[I originally posted this piece over 12 years ago. The information still holds true, but I suspect many have not found the necessary information elsewhere, so I dare post it again. I’ve left all the comments intact since they add to the ongoing conversation. Feel free to add your thoughts.]]

_________________________

Here are a few suggestions for you to consider when approaching an agent or an editor. Remember to use these as hints…do not follow them slavishly as if a literary agent will spend their time critiquing your cover letter.

By the way, we distinguish between a cover letter and a query letter. A cover letter goes on top of a longer proposal and sample chapters. The query letter is a stand-alone letter that goes to the editor/agent without a proposal or sample chapters. We prefer the cover letter and the rest of the package. Why? Because a query only shows that you can write a letter. A proposal begins the process of showing that you know how to write a book.

Address the letter to a specific person. If sending something to The Steve Laube Agency, simply address the appropriate agent. Every proposal will cross the desk of the designated agent eventually. (Please do NOT send it to all of us at the same time)

Use this cover letter in the body of your email, but NOT the proposal and sample chapters! You’d be stunned to see how many people contact us with a blank email carrying only a subject line of “here it is.”

Don’t waste your time or ours. Do your homework! If you are submitting to an agent, visit their website and follow their guidelines!!! We cannot emphasize this enough! Make certain to spell the person’s name right. (My name is spelled, Steve Laube. Not “Laub” “Labe” “Lobby” “Looby” etc. But note that Bob Hostetler has to address me as “sir” or “the honorable” or “Mr. Boss”.)

If you use The Christian Writers Market Guide or some online database listing agents or editors, make sure you have the most current information because addresses do change (go to their website). Our main office changed its mailing address in February of 2007…and we still discover material is being sent to the old address. You would be astounded by the number of calls or inquiries we receive from writers who have not done their research. Someone called the Phoenix office the other day looking to talk to one of our agents who does not live or work in Phoenix.

Whatever you do, do  not say your book is the next bestseller like Purpose Driven Life , Eat Pray Love, Left Behind , or  The Shack , or that it will sell better than  The Da Vinci Code ,  Twilight ,  Harry Potter , or  The Chronicles of Narnia . That shows an ignorance of the market that is best left alone. [update note: These examples will date you really fast. The Harry Potter books are over 25 years old, published in 1997.]

In addition, please do not claim “God gave me this book so you must represent or publish it.” We are firm believers in the inspiration that comes from a faith-filled life, but making it part of your pitch is a big mistake. Read this blog post for a larger discussion on this point.

____________

The 4-part Cover letter:

1) A simple introductory sentence is sufficient. Basically, you are saying “Hi. Thank you for the opportunity…”

2)  Use a “sound bite” statement. A “sound bite” statement is the essence of your novel or non-fiction book idea in 40 words or less.

The fiction sound bite could include:

a. The heroic character b. The central issue of the story c. The heroic goal d. The worthy adversary e. Action f. The ending g. A grabber h. Or a twist

The non-fiction sound bite should include the main focus or topic. One suggestion is to describe the Problem, Solution, and Application.

If someone were to ask about your book you would answer, “My book is about (write in your sound bite.)”

Another word for sound bite is “hook.”

3)  Tell why your book is distinctive – identify who will read it . (Targeted age group….adult, teen, youth) – point out what’s fresh, new, and different.

One suggestion would be, for your intended genre, read several recent books in the same genre as your own to familiarize yourself with the market.

4)  G ive pertinent manuscript details : a) mention whether or not your book is completed (if it is not, then give an estimate as to when it will be finished) b) word length of the complete manuscript, even if it is an estimate (approximate – round off the number) c) pertinent biographical info d) tell the agent if it is a simultaneous submission e) let the agent know they can discard the proposal if rejected.

Click here to review a sample non-fiction cover letter from someone who approached us via an email inquiry. We signed her as a client.

Keep the letter to one page!!

Please don’t use narrow margins or tiny print to fit it all on one sheet. That is silly. We once received a cover letter with an 8-point font and 1/4-inch margins. It was virtually unreadable.

About Steve Laube

Steve Laube, president and founder of The Steve Laube Agency, a veteran of the bookselling industry with 40 years of experience. View all posts by Steve Laube →

Reader Interactions

January 17, 2011 at 5:45 pm

Thanks for clarifying the difference between a query and a cover letter. And I never thought about including a note about discarding the proposal if it’s rejected. I’ll remember that next time.

January 17, 2011 at 8:40 pm

Thanks for the helpful information. Appreciate, too, your making it print friendly. This is going into my “Writing Aids” file.

January 19, 2011 at 2:52 pm

This is very helpful. Thank you for this overview of the cover letter. I critique manuscripts at writers conferences, and I plan to refer them to this post!

January 19, 2011 at 11:09 pm

I am confused; this article requires a cover letter be ONE page, double-spaced, exactly while the Guidelines article requests the story be summed up in up to THREE pages, single-spaced. So what are you supposed to do since these contradict and I would like to present myself as expected by Mr.Laube?

January 20, 2011 at 8:24 am

Let me clarify so as there is no confusion.

This article is about the cover letter. Keep that to one page.

The synopsis is not the cover letter. That piece is where you tell the whole story of the novel in a maximum of three single spaced pages.

Any presentation package to an agent or a publisher has three parts. 1) The cover letter (one page) 2) The proposal – which includes, among other things, a synopsis of the book or story 3) Sample chapters

Hope that helps!

March 8, 2012 at 11:53 am

Thank you Steve. Any bits of wisdom imparted to the masses is wonderful.

February 4, 2016 at 11:54 am

So, just to clarify, should the promo sentence, sales handle and back cover copy be included in the same document as the synopsis?

The word count, target audience and platform are all mentioned briefly in the cover letter. Should they also be reiterated more in-depth in the proposal?

Just trying to line up my wayward ducks. There’s no point in submitting a manuscript if it isn’t submitted properly.

September 21, 2017 at 8:20 am

Thank you for your guidance and clarification. It helps to have every aspect broken down so well.

May 21, 2021 at 4:29 am

thanks for the offered clarification, one further point please. Perhaps I am reading too deeply and detailed, but cover letter, sample chapters, synopsis, we are talking three separate attachments to the email, given the different structures of each piece. Thanks

January 20, 2011 at 10:33 am

Now I understand. Thank you for taking the time to reply 🙂

As an aside, for further clarification – the sample chapters should always be the first three correct? (No other chapters instead?) And if you have a prelude, I would assume that would not be counted as the first chapter, particularly if it is only a few pages?

One last question please: in the cover letter should you use specific names of characters or simply be broad until you arrive at the synopsis?

Thank you so much for making things clear and God bless you.

January 20, 2011 at 11:06 am

Sample chapters. Always the first pages. Include a prelude or a preface if applicable. The idea for the limitation is to keep what you send under 50 pages of text. Some chapters are very short, some are long. But sending too much will put you in the “I’ll read this someday, when I have the time” pile.

As for the cover letter? You aren’t retelling the whole story in the cover letter so character names are not as critical. But they can be used if appropriate. Don’t write something like “Snow White along with Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful, and Grumpy went to the local grocery store to buy some apples.” That can wait for the manuscript or the synopsis if you want to use those names.

January 20, 2011 at 1:37 pm

Great! Thank you again and one absolutely necessary (and final) question please: my prelude is the first 4 pages and that with the first three chapters bring you to page 60. Is that a problem? Should I just cut the story off at page 50? Thank you and this is my final question 🙂

January 20, 2011 at 1:44 pm

I can safely say, without seeing your work or reading a word, that your chapters are too long to begin with.

Cut your chapter length by thinking in terms of scenes. Make chapter breaks more frequent. A twenty page chapter in a novel is far too long in today’s market.

To be even safer, consider hiring a good freelance editor ( click here for a list ) to give you help and advice before ever sending it to us. If a manuscript is pretty good, we will reject it. It has to be magnificent and nearly ready for market.

March 20, 2017 at 10:23 am

Any idea of the price range for a freelance editor that you have listed on you link?

January 20, 2011 at 7:17 pm

Thank you for the input. My work is Christian fiction, so a few of the chapters are for world-building so that is why some of the chapters may be a little longer. I have plenty of chapters that are 8 or 11 or 14 pages long, but the third one in particular is 27 pages. I suppose I will have to split that up of course, and I do think in terms of scenes (as in a movie)…So be it then.

January 21, 2011 at 1:43 pm

One more question: if you are writing a trilogy and are only submitting the first book thus far, would the synopsis cover only the 1st book or would it encompass all 3? Thank you!

January 21, 2011 at 1:47 pm

Ryan, There is no hard and fast rule. It is usually a good idea, when submitting a trilogy, to have at least a half page worth of synopsis included in the proposal. A publisher needs to have something they can see in order to buy.

March 16, 2013 at 4:14 am

I have a project encompassing 5 books on the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers which uses the historical record to refute the Internet claim that the FF were deists and atheists. The first book is done, 2 others are 85% done. There are over 600 separate cited sources in the first book, two-thirds of which are in the public domain. Must I get written permission from the other 200 sources before I can publish the book or will footnoting the quotes used with TITLE, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFO, DATE, AND PAGE NUMBER be sufficient ?

Thanks very much for your help.

January 21, 2011 at 9:38 pm

Great, and with that, I have run out of questions, much to your satisfaction 🙂 Thank you and I will be sending you something soon.

February 15, 2011 at 4:58 pm

This is a great post. Thank you.

I do have a question, though. I have published my book (11/8/09), but I would like to be represented. What kind of pages do I submit? The book or the final draft of the ms before it went to print?

Also, this book is the first of a series of books that I have outlined at this point with one other ms done (children’s book, which is apart form the series).

How would I document this in a cover letter (the book and subsequent ideas I have outlined as I know you don’t accept children’s books)?

I appreciate your time and attention.

February 19, 2011 at 11:05 pm

A necessary question: are the sales handle, promo sentence & back cover copy lumped in with the synopsis or are they separate in a fiction proposal so that the proposal would contain a cover letter, synopsis, sample chapters and then another page with those 3 items? It just is not clear from what I have read on here. Thank you for clearing this up! God bless you in His name, Ryan

May 17, 2011 at 6:58 am

Dear Steve,

Thank you for explaining what you expect of our submissions to your office. I spent the night finishing my proposal and cover letter to your specifications and sent out my package today.

Faithfully, Christopher Holms

August 19, 2011 at 8:33 pm

Steve, I’ve finished my first Biblical historical novel about Jesus, the God-man. While my goal was to stay with twenty pages per chapter, some are a couple of pages longer. And how many lines per page do you suggest? I’ve tried to stick with the typical publisher’s guideline, but would appreciate your comments on this area. Also since you state that you’re open to all genres of fiction, does this include Biblical historical?

August 20, 2011 at 11:13 am

Simply use the computer’s double-space format. Also use one inch margins on all four sides. And use a Times Roman 12 point font. Whatever you do, do NOT try to squeeze more lines on a page. That will only irritate a reviewer.

In general, when using the above formatting you will end up with about 300 words on a page…which is very similar to the word count on a finished book.

A chapter that runs to 20 pages is probably going to feel long, depending on the action and dialogue included. That is over 6,000 words in a chapter.

As for our agency’s interest? I personally tend to stay away from most Biblical fiction. The only exception is Tosca Lee (see her novel HAVAH: The Story of Eve). But you may find that our other two agents may be more interested.

And be aware that if your novel is based on the life of Jesus you will need to compare it to the classic novels by Marjorie Holmes and the novel by Walter Wangerin…all of which are still in print.

October 2, 2011 at 7:35 pm

As as up and coming writer, it’s so important to attend conferences, begin networking, but most of all, read about your craft. In order to put your best foot forward, a writer needs to know what is expected. I’ve learned the answer to many of the questions above through writers groups, networking at conferences and obtaining an editor to work with me on my projects.

October 8, 2011 at 8:58 pm

Thank you for this practical advice! Much appreciated. I in preparing the proposal to send off, I am grateful for your graceful bluntness of what you are looking for. Saves us both time and energy when communicating.

October 20, 2011 at 11:46 am

Thank you for outlining so clearly what exactly you expect in a cover letter! I was unclear on one point, however; the first part you identify – “a simple introductory statement is sufficient.”

I confess, I’m unsure on what you are looking for in that statement. Your example is, “Hi, thanks for the opportunity,” but I can’t imagine that you’re looking for something to blunt and plain. What are you wanting from the author in this statement; what are you seeking to know? Is this statement really necessary, or could a cover letter open with the second part, the sound bite?

Thank you for taking the time to clarify this matter.

November 5, 2011 at 10:55 am

I have the same question regarding the Introductory Statement. Thank you for posting this information about the cover letter. It is a huge help!

November 25, 2011 at 4:21 am

Steve, when submitting a proposal for a novel that is intended as the first of a trilogy, is this something that should be mentioned in the cover letter? I’m uncertain as the second book is not yet written and the first works as a stand-alone.

Thanks so much,

November 26, 2011 at 8:43 am

Marge, If you intend to propose a series, even if book one stands alone, that should be mentioned in the cover letter and the proposal. If you are doing a query letter without a proposal then most definitely reveal the plan for a trilogy.

But if you are not certain a second book can be written then do not mention it, instead go with the stand alone.

There are times where the success of a first book creates demand for a sequel. However, most agents and publishers like to know that there is a career or a future with a particular author beyond the first book. One-book wonders do happen, and with some success. But generally we look at the total potential of an author.

May 9, 2014 at 5:50 am

Steve, Is your answer intended to convey to those of us in later life that we have little chance of finding agents and publishers? Now that I am in my early sixties and have retired I finally have the time to write but I am realistic enough to see that my literary career is unlikely to be long.

How do foreign authors work with American agents? Our style and spelling do not always align well with yours – I am English but I write (and speak) in British English not American.

Many thanks Steve

May 9, 2014 at 9:09 am

Steve Long,

We have no idea of the age of an author because we are reviewing the content of a proposal. The age of the author is immaterial.

Our primary audience is the U.S. reader. If you write with British English a U.S. based publisher will note that they will have to work harder at the various editing stages to change the style to fit U.S. English standards. Some contracts even name the Chicago Manual of Style as the standard to which the submitted manuscript must comply.

My advice? Change to the American style of English and it won’t be a potential barrier.

December 5, 2011 at 7:03 am

We write for the love of it, to entertain and educate and nobody knows for certain what will fly, so don’t worry too much about anything.

Yes, being professional is good so one ought to be polite and open minded, but we need to write compelling stories – – those that will pull readers in and not let them out easily.

Set our tone, grab a theme and move the story along like an expert, keeping us engaged, questionning and interested. Action, drama, suspense, pathos and transformative characters are excellent pieces of narrative. Hook ’em and don’t let them go.

January 24, 2012 at 12:59 pm

If I have a self-published book but hope to see it reach a greater audience, do I make copies of the pages to submit to you? I do not have them on a Word document form any longer. Thanks!

February 9, 2012 at 12:11 pm

You will need to have your manuscript in digital form at some point (Word is preferred by most publishers). If you self-published it had to be in digital form at some point. Even your printer should be able to provide a file. If it is a PDF it can be converted back to Word with the right software.

Just copying pages and mailing them is not a good idea.

January 25, 2012 at 3:19 pm

I’m a Canadian who has a completed manuscript about a personal family tragedy that garnered both political and public support. It tells how our faith and God’s intervention brought discoveries that eluded authorities after the failure of the largest search launched in 30 years.

Although this is a personal story, the case is now being used at symposiums for both Crown and Defence attorneys in Canada.

Does this story fall into the category of anything you’ve worked with or be willing to work with. I am looking for an agent in a very competitive field.

February 9, 2012 at 12:14 pm

Hard to comment in a blog comment like this because technically I still don’t know what the story is about. Best not to use the comment section to make the pitch.

We have, on occasion, represented a personal story if it is highly unusual and has commercial appeal. In 2013, look for UNTIL WE ALL COME HOME by Kim de Blecourt as an example (published by FaithWords).

March 2, 2012 at 10:40 pm

Steve – I am seriously impressed to see that you are still tracking new comments on this post a year after it was first posted.

April 30, 2012 at 2:41 pm

Thanks for the how-to on the cover letter.

May 7, 2012 at 2:46 pm

Hello: I’d like to receive an example of a one page cover letter to an agent. I have query and synopsis letters and some agents want a cover letter as well. Thank you for your help! Brenda Sue (This is a fiction, suspenseful, murder, romantic novel dealing with international art theft.)

June 19, 2012 at 1:08 pm

Hi Steve, Thanks so much for going far beyond the call of duty and explaining exactly what is a cover letter. Now, it’s up to me. I’ll do my best.

Blessings, Jackie King-Scott

July 7, 2012 at 11:58 am

Steve, I have a quick question. I am nearing completion on a Biblical fiction novel about the nativity of Jesus. Since everyone is already familiar with the story, should I take a different approach to the cover letter and synopsis?

Thank you for any advise.

Respectfully, Deborah

January 18, 2014 at 11:03 am

Your cover letter should focus on what makes your story unique. That “selling point” is critical for a publisher when considering whether or not they can make room for it in the marketplace.

July 23, 2012 at 7:03 pm

Thanks so much for all the help you’ve given us in this post.

Sincerely, Jackie

August 8, 2012 at 7:49 pm

I’m curious to know if you can provide a sample cover letter as an example. I’m sure it would help others who are visual learners like myself.

In Christ, Fletch

January 18, 2014 at 5:56 pm

A sample non-fiction cover letter is now available for review on our site: https://stevelaube2.wpengine.com/sample-cover-letter/

August 23, 2012 at 10:04 am

Hello Steve, I have a question. I published a book with another publishing company that turned out to be a POD. My book has a part two to it. The way that I wrote part two you really don’t need to read part one to understand. I would like to send it to you. Would this be a good idea to send in part two.

January 18, 2014 at 11:01 am

That is risky because while you may think the reader doesn’t need part one, in reality there may be things in the story that are confusing to a reader of book two.

I’ve never seen a publisher jump at the chance to publish book two in a series if they do not also publish book one.

August 23, 2012 at 6:46 pm

Hello, I am currently self published under a freewill contract in which I can cease printing at anytime. I have had issues getting proper statements and wish to be represented for traditional publishing. Will this be an issue for you to accept a manuscript?

January 18, 2014 at 11:00 am

Not an issue if you own the publication rights. It is your book to sell to another publisher.

January 13, 2014 at 11:08 am

Thank you for the helpful information. I have one question: when sending a proposal by email, do you want a query letter in the body of the email and the a cover letter, sample chapters and synopsis attached as a file, or is the cover letter in the body of the email? Thank you, Lara Van Hulzen

January 18, 2014 at 10:59 am

The body of the email should contain a pitch of some sort. The content of the cover letter described above would serve that purpose well.

A HUGE mistake is made by some who send an email with the body of the email blank or with a sentence like “Here is my book. Take a look.”

Or “If you want to read my book go to this web page.”

January 18, 2014 at 10:39 am

Do you prefer single or double-spacing in a cover letter?

January 18, 2014 at 10:56 am

Single spaced. Just like a regular letter.

The only thing that is double-spaced is the sample chapters or manuscript itself.

January 18, 2014 at 11:57 am

Thank you, sir, for the fast reply.

April 29, 2014 at 9:03 am

I have nothing to submit in the moment except my deep gratitude for your site, so full of so much a writer needs to understand and apply. It’s like a free tutorial, clean, clear, concise, a true resource for the explanation of the sticky things, like query, and proposal and what to send to whom, what never to do, what’s absolutely necessary to do, and anything else that causes a writer to do the Stupid Stumble. You save our face over and over with all this help.

I just want to express my pleasure to have discovered such a credible site run by a gifted teacher. Okay. Back to the memoir.

July 22, 2014 at 11:23 am

I am now confused over the length of chapters. My chapters in standard spacing are between 8-13 pages in length. When I double space them as asked the first three chapters are 19 pages in length. So when you recommend chapters be less than 20 pages are you talking about double-spaced print or standard print? Thanks for your reply.

July 23, 2014 at 6:42 am

Always send a manuscript using Double-spaced text. The proposal and synopsis is single spaced.

Thus your chapters are very long. But it may be that they are just fine as is. Sometimes you can get away with longer chapters.

I do recommend leaning toward shorter…

March 7, 2015 at 8:30 pm

Within the first paragraph (second sentence) one reads, “…As if a literary agent is going to spend their time….” I would have thought someone in the “profession” would be a bit more capable of matching a singular subject with a singular pronoun. This confusion of “number” has become acceptable I suppose because so many are willing to worship at the altar of political correctness, so as not to appear behind the times while ruffling feathers.

March 7, 2015 at 10:31 pm

I suppose I could have use “his or her” or “his/her” instead of “their.” But instead I used what is called the “Singular Their.”

See this post about that topic: https://stevelaube2.wpengine.com/the-singular-they/

Hope that helps clarify.

May 18, 2015 at 2:49 pm

I have written a memoir and believe that Karen Ball is most likely the agent with your group who would be interested.

I understand that a cover letter, proposal and sample chapters should be sent to her. In reviewing your instructions for submissions, it seems that much of the information in the cover letter gets repeated in the proposal (or is it just me?!)

Should I therefore just keep the cover letter very succinct? Or do a combo cover letter/proposal and attach sample chapters? Thank you! I’m very new to this.

June 5, 2015 at 11:48 am

So when writing a cover letter you should specify that you are writing or have written a series of books? I am on my third book and plan on making at least two more. I was told before when writing the manuscript to only focus on that one book, and to reveal the ending of that one book.

October 27, 2015 at 5:50 pm

Hi Mr. Laube, After reading through the post and the comments, I just want to make sure I understand. Do you prefer the cover letter and proposal to be emailed or mailed?

November 8, 2015 at 8:00 am

When researching agents and their submission requirements, I see “query, synopsis and first 3 chapters or 50 pages”. I’ve never heard of a “cover letter”. My novel is a 29,000 word middle grade story.

February 3, 2016 at 8:43 pm

It’s really, really hard to boil down a 200 page book to 40 words. I feel like I”m trying to write a haiku of my entire life….

February 10, 2016 at 11:35 am

When you write or type a query letter; should you follow the guidelines of literary sites or not to follow the submission guidelines? There were a few writers who didn’t follow the guide-lines and sent a query letter and got represented.

June 13, 2016 at 3:33 pm

Steve, can you offer a sample 40-word sound bite for a historical? Struggling with the 40 word concept.

Always learn from you.

August 22, 2016 at 2:29 am

if you are writing a cover letter, or book review, synopsis etc. you should take a glance at this page to find out some tips

September 19, 2016 at 9:50 am

I was hoping you might clarify for me concerning your guidelines for submission of a query letter versus a cover letter. Do you prefer a query letter be sent via email with the book proposal and sample three chapters or a cover letter sent through the mail with an attached book proposal and sample three chapters? I am slightly confused because its appears the cover letter would only be sent if you were interested in the query letter. Would it be possible to send the covered letter instead via email with the attachments for the book proposal and sample chapters?

July 4, 2017 at 7:55 am

Daniel, I can see how that might be confusing. Try not to overthink it.

Let me clarify…as far as our agency goes, which is not a universal thing.

Never send us a query letter. That one page, if sent by itself, will not help us evaluate your writing in any way.

Always send a full proposal. A part of that proposal will be your cover letter, which is basically a “hello my name is” sort of introduction.

November 2, 2016 at 7:32 pm

Great post. I didn’t think I could shorten my pitch to a 40 word sound bite, but I did. Thanks

April 6, 2017 at 9:09 am

Hi Steve This is great. I just watched your interview in the Masters class in the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. That was very informative. Thank you. If I want to use a pen name do I include this information in the cover letter? Thank you for your time.

July 4, 2017 at 7:52 am

Yes. It can be as as simple as “I write under the pen name of I. Noah Tall, which you will notice on the title page of the proposal.”

July 3, 2017 at 11:18 pm

Thanks so much for this helpful post! I just have one question–where can I find the book Hope for Anxiety Girl from the example cover letter? I am 100% the target audience and I so want to read it! I can’t find it online and I’m wondering if a) it was retitled, b) it’s not yet published, or c) it was repurposed into a different book. Thanks again! 🙂

July 4, 2017 at 7:50 am

Rebecca. That specific book idea has gone through multiple iterations but has yet to be published. However, the writer has had other successful projects released. The latest is a co-authored book (with Kathy Lipp) called OVERWHELMED.

https://www.amazon.com/Overwhelmed-Quiet-Chaos-Restore-Sanity/dp/0736965386/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499179781&sr=1-1&keywords=cheri+gregory

July 4, 2017 at 8:52 am

Thanks! I purchased a copy of Overwhelmed last night. 🙂

July 28, 2017 at 10:50 am

In the Proposal Guidelines, it says to include:

Promo Sentence Sales Handles Back Cover Copy

Do you actually want to see those headings in the proposal? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

September 22, 2017 at 11:37 am

You’re my kind of girl! Although we’ve seasons and waxing and waning needs, I’ve grown comfortable in the book club porch hammock with a tome of my own selection. I hate someone else deciding where I need to mature or what I’m going to spend a month devouring.

“Teach us to number our days aright, o Lord, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” With a barrage of published and digital words stalking us, we need discernment on what edifies.

October 9, 2017 at 12:41 pm

I’m a man with a unique name and a unique manuscript searching for a unique agent. I found your answers very helpful, practical and instructive. Thank you.

July 18, 2018 at 3:09 pm

Hello! I’m not sure if you still check a post this old, but I’ll give it a try. Should the cover letter be the body of the email with the rest of the proposal as the attachment, or should it be a part of the attachment with the rest of the proposal?

August 15, 2018 at 7:51 am

Thank you for the helpful post! It’s nice to have a concrete idea of what the agent is looking for before sending out the book proposal.

April 11, 2019 at 12:48 pm

This is wonderfully informative. Thank you!

June 10, 2019 at 5:47 pm

In looking at the guidelines for a proposal, it lists a number of things for non-fiction, compares fiction and adds a few additional notes. My question is, in non-fiction it asks for a half page to one page overview. If all of the additional topics are addressed for fiction it seems to cover a lot of what is described in the overview. Do you want a half page to one page overview for a fiction proposal as well?

June 13, 2022 at 6:54 am

Steve, Thank you for this terrific perennial post! The patient answers to the many questions demonstrate your passion for supporting writers. Thank you for taking the time to instill such great knowledge. It is much appreciated by this new author.

June 13, 2022 at 8:10 am

Thanks so much, Steve! These posts with examples for how to do the basics are always so helpful. I look back on them whenever I work on my proposals. Such a great resource!

June 13, 2022 at 1:26 pm

Steve, I’ve published numerous articles and love my work as an editor of books and articles and author and editor of academic research. If I submit everything you described in this great article correctly and well, and my contemporary and historical women’s fiction books have been alpha and beta reviewed with strong support and appropriately edited, but I have virtually no platform (only 1046 Followers on my website), is there realistically any point in submitting a proposal to an agent before I build a larger platform? Thanks to reading Writer’s Guide and this column for many years, I think I’ve mastered and actually enjoy the submission process you described, but I keep running into the platform roadblock. If there is no platform of thousands to cite in the proposal, is it likely to generate an offer to represent or publish? Thanks!

August 2, 2022 at 9:59 am

Okay, so I got to eat a little crow here(which isn’t bad if you put a little A-1 on it), I didn’t read the submission instructions properly and submitted my information, and a portion of my book totally wrong. I have since gone back and read as I should have done in the first place. Now I will PROPERLY submit my work as it should be. I hope this didn’t cause too much of a headache for you and your staff and please forgive my anxious foolishness. I do have a couple of questions: 1. Do I have to wait a certain amount of time before I can re-submit my work? 2. The manuscript is being edited, should I wait until the edit is complete before I resubmit it?

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How to write the perfect pitch letter to an agent

Related courses, edit & pitch your novel, the literary agent – with jonny geller, by anna davis, 7th jan 2019.

So, you've finished your manuscript and are eager to share your work with literary agents. One question I'm always asked by students is: How do you write the perfect pitch letter to a literary agent? Here are my top 15 tips on how to make your submission pitch letter stand out from the pack:

1. Write to a specific agent and do your research

Start out by thinking carefully about who you're going to send your work to. Research thoroughly on literary agency websites and generally online, reading interviews with individuals and checking their social media profiles. Pick agents who are clearly interested in the kind of book you're writing and who appear to be eager to find new writers. When you write your query letter, tailor it to the individual - even though this means you'll have to rethink your pitch letter for each agent you address it to. Don’t write to 'Dear Curtis Brown' or 'Dear Sir' or 'The Submissions Department' etc. Always write to a person.

2. Address the agent by their first name

Only the oldest, most formal of agents are uncomfortable about being addressed by their first names – and really, those are not the people you should be approaching for representation in any case. There’s no need for Mr, Mrs, Ms etc.

3. Keep the pitch-letter short

It should be no more than three brief paragraphs, one which pitches your novel; one which tells the agent a little about you; and one which talks about why you’ve chosen to target this particular agent. It’s up to you which order you do these in. I’d probably kick off by pitching the novel, but others would advise differently. People will tell you that the letter should be no more than a page – actually I’d say it should be much shorter than a page. Whenever we run agent-letter workshops with our London-based students, we end up telling at least 80% of the students that their letter is too long …

4. Kick off your letter by pitching your novel

This is the time to utilize your best one or two-line pitch. You should be giving the central question which drives your novel and hooks in the reader, or stating what’s at the heart of your novel. Ideally, use a slightly different version than whatever you've put in your synopsis to avoid repetition. And it’s good to tell us whose story this is too … Aim at two or three sentences (no more than that, really – this has to be brief and to the point) which introduce your story. Don’t try to cover your whole plot – your synopsis will be doing that job. You’re just looking to whet the agent’s appetite. Include the title of your novel (perhaps even as the heading for the letter). You should also give the genre of your novel if you know it. People often mention their word-count, in their pitch letter but there’s no real need for this: You should probably put that on the title page of your material.

5. Talk about why you’re addressing this particular agent

Agents like to feel you’re writing to them for a reason. Find out something to say which is specific to them: If you’ve read or heard something they’ve said about writing or the kind of novels they’d like to represent – or perhaps if you’ve met them – you could mention this. If there’s a reason you think you’d fit well on their list, say what it is.

6. Include mention of one or two comparison novels

This is when you liken your novel to other similar works. It’s a good idea to find books to compare to yours which are current and commercially successful – and ideally which are represented by this particular agent (though this might not be possible – it will depend very much on their client list). But don’t pick novels which are really major works or you’re setting the bar very high for yourself – perhaps unreachably high. If you can’t come up with good comparison novels, it could instead be a good idea to simply mention one or two of the relevant agent’s clients whose work you particularly admire. Don’t worry too much about the issue of ‘comparison novels’ though, if you can’t come up with any. It’s not the most important aspect of the letter. And don’t include lots of them. Two is enough.

7. Tell the agent a little about yourself

What you do, etc. Leave out details which are not strictly relevant or interesting. If you are a doctor writing a medical drama – say that. Mention any creative writing courses you’ve taken which are prestigious and with selective entry. It’s not worth mentioning self-published books unless they’ve sold well (by which I mean well into the thousands). Mention awards and writing competitions you’ve won if they are not too obscure. Remember, this should only be a short paragraph – don’t get bogged down in detail – be selective and only mention points which speak positively of you and clearly work in your favour.

8. Avoid bragging

... or stating that your novel will be the next huge international bestseller etc. On the other hand, don’t apologise for your novel  or for taking up the agent’s time with it – present it confidently. Read over your letter when you’ve finished writing it to make sure that everything you say is positive – don’t say anything negative at all.

9. Don’t tell us that your wife/husband/best friend/children etc love your novel

The agent doesn’t care about any of that!

10. Be focused – don’t pitch more than one novel or memoir in your letter

Talk about just one novel. If the agent calls you in for a meeting, that’s the time to talk about other projects, future work etc.

11. Do put time, thought and care into your pitch letter

Don’t be slapdash, and check your grammar and spelling. You need to be professional in order to be taken seriously by a professional.

12. There’s no need to include ‘polite padding’ in the query letter

For instance, you don’t need “I’m sending you the opening of my novel and synopsis in search of representation” – the agent will know why you’re writing to them, and you can just go straight into the pitch. Similarly, you don’t need to thank them for their time or say you’re looking forward to hearing from them etc – just write the real meat of the letter and then sign off. Make every word count.

13. Don’t ask for a meeting with the agent

... or state that you’re interested in working editorially on your novel. Just present the novel and then allow the agent to come forward with their idea of what should happen next. They will, in any case, assume you’re happy to come for a meeting or do some rewriting if requested to. Don’t make a point of saying that you’re sending also to others … They'll assume that anyway.

14. Don’t crack corny jokes

It’s just excruciating. And don’t talk about a ‘ fictional  novel’ – all novels are fiction.

15. Don’t be obsequious

The agent doesn’t need you to flatter them or suck up to them.

Oh - and did I say keep it short? ...

Courses to help you pitch with confidence

Check out our one-day Pitching Your Novel course. Expert CBC editors, Jennifer Kerslake and Abby Parsons, will lead a group of 16 students through the dos and don’ts of writing your pitch and query letter to literary agents during a full day of Zoom teaching.

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Learn to edit and polish your novel to the highest standard and then pitch with confidence to the publishing industry. Edit & Pitch Your Novel – Advanced is an online course comprising teaching videos and notes from our founder Anna Davis alongside tuition and feedback from author Lauren Pearson. Plus, five Zoom masterclasses with publishers and literary agents.

If you're looking for a flexible online course, join our bestselling six-week Edit & Pitch Your Novel course.

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How to Write a Stand-Out Cover Letter

• How to Write a Stand-Out…

SO, WHAT IS A COVER LETTER?

Literary agents and many literary competitions require a cover letter along with your sample chapters and synopsis. This is a formal introduction to you and your novel. Note: It is not a CV, a bio or a blurb for the book. It’s a letter, written from one professional to another, that should make the agent or judge want to read more. The biggest mistake entrants to the BPA First Novel Award made this year was getting the balance off, either writing too much about the novel or too much about themselves – some poor novels didn’t get a mention. There’s a rough template most agents and competition judges will look for, and it’s pretty doable! Let’s give it a go.

TELL US ABOUT THE NOVEL

First, tell us about the novel. That’s what you’re trying to sell! You want the agent to finish the cover letter with such curiosity about the book that they’re hungry for the sample chapters. 

The first paragraph will usually reveal the title , the genre , the word count of the completed manuscript (If you don’t include this, they might worry you haven’t finished it!) and something that offers a taste of the novel, like a mention of the themes you’re going to explore.

Be specific when stating the genre – if it’s general fiction, think about whether the market is commercial, book club, upmarket or literary. If it’s YA, don’t just say it’s YA – is it a YA romance? YA dystopia? Who’s out there writing YA crime? The literary agent will be familiar with all the terms, so the more specific you are, the easier it will be to picture an audience for the book.

Once you’ve provided these core facts, write an elevator pitch . This is a single sentence that conveys your novel’s hook or USP. For inspiration, check out the Sunday Times Bestsellers List:

• Richard Osman’s  The Thursday Murder Club : Four friends in a retirement village team up to solve a mystery on their doorstep.
• Paula Hawkins’  The Girl on the Train : A commuter’s fascination with a married couple she passes every day turns deadly.

It’s a good idea to follow this up with a one-paragraph description of the novel. Unlike the synopsis, it doesn’t need to tell the entire story, but it should be just more than the premise. Tell us who the protagonist is, what happens to upset the balance of their life, and what their goal is (presumably to restore said life balance!). If you can do that in a couple of sentences, you might also mention one of the novel’s core turning points.

Cover letters should describe the novel first, then the writer, then remind us of the novel at the end. In a short final paragraph, say what inspired you to write the book and offer some comparable titles . (Check out agent Nelle Andrew’s advice on comparable titles .)

The letter should be targeted towards the literary agent or competition judge you’re writing to. Some writers choose to open with this and others incorporate it into the later paragraphs. The best way to make a connection and show you’ve done your research is to mention an author on the agent’s list who has a relevant readership. You could also explain why you think your novel aligns with what they describe in their wish list.

TELL US ABOUT YOU

It’s the writing, not the writer, that’s important … but the agent or judge does want to know about you too. They especially want to know why you were the one person who could write this book . And it’s true – no one else could write the book you’ve written. So tell us why. Did your job as a psychiatrist inspire the analysis of your antagonist’s motivation? Do you live in the idyllic town where the book is set? Have you studied the era of your historical novel? Share relevant details about yourself. 

The agent or judge also wants evidence that you are a writer. You’re not just someone who thinks they have a novel in them; you take your craft seriously. If you can, share what magazines your short fiction has been published in, the competitions you’ve been listed in or the creative writing courses you’ve completed. If you don’t have that kind of experience, share anything that tells us you’re serious. Join a writer’s workshop group and tell us about that. Attend an online masterclass (like the ones BPA runs ) and mention that. Experiment with writing in different forms and tell us about it. S hare which contemporary authors have inspired you, so it’s clear that you’re well read. Just don’t put, ‘This is my first attempt at writing fiction,’ and leave it at that. It doesn’t inspire confidence.

A cover letter should be professional, like the cover letter you would send with a job application, but you also want it to have some personality. And given you’re basically applying for the role of ‘novelist’, it needs to be well written.

So, keep it formal, make sure it’s eloquent, and try to get some flow into it. When you read it aloud, it should sound natural. If it doesn’t, it might be that you haven’t varied sentence length, that you’ve used rigid language, or simply that you’re trying too hard. As formal as a cover letter should be, you want your enthusiasm for this novel you’ve spent so long writing to imbue the lines. 

COMMON ISSUES IN ‘BPA FIRST NOVEL AWARD’ SUBMITTED COVER LETTERS

• Formatting it like a CV or splitting it into sections titled ‘Bio’ and ‘Novel Summary’.
• Sharing irrelevant detail about your personal life. 
• Making it too short – 200-350 words is a good guideline.
• Or too long – unfortunately, nobody’s going to read a cover letter past the first page!
• Writing a vague description of the story e.g. ‘When a mysterious event happens, a woman will have to look to the past to uncover the truth.’
• Including long-winded explanations of why there’s a huge market for your book.
• Coming across as arrogant … or lacking in confidence.
• Sharing more about the novel’s message than its story.

WRITE THE COVER LETTER YOUR NOVEL DESERVES

Once you’ve finished a manuscript, the instinct is to get it on submission as soon as possible, but it’s worth taking the time to give an accurate and exciting representation of the work . Literary agents receive many submissions a day and have to fit reading time in with a huge workload. You need to grab them in the cover letter so that they’re already thinking of you as a potential client when they read the sample.

Out of everything you could have written on the blank pages of a document titled Novel , you’ve carefully chosen each word of this story that has to be told. You know people will love it and you hopefully have a sense of who and why . Get that across to the agent or competition reader, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll request the full manuscript.

For personalised feedback on your cover letter, you might want to consider a BPA Submission Package Report – enquire here .

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Last updated on Mar 09, 2022

5 Agent-Approved Query Letter Examples

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Martin Cavannagh

Head of Content at Reedsy, Martin has spent over eight years helping writers turn their ambitions into reality. As a voice in the indie publishing space, he has written for a number of outlets and spoken at conferences, including the 2024 Writers Summit at the London Book Fair.

A great query letter — one that gets an agent to request your manuscript — is one that both checks all the boxes and is unique to you, your book, and the agent in question. To give you an idea of what this might look like, we’re sharing some query letter examples, which we polished up with the expert help of a handful of editors on the Reedsy marketplace.

Science-Fiction query letter

This sci-fi query letter checks a lot of the boxes you want in a query letter: it includes current and contemporary comp titles, to help the agent place the novel within the market , while also indicating a familiarity with the agent’s catalogue by including mention of one of their previous projects. It also makes good use of the author’s bookish bona fides .

I am writing to seek representation for my 120,000-word science fiction novel, ELYSIUM DYING. It concerns a not-so-distant future that has been ravaged not only by mass infertility but also by an alien invasion that threatens to wipe out all existing life. The novel’s first contact arc is similar to your client Russell Fleming’s approach in THE BLUE ABYSS, which has been of particular inspiration to me, with moments reminiscent of Jeff VanderMeer’s horror-infused ANNIHILATION. 

Sixteen-year-old Hazel Windrow is one of the youngest people alive since the Peruvian flu struck fifteen years ago, killing 50% of Earth’s population and leaving the rest infertile. Extinction appears inevitable, and humanity now faces the fresh blow of it happening much sooner than anticipated — with the arrival of an alien colony seemingly determined to tear whatever’s left of the planet’s crumbling cities apart.

As her entire neighborhood scrambles to put as much space between themselves and the creatures as possible, only Hazel (herself a devotee of classic science fiction) sees the connection between the disease and the invasion, and suspects that the aliens are not as malevolent as they seem. Since the city’s electrical grid was wiped out by the aliens’ arrival, she has no way of communicating her theory to the higher-ups. So she sets off from her native Boston, headed for Washington, D.C. — but when she arrives, she’s confronted not by the remains of the government, but the aliens themselves, who have taken over the Pentagon and the White House. 

While Hazel’s theory proves correct and she tries to spread the vital truth about the flu, she’s accused of being a traitor to her species and a mouthpiece for the aliens. Now she must convince the skeptics to cooperate before the aliens’ patience runs out, or else these new arrivals will attempt a far more drastic plan to force humanity’s hand. 

I have an MFA from Temple University, where I studied under Nebula Award-winner Samuel R. Delany. I have also won several short fiction contests hosted by the SFWA, and recently compiled those works into an anthology entitled THE FALL OF DAWN, which I self-published under the pseudonym Jocelyn Rice.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Samantha Jackson

Following Lindsay Ribar’s advice, the query gives a strong sense of the novel’s story and stakes, which is especially important in genre fiction: agents receive a lot of queries, and don’t have time to follow up every vaguely intriguing synopsis! You’re much better off being explicit when describing the plot.

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Nonfiction query letter

This nonfiction query is an example of the use of a “hook” to open a query: according to editor Jon Michael Darga during feedback, “it's intriguing, carries significance, and we want to know more. I've no idea what priming is, but now I want to know!” 

Dear Ms Brown,

As a university undergraduate, I sat down in a crowded lecture theatre one afternoon, and received my first ever introduction to a concept that would transform my career, my relationships, and my entire way of living: priming. 

This psychological phenomenon is as powerful as it is simple. In short, exposure to a certain stimulus can influence the way a person reacts to a subsequent stimulus. At a simple level, this can be extremely innocuous: if I’ve just spoken about my pet Labrador, and then present you with the letters O, D, and G, you’re more likely to spell “dog” with them than “god”. But this principle can have incredibly profound implications on your mindset, your decision-making, and your overall happiness.

In PRIMED FOR ERROR, my 70,000-word scientific self-help book, I lead my readers through the story of how I used priming as a tool to access memories and alter my “impostor” mindset, rocket-boosting my academic career. I’ll also show them how priming myself for healthy, positive communication saved my struggling marriage, as well as teaching them how they can apply the principles of priming in their own lives. Weaving together 200 years of psychological research with my own experiences (and those of famous proponents of the method, including Nobel prize-winners and Hollywood A-Listers), I cover broad ground with enough specificity and hard scientific evidence to reassure readers they’re in safe hands.

I actually listened to your excellent panel at the 2020 UK Nonfic Pick conference, where you discussed the porousness of the self-help and popular science genres and how you’re looking for more books that straddle that line, and I believe PRIMED FOR ERROR strikes that balance in an innovative way, through the incorporation of elements of memoir and personal anecdote within a wider scientific framework. 

Beyond my personal experience using the principles of priming, I have a PhD in behavioral psychology from Marlowe University, where I have experience lecturing undergraduate and postgraduate students in areas related to this topic. My hope is to bring my academic and teaching backgrounds together to present robust science in an accessible way, similar to Daniel Kahneman’s THINKING, FAST AND SLOW. I’m also a great admirer of your client Marcus Hardy’s latest release BALANCING THE DECK, as his approach to popular science is informed by both highly personal and rigorous historical lenses, a holistic methodology I adopt in my own teaching and writing.

PRIMED FOR ERROR has been a years-long passion project, and I am excited to finally be bringing it out into the world. I’ve attached the complete manuscript for your consideration, and I thank you for your time. 

All the best,

Hannah Gardener

The query also clarifies to the agent what materials the author has available (here, the complete manuscript), which is especially important when querying with a nonfiction title, where you could be submitting either a book proposal or a full manuscript. This helps the agent know where you’re at in your writing journey straight away.

Memoir query letter

This letter also makes use of a brief hook, before moving swiftly into the meat and potatoes of the query - the necessary details about the book that the agent really wants to know, including word count, genre, title.

Dear Kevin,

In my thirty years as a foster mother, I had one rule: no teenagers. I was certain that I couldn’t meet the unique challenges of caring for older children. Then, one November night, along came an emergency placement—fifteen-year-old Kay.

In my 100,000-word memoir HIDDEN PARENT, I discuss the shift in my relationship with parenthood, love, and family which Kay precipitated. Upon her arrival, we argued constantly, with neither of us knowing how to navigate this strange new family dynamic. It began to seem that our situation was untenable — but we were stuck with one another. Our struggles were only exacerbated by the bemused scepticism of my own family and friends who, aware of my longstanding no-teens rule, were certain our little unit wouldn’t last.  

But as we became comfortable with one another, the growing bond between us opened my eyes to an entirely new type of foster family. I realized that what made me a parent wasn’t a child being reliant on me, but a child trusting me enough to let me into their life. It’s this realization, and the bumpy road that led me there, which I explore with equal parts humor and sensitivity in HIDDEN PARENT, my first book. 

Alongside the hundreds of thousands of families adopting or fostering within the US every year, I feel my story will resonate with a broad audience of parents, both biological and non-biological, who at times doubt whether they can handle a child’s emotional needs. As a blogger who writes regularly about my experiences parenting, I have already built up a community of 3,000 regular readers who are attached to my story, and seeking guidance for their own journeys. Wanting to connect even further with this audience is another reason why I wrote this book, an accessible resource for those struggling with the “big questions” of parenthood. 

My book is thematically complementary to several works in your catalogue, such as David Lower’s FOUND FAMILY, touching on similar ideas of family as an ever-evolving and flexible entity, which you can nurture even without biological relation. I also know that you count Evie Gray among your roster of clients, whose newest title MIDDLE YEARS resonated deeply with my experiences, and while my book takes a more personal approach to the topic as a narrative memoir, I would be honored to find myself in such company. 

I thank you for your consideration.

Tanya Hartman

Following Kimberley Lim’s advice, the query includes an indication of the book’s tone when it points out that it’s a good-humored reflection on the topic. This helps the agent get a real feel for the work and the reading experience, beyond the general subject matter.  

Mentioning a particular target audience is also good: agents already know that readers outside the target market could enjoy a book, so this goes without saying. But by being specific, and focusing only on those they are actually writing for (here, parents), the author gives the agent insight into the commercial potential and a possible marketing angle for the book.

Thriller query letter

This query is a great example of efficiency, according to agent Andy Ross . The synopsis brings out the concept quickly, leaving space in the letter for other important information, such as background on the writer and their author platform. 

Dear Ms. Brooks, 

I am seeking representation for my 100,000 word psychological thriller, THE WOMAN IN THE BLACK SALOON, my debut novel.

THE WOMAN IN THE BLACK SALOON begins with a terrible death: a cattle rancher strangled by his own lasso. But when the forensics come back clean, the police have no leads whatsoever. Flash forward to one year later, and the strange murder not only remains unsolved, but the bad publicity surrounding it has destroyed the town’s tourist economy.

Enter Jesse Foster, proprietor and sole remaining bartender at the Lone Star Saloon. Once a thriving local business and tourist attraction, Lone Star has dried up with the rest of the town — and Jesse is sick and tired of waiting for things to get better. Taking matters into his own hands, he soon discovers what the police have been hiding from the public, and realizes that he himself may hold the key to this terrifying case: a faint memory of a mysterious woman in his bar, just hours before that rancher was brutally throttled.

This story has all the dark small-town secrets of a Gillian Flynn novel with a distinctive southwestern spin — it's about a small town in Texas that’s turned upside down by a twisted, Western-inspired murder. It should appeal widely to fans of all kinds of suspense, from classic murder mystery to contemporary thriller.

I’ve also already started promoting it to my own fans — I’ve had several crime fiction short stories published, and run a true-crime blog called “Crime Time with Detective Jay” that gets about 500 unique viewers a month. This novel was actually inspired by a case I wrote about on the blog (though I won’t say which one).

My very best,

Jeremy Baker 

The inclusion of metrics in the form of blog hits is helpful for an agent, and definitely adds value to an otherwise unknown author’s query. Knowing that an author has a pre-existing platform can be a helpful tool for agents when trying to figure out the potential reach of a project, so include any social media or blog following you might have.

Romance query letter

Following feedback from Marsha Zinberg , this letter was edited to make sure its tone was suitable for a query, selling the story without veering into pulpy back cover copy. It also gives insight into the other works in the authors’ catalogue and their authorial credentials. 

Dear Joyce,

I’m seeking representation for my 80,000-word historical romance novel, FIRE AND SILK: a forbidden romance that unfolds against the backdrop of the American Revolution. This book is a sequel to my previous novel, Midnight Rose, which was shortlisted for the RWA Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award last year.

The fiery half of FIRE AND SILK, blacksmith Joseph Ramsey, has never been interested in ladyfolk — nor does he have time to pursue them, working from dusk till dawn to fulfill his commissions and covertly supply the Continental Army with weapons. Elizabeth Davis is a high-born woman who approaches Joe with a strange request: a gun with which to kill her fiancé, a charismatic and influential general in the Continental Army who commands a garrison key to the region’s defence.

If he fulfils the mysterious young woman’s request, it would mortally wound the revolutionary effort. But her beauty, sparkling wit, and tragic air prove difficult to resist, and so Joe is torn between his until-now unwavering duty to the cause, and his passion for Elizabeth. As the connection between the blacksmith and the lady heats up, Joe finds himself caught in the crossfire... 

Early readers have noted echoes of Alyssa Cole and HAMILTON while bestselling author Tamara Jones has described my current draft as “unexpectedly gripping and achingly sensual”. I have spent the past year researching the Revolutionary War while completing an MA in American History from Ashland University, so readers will not be disappointed by the historical rigor.

In addition to being a finalist for the RWA award, I have published several short stories with HarperCollins’ Escape Publishing, which received several strong editorial reviews. I am also currently working on the next standalone installment in my “Revolutionary Lovers'' series, entitled A TOUCH OF FANCY, with completion expected within the next six months. This one, set in eighteenth-century France, bears some thematic resemblance to the writings of your client Claudette Sauvageot, whose work I admire.

Thank you very much for your consideration, Ms. Montgomery. I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards,

While it shares information about other titles in the series, this query wisely doesn’t try to query an entire series at once: this tactic is unlikely to get authors very far, and is against standard query letter protocol. Instead, writers should focus on querying for one title, while mentioning any other works that would be relevant to the agent, as the author has done here.

Don't forget to keep track of all of the agents you query! You can develop your own system for this, but a simple spreadsheet will do the job at the end of the day. 

Your query letter will be just as unique as your book, but we hope that getting a sneak peek into the query review process and looking over our examples has provided you with some insight into the best practices and pitfalls of writing a query. Be sure to check out the rest of this series for more tips on writing a fiction query letter and choosing those all-important comp titles!

Finally, we created three more query letter examples for you to save as images or share with your fellow author friends. 

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How to Write a Query Letter: 3 Paragraphs That Hook a Literary Agent

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If you're interested in getting your book traditionally published, it's crucial that you sign with a literary agent who loves your story and has a vision for your career. To do this means you need to write the single most important page you'll ever write outside of your book: a query letter.

No pressure, right?

If the thought of writing a query letter freaks you out or confuses you, hit the pause button and breathe for a second. You are not alone.

Here's the good news: there is a method that will help you get an agent to say, “Sounds great! Send me more.” I call this the three-paragraph method. It's all about the hook-book-cook!

What I Learned About Writing Query Letters by Working at a Literary Agency

When I studied film and television in college, I learned how to develop and present an elevator pitch. After graduation, I turned to publishing. Eventually I attended the Writer's Digest Conference in 2015, where I pitched my story in a pitch slam.

This experience was intimidating and fantastic. I had presented elevator pitches as an undergrad to my film professors, but I had never pitched my story idea live to a literary agent in under a minute. It also taught me one  part  of a query letter that you need to master in order to hook a literary agent.

Flash forward a few years later to when I worked as an Editorial Intern. To this day, I consider this one of the most valuable experiences in my writing and editing career.

And while I learned a lot more than just query letters in this role, evaluating query letters is an important part of any literary agent's job. I witnessed this firsthand.

I'd like to share what I learned to help you write a great query.

What is a Query Letter?

A query letter is a one-page letter that acts as a sales pitch. Although these were once sent as snail mail queries, writers now email their letters. This email should be concise, one page, and sent to a specific literary agent. The goal of a query letter is to hook that agent and get them interested in reading more of your manuscript.

You don't have to have a finished manuscript to write a query letter, but you absolutely should have a finished manuscript before you query a literary agent, unless you're a nonfiction writer and pitching a book proposal for a nonfiction book.

Rule of thumb? Focus on quality over quantity. While I have read my fair share of longer query letters that literary agents considered, short ones pitched well stand out.

What does short mean?

A single-spaced page, in standard Times New Roman, 12-point font, that is probably around 500 words. I'd encourage writers to stick to this length when writing their query letters.

Going over this suggests that you're trying too hard to tell your story. You shouldn't have to try hard to pitch the big hooks. The main character , stakes, and unique plot should be able to stand on their own.

Do You Really Need a Query Letter?

Yes. You bet. 👌

If you want to publish with traditional publishing, you need a query letter. It's as simple as that.

Query letters are one of the first steps in the publishing process.

Agents receive a lot of emails in their query letter inbox. Seriously, it's a bucket load. Because of this writers might think that some don't take query letters seriously. Writers might also take it personally if they don't get a response from a literary agent months after querying them.

Look, all rejection stinks. Nobody likes that feeling. But this is part of the traditional publishing business, and I think understanding why agents don't have time to answer every query makes the process more manageable.

• 3% to read partials
• 1% to read fulls
• less than .01% offered representation (signing about three to five clients a year)

It's not a shock that this isn't a lot.

Still, not querying gives you a zero percent chance at signing with an agent, especially since it is highly unlikely that a publisher will offer to publish a story that you have self-published or that is already published. There are outliers, like Andy Weir's The Martian , but your best shot by far is by querying an agent.

So, how do you write a query letter that stands out?

A Note on Self-Publishing

Self-publishing does not require a query letter. But learning this three-paragraph method can still help self-published authors because the second paragraph teaches a strategy to write your back cover.

Back covers work as great sales copy for Amazon and other online sellers!

First, Personalize Your Query Letter

Do not submit a query letter that is not addressed to a specific agent. Literary agents are part of literary agencies, but the specific agent is the one you will grow a business relationship with.

Which reminds me, make sure you spell their name right! Double check.

You'd be surprised how many query letters spell the agent's name wrong, and while this doesn't guarantee a rejection, it doesn't help.

If a literary agent is interested in representing you, they will do their fair share of research on you and your work. Mistakes happen, but spelling a name correctly makes for a friendlier beginning.

Some other reasons you want to query a specific agent are:

• When you query a literary agent and they like it but it's for them, they may pass it onto a colleague who is a good fit.
• You should want a specific agent for a reason. Querying any random agent isn't good for your business goals and writing career.
• Knowing a specific agent gives you an opportunity to make a connection with them (see paragraph one later in this post).

Personalizing your letter proves you've done your research, and it will likely make you more passionate and excited to work with that agent.

3 Research Strategies to Help You Personalize Your Letter

I emphasized the importance of research for specific literary agents, and you should do this.

However, there are a total of three elements you should research before writing your query letter to help not only with how you write it, but also give you a better idea about why you want to work with a literary agent and literary agency.

1. Your List of Dream Literary Agents

I recommend making a list of seven to ten dream agents before writing your query letter. This might make the letter easier to write, too, because you're writing to someone specific instead of a general audience.

There are several great ways to do this. Here's a list of ideas for you to consider.

You can find a literary agent who might be a good fit for you by:

• Looking in the acknowledgments section of a book that works as a good comp title for your story
• Visiting Query Tracker
• Checking out my upcoming podcast on #MSWL (coming soon!)

2. Comp Titles

Comparable titles (or comps) won't break your query letter if not included in it, but good ones can seduce an agent into asking for more.

Before you include comps, however, make sure they are excellent ones.

Keep in mind that bad comps are worse than no comps, so it's better to not include comps in your query than include bad ones.

How can you tell if your comp choices are good picks?

You can learn more about strong comp titles in this article .

3. The Agency: What They've Sold and How They Work

Although you should address the letter to a specific agent, you should also research the literary agency. Just because one agency makes more six-figure deals than another doesn't mean they're the best agency for you.

There are a lot of factors that might make an agency the right fit for you or not. It's worth taking the time to think about what you want and need from an agency so you know whether the agencies you query fit the bill.

How to Write a Successful Query Letter with 3 Paragraphs

Agents look for specific details in a query letter. You can be sure they'll want to know your book's:

• Connection point
• Main character
• Back cover pitch with a hook
• Author bio , with writing credentials

It can be tempting to try to explain your book at length, but a query letter is not a synopsis. You want to make this pitch short and concise.

This is why many agents prefer three paragraphs (give or take) that show a literary agent exactly what your book is about, whether or not it's a good fit for their list, if it will sell, and a little about you.

If you read query letter examples, the order of these paragraphs might be mixed. However, I personally prefer the order I'm about to share with you because it (1) establishes clear expectations of what a literary agent should expect, (2) hooks with a back cover description, and (3) shares more about the author.

Agent Carly Watters calls this order the hook, book, cook approach.

Paragraph 1: Hook

Paragraph one is about hooking a literary agent by setting up expectations for the book and making a connection.

When submitting multiple query letters to different agents, this is the one paragraph you need to differentiate. The rest of the query letter can stay the same.

Why does this paragraph change? Because you should be querying a specific agent for personal reasons, remember?

Make a connection by doing this:

• Describe the word count, genre, and title of your book, which should appeal to their manuscript wish list.
• Identify why you want them as your agent, and why you think your book is a good fit for their list.
• Share comps that the agent likes.
• Maybe  include a story premise .

Let's look at an example of how to do this.

One of my favorite books in 2021 is Nancy Johnson's The Kindest Lie . It's a timely book that explores the issue of systemic racism in America, and could be described as Smart Book Club Fiction.

Nancy's literary agent is Danielle Bukowski of Sterling Lord Literistic. I know this by looking at the acknowledgments section in her book.

Now let's pretend I have a book that is similar to Nancy's, and I want make a connection with Danielle. I research the books Danielle likes to represent by visiting one of the ways suggested in the dream agent section above.

Here's what I find on Danielle's website:

She wants to represent books “traditionally overlooked by the publishing industry, as working on books that represent the world is important to me.” Wow, I love that.

And if I thought my (hypothetical) book fit into this category, like The Kindest Lie does, this would be a phenomenal point to make in that first paragraph.

Sharing this in the first paragraph shows I've done my research on Danielle. That I want to work with her , not just any agent who represents my book's genre. It also gives me a chance to share that I love authors and books she's represented.

Knowing all this, I could use these details in my query letter's first paragraph. Like:

• Briefly what my book is about (I'll go into more detail with this in paragraph two, so don't go overboard here; focus on how it connects)
• Genre, Title, and Word count
• Why my book would interest Danielle

P.S. Don't forget to address Danielle specifically. Don't make it out to the literary agency, and absolutely avoid “To Whom It May Concern.”

Put it all together (one to two sentences):

Dear Ms. Bukowski (or Dear Danielle), After reading (and loving!) Nancy Johnson's debut The Kindest Lie, I am submitting my BOOK TITLE HERE for your review. It is a 90,000-word Smart Book Club Fiction story about SOMETHING UNIQUE TO WHAT SHE IS LOOKING FOR or a ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY. I think it will appeal to your interest in representing books that the publishing industry usually overlooks.

Notice a few things about that paragraph:

• BOOK TITLE HERE: Write the book title in ALL CAPS, not italics.
• 90,000-word: The book probably isn't exactly 90,000 words, but round to a nice even number.
• Smart Book Club Fiction: State the genre of your book, and make sure it's on the agent's list!

Some other good ways to make a connection with an agent could include:

• Make a connection with anything they say they're looking for on their manuscript wish list.
• Share how it's similar to any story they've represented in the past (remember those good comps!).
• If you heard an interview with them, mention it and tell them why you liked this interview.
• If you met them at a conference or heard them speak at a conference, mention the connection.
• If you've attended a workshop they ran, mention it and share why you liked it.

Paragraph 2: Book

Paragraph two is all about the big pitch for your story premise. It does not describe the entire plot or every minor plot. It should read like the back cover of a book, which is why it's great to explore the back covers of comparable titles before writing this.

One element you'll want to consider when writing the back cover is your story's stakes. I like to think about James Scott Bell's whiff of death suggestions: psychological, physical, and/or professional death.

Note: Do not mistake value shifts for genres used in traditional publishing. While knowing your story's main stakes are great for writing and editing it, a traditional publisher will want to know it's a YA Fantasy story, not an Action or Performance story.

That said, knowing your value shifts can help you show them why your story has life and death stakes, or why your character's professional reputation is on the line, or their sanity in some way.

There are various ways to write a story's back cover, and some pantsers and plotters even use this to plan their book before writing it. However, I always turn back to James Scott Bell's strategy for writing back covers, which he covers in his book Revision and Self Editing .

This is his suggestion:

• Sentence One: Identify the protagonist, their vocation, and their initial situation (status quo)
• Sentence Two: BUT when (this happens) + the main plot problem
• Sentence Three: Now + death stakes

Ultimately, you can write this back cover in as little as three sentences.

Some query letters write this in two to three short paragraphs (with a heavy emphasis on short: each paragraph is two to three sentences). Keep in mind that you do not want to explain too much of your story when writing this. Let the plot and main character stand on their own.

Do not give away the ending. Instead, suggest the journey.

Here's the back cover for Nancy Johnson's The Kindest Lie :

Notice the last paragraph? You don't need an overarching description about the big ideas in the book in your query letter, but if you can write this well, that's great to include.

Additionally, this is a published back cover, so it's longer than what's expected in a query letter.

If you want to read  The Kindest Lie  and more of Nancy's amazing work, visit her website here .

Paragraph 3: Cook

The last paragraph in a query letter is your author bio. The most important idea here is that you write a bio that shares your credibility as a writer, or any big information that sheds light on your professional writing resume, seasoned with a dash of your personality.

Don't force details here. If you haven't published before, that's okay. You absolutely can call yourself a debut writer . You don't have to have an MFA to get a literary agent (although you can mention it if you do have one).

If you have published, mention this. Even better, if you have a big platform or other numbers that would benefit your book's sales, include these.

Don't hold back on anything that demonstrates your publishing career!

Ultimately, bios don't need to be long. They are meant to give the agent a sense of who you are from a professional standpoint; think quality over quantity again. They could also include one memorable fun fact that humanizes you and shows your personality.

Here's Nancy Johnson's bio:

A native of Chicago's South Side, Nancy Johnson worked for more than a decade as an Emmy-nominated, award-winning television journalist at CBS and ABC affiliates in markets nationwide. A graduate of Northwestern University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she lives in downtown Chicago and manages brand communications for a large nonprofit. The Kindest Lie is her first novel.

Bonus: Don't Forget the P.S.!

Including a P.S. underneath your signature that reestablishes your connection with the agent is a good bonus piece. Be genuine with this, and speak to the agent when you write it.

Also, it's nice to thank the agent for their time before your signature. It can't hurt to include your website address directly beneath your signature. This will suffice for contact information; you don't need to give phone numbers or addresses in a query. Try something like this:

Thank you so much for taking the time to review my manuscript. Warm Regards, YOUR NAME YOUR WEBSITE ADDRESS P.S. Congratulations on NAME OF CLIENT'S BOOK surpassing 100,000 copies sold! What a deserving milestone!

P.P.S. Pitch Your Story with Confidence!

Spend time with your query letter. If you want, get a professional critique and share it with your writing community. And when you're ready, pitch your story with confidence .

At some point, you have to hit send. You've done the research. Do it confidently!

THE GOOD PLACE: A Query Letter Sample and Template

This sample query letter is not a real letter used to query an agent but one I've crafted to model the Hook, Book, Cook format. To model this, I selected a hypothetical literary agent and built on the DVD description for one of my favorite TV shows, The Good Place (season one).

I also made this query letter YA by imagining that Eleanor is sixteen years old and not thirty-something.

Keep an eye on this space. As writers in the Write Practice community pitch successful query letters, we'll share those here, too.

Dear Ms. Schur, I absolutely loved the fun sense of humor and uplifting tone in Leslie Knope's YA debut, The Wonders of Pawnee, which is why I think you'll enjoy my 70,000-word YA Fiction novel, THE GOOD PLACE . It is a perfect blend of serious life questions explored by spunky characters full of wit, and will attract readers who adore love stories like Justin Reynolds' Opposite of Always and philosophical questions like in Gayle Forman's If I Stay. After sixteen-year-old Eleanor Shellstrop dies in a tragic accident, she winds up in the afterlife—and it's amazing. Here, in what's called the Good Place, Eleanor enjoys the endless pleasures of frozen yogurt, soulmates, and wonderful people who have dedicated their lives to performing good acts. Eternity here is perfect. The only problem is Eleanor isn't supposed to be here. In fact, her life decisions wouldn't have even gotten her close. But when Eleanor confesses the clerical error which only happens because she's reaping someone else's reward to her soulmate, indecisive ethics professor Chidi, trouble really starts to boil. Now, with the help of three unlikely companions, Eleanor struggles to learn how to be good in order to make sure her secret stays a secret. Not only for her eternal life, but the friends she grows to care about, and increasingly endangers with her growing mess. I am a veteran actor turned writer with a B.S. in TV, Radio, and Film and have spent the last decade studying story structure on the stage and now in books. As an avid YA fiction reader, I enjoy supporting authors on Goodreads and Instagram, where I have 14,000+ followers as a #bookstagrammer. THE GOOD PLACE will be my debut. Thank you for your time and consideration. Best Regards, Jenny Pages www.jennypages[DOT]com P.S. I really enjoyed your latest podcast episode on New Girl . That Jessica Day cracks me up!

Other Places to Find Examples

Here are some of my favorite examples:

• Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed
• The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green by Erica Boyce
• The Writer's Life Lily King
• Hooking Your Reader & Keeping Them Turning Pages
• In Praise of Bookstagrammers

What About Stories Written in Dual POV?

I've talked to a lot of writers who ask this question: what if your book has more than one point of view ? Should you include all of these in your query letter?

The answer: most likely.

Query letters set up expectations for your story, right? So if your story is written in dual POV , it wouldn't hurt to give the literary agent a heads up about this. Mention each POV and show how each has their own story arc that inevitably weaves together by the end.

How do you do this? Check out how authors of multi-POV novels have summarized their books in their back cover copy.

Here are some examples of strong multi-POV back covers:

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman
• Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

What You Should Expect After You Hit Send

Most literary agencies have a policy that you won't hear a response from the literary agent if it's a pass. Others might notify you that you've been rejected. And everyone who wants to read more will contact you.

It hurts to be rejected. I get it. But please do your best to not take rejections personally, or get bummed out if an agent doesn't let you know directly that the book isn't for them.

It can feel very much that a rejection of a book is a rejection of you, but it isn't.

You might think, “Well what the heck, why don't they let me know why it's a pass? Or even that it is a pass?” While most literary agents would love to write personal rejection notes and give some notes for edits, they just don't have the time to do this. Query letters and signing clients is part of the job, and an exciting one at that!

But they also have to agent.

While you're waiting, work on your next book. Keep writing! Read some of those books piling up on your bookshelf. Go for a run with your pup. Play with your baby. Eat popcorn. Plot out your next big idea!

And if you get rejected, keep going. Submit to other agents on your agent list.

Remember, it only takes one yes!

Red Flags to Avoid in Your Query Letter

​One final note.

We've talked about what a literary agent likes in a query letter, and what will catch their attention and hook them.

We probably should also briefly cover some red flags, or items that will (likely) lead to hard rejections. Take note of this list, and be sure your query letter is free of all these items:

• A query full of typos . Mistakes happen, but a query letter littered with grammar mistakes suggests careless writing, and anything that draws an agent's attention too much will distract them from the story pitch.
• Misspelling the agent's name. This doesn't lead to an automatic rejection, but try to get this right. Proofread your query letter!
• Anything suggesting that you're the next James Patterson or another big writer, or your series will sell like Harry Potter. It hasn't yet, so don't state this.
• Saying your book will sell millions of copies. Again, it hasn't yet, so leave this out.
• Being rude, threatening, or gimmicky in any way.

You have one chance to impress each agent with your query letter, and you want your letter to shine, with no bumps or hangups that might cause them to turn away. Make sure your commas are all in the right places!

Can You Follow Up?

You haven't heard from the literary agent in a while. Should you follow up?

If the submission guidelines say a no response is a rejection , and it's been longer than three months, it's probably a rejection.

Some agents don't mind a polite follow-up, but don't be hasty with this. Give the literary agent time to review their query letter inbox. And keep in mind, not every agent loves follow-ups. If you follow them on social media, they may talk about this on their platforms. Follow their lead.

Overall, I err on the side of leaving it be and not putting your book in one inbox. You can absolutely have that number one agent, but don't be afraid to query other agents after a significant time has passed (again, I recommend three months).

There's nothing wrong with following up politely. But best not to put your book in one inbox.

The Key Principles for How to Write a Query Letter

We've just covered a lot of information about query letters. Here are the key takeaways to keep in mind as you write your query letter.

• A query letter is the most important page you will write besides your book.
• Don't query an agent until you've finished your manuscript (or written a nonfiction book proposal).
• Research and build a dream agent list (seven to ten).
• Query a specific literary agent, not just any agent.
• Use the preferred three-paragraph format: Hook, Book, Cook.
• Add a P.S. to make your query letter stand out.
• Follow submission guidelines.
• Be respectful, don't use gimmicks or lash out if you're rejected.
• Three months is a common wait time before hearing from a literary agent.
• Avoid query letter red flags.
• Write your next book after you submit your book to literary agents.
• Submit your story with confidence! Remember, you have a say!

Above All Else, You Need to Write a Great Book!

Publishing is a tough industry, and you need to dig deep and stay true to your passion if you want to publish you need to muster your love for storytelling and keep going !

I genuinely believe that stories have the greatest chance to engender growth in positive directions. They are bright gifts that teach us perspectives we couldn't learn intimately if locked away instead of put into print.

You are a writer.

You can do this. But to traditionally publish, you will want a literary agent. Your relationship with a literary agent is a business relationship first, and the submission process is also part of that business.

When you understand the mechanics of the submission process and master the three-paragraph format in your query letter, you'll boost your chances in the slush.

Ultimately, though, a query letter is only the first step in signing with a literary agent. Even more important than writing than a knockout query letter is writing a great book!

A great book is what a literary agent will offer to represent! The query letter gives them exciting reasons to check it out.

What scares or confuses you about writing query letters? Do you think these three paragraphs will help you overcome that fear or confusion?  Let us know in the comments .

Now that you know the preferred three paragraphs in a query letter, pick the paragraph you find most intimidating and give it a go!

Spend fifteen minutes writing this paragraph.

It doesn't have to be perfect. You can't revise anything that isn't written, and we all need to start somewhere!

Once you're done, post it in the Pro Practice Workshop for feedback. Do this confidently and with an open mind for critique.

Then, comment on three other people's paragraphs. Ask for them to critique your paragraph, too. This is how we help one another!

Good luck, and happy querying. I can't wait to see your book debut in the world!

Abigail Perry

Abigail Perry is a Certified Story Grid Editor with professional teaching, literary agency, and film production experience. In addition to writing Story Grid masterwork guides, she works as a freelance editor and is the Content Editor for The Write Practice. Abigail loves stories that put women and diverse groups at the center of the story—and others that include superpowers and magic. Her favorite genres include: Smart Book Club Fiction, Women's Fiction, YA Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and unique memoirs. She also has a B.S. in TV, Radio, and Film and loves working on screenplays that are emotionally driven and/or full of action. You can learn more about Abigail on her website.

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How to write the perfect letter to a literary agent

Posted 27 November 2020 by Rufus Purdy

Rufus Purdy, an editor and tutor on the forthcoming Write Here… Online novel-writing course , explains how to write the perfect submission letter to a literary agent.

I’ve heard a lot of writers moaning about literary agents. People say they’re lofty gatekeepers of the publishing industry, they’re only looking for authors who are already famous or who have at least 100,000 followers on social media, they’re not interested in new talent unless that person is writing a slightly different version of what’s sold by the shelfload over the past year, they make you wait for months before sending you a crushing, two-line rejection… And while there is a small element of truth to all those statements, most agents are very nice people, who do what they do because they adore great writing. I worked for the Curtis Brown literary agency for six years, and all my colleagues there were constantly on the lookout for great stories, told in a fresh and interesting way. And all were desperate to find talented new authors and get their work in front of as many readers as possible.

Your first point of contact with a literary agent will be the covering letter you send to them along with your synopsis and sample chapters. So what will agents be looking for in that letter? Well, a good covering letter should be short and it certainly shouldn’t go on for more than one page. And by a page, I mean a single page in Microsoft Word, with an easily readable, 12-point font (ideally Times or Times New Roman) and normal margins – not with lines stretched right out till they’re touching the edges of the paper. This letter should be written to a specific agent. Your aim in this letter is to make the agent you’re targeting feel as though you’ve singled them out above all others to represent your novel, so don’t use ‘Dear Sir’, Dear Madam’, ‘To whom it may concern’ or – worst of all – ‘Dear agent’. Using the agent’s first name is absolutely fine, but make sure you spell it correctly. Nothing screams sloppiness and a lack of attention to detail like getting someone’s name wrong in the opening line of a letter.

You want to grab the agent’s attention, so your first paragraph should deal with pitching your novel. You don’t need to go into great detail – you’ll also be submitting a synopsis, remember – but you do want the agent to be excited by the idea of the book you’re sending them. You should also let them know what genre your novel sits in (if it is, indeed, in a clearly defined genre) and what sort of books your novel would sit alongside in the bookshops. While you should avoid grandiose and ridiculous comparisons, you shouldn’t be afraid to liken it to work by other authors – especially if those are authors which that agent represents, or who are doing particularly well in the current book market. A sentence such as ‘this novel will appeal to readers who enjoy the books of Gillian Flynn and Erin Kelly’ tells the agent everything they need to know about your book’s place in the market, without you coming across as arrogant.

You should then introduce yourself to the agent and, if you can, tell them about why you chose to tell the story you’re sending them. If you’ve spent the past 15 years playing in midfield for Hartlepool and your novel is about the world of English lower-league football, then that’s something the agent should know. Flag up anything, too, that shows how seriously you take your writing. Mention any work you’ve had published, any prizes you’ve won and any writing courses you’ve taken. I would avoid talking about novels you’ve self-published, though, as, no matter how good those books were, self-publishing is – I’m afraid – no distinguisher of quality. Unless, of course, that self-published novel shifted thousands of copies and made the Amazon Kindle top 10. If you don’t feel as though you have anything to say in these areas – and the majority of authors approaching agents don’t – then just tell the agent something interesting about yourself. Try to pique their interest with a couple of memorable details – perhaps you grew up in a hippy commune, you won the Blue Peter Christmas card-designing competition when you were a child, you’re a keen falconer – so your letter stands out from the hundreds they receive each week. Don’t make jokes or go into self-deprecation though. This is you, formally introducing yourself as a potential client, and you want to come across as professional.

Then you need to talk about why you’ve chosen to target that particular agent. There’s a reason you’ve selected this person to write to, so tell them what it is about them that chimed with you. Is it that they represent your favourite author? Do they say in their online biography that they’re looking for books just like you’re sending them? Are they particularly dedicated to finding authors from a particular country or region? Did you like what they said about finding new talent in an interview you’ve read? Show the agent you genuinely want to be represented by them, but don’t be too crawling and obsequious about it. Just be polite and professional.

Finally, make sure you check the spelling and grammar in your letter, and any author names and titles of books you’ve mentioned. I’ve seen far too many covering letters in which the author hasn’t done this, and it just gives a really bad first impression.

Rufus Purdy is an editor and tutor on the Write Here… Online novel-writing course , which costs £99 for eight weeks and begins on 18 January. For more information, please visit writehereuk.com .

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How to Write a Darn Good Query Letter

Guess what’s the most important thing you’ll ever write. Nope. It’s not your novel. Good guess, though.

I’ll just spill the beans: it’s your query letter. If you’re hoping to secure a traditional publisher for your next great American novel, you’ve got to write the best darn query letter ever.

That query letter stands between you and your traditional publishing dreams. So, if I may borrow the next few minutes of your life, let’s discuss what a query letter is, why it’s so important, and how to write one that makes all of your hopes and dreams come true (or, at least, gets you started in the right direction). Ready? Let’s do this!

What’s a query letter?

A query letter is a one-page letter sent to literary agents in an effort to get them excited about your book. You have one page and 300 words (or less) to woo a literary agent into falling in love with your story and then requesting your manuscript.

This letter is short, sweet, and definitely to the point.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to squeeze the essence of your 80,000+ word book into approximately 300 words. Talk about mission impossible!

Aside from the near constant rejection we writers face, crafting the perfect query letter is the hardest part of authorship.

In essence, a query letter is a marketing page that talks up your book, without overselling it. You must walk a very fine line between selling your manuscript without coming across like the parent who knows his kid is the best player on the bench.

Easy, right?

Don’t worry—we’re going to get through this together.

Sometimes seeing is believing, so here’s a printable template to help you strategize the perfect query letter. Subscribe to receive this extra resource.

Download your bonus content:

How to write a darn good query letter

+Do follow the tried and trusted formula. Your query letter is not the time to get cute. There’s a very specific standard for query letters that you should not deviate from, when possible. Here it is:

Format with your address at the top of the page, right justified. Next, type the agent’s address, this time left justified.

Use a personalized greeting where you acknowledge the agent by name.

Keep the body of your query letter from three to five paragraphs.

Paragraph #1: This is your opportunity to hook the literary agent. Share any connection you have with the agent (you met him or her at a conference, or you’re a fan of specific authors that he or she represents).

If you don’t have a specific connection with the agent, you should get immediately into the action. The job of this first paragraph is to keep the agent reading.

In this paragraph, share the title and genre of your book. This is also a great place to include your book’s word count.

That’s right-- always include your word count-- this is one of the most important information tidbits in your query letter.

Here are my favorite opening lines from query letters submitted to Writer’s Digest :

Query letter for FALLS THE SHADOW . Read more here .

Query letter for The Big Rewind . Read more here .

Query letter for Sure Signs of Crazy . Read more here .

Paragraph #2: Now that you’ve hooked the agent, it’s time to summarize your story. Discuss your main characters, what happens, and what choice they must make now. But don’t give away the entire plot. Leave the agent wanting more by structuring this paragraph in a cliffhanger.

Paragraph #3: Add your bio, but make sure it’s relevant to writing. Impress your agent with writing awards and credibility (you attend a yearly conference), or related writing experience. Keep it short (no more than two sentences).

Remember with a query letter, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

+Do use short paragraphs and short sentences, when possible. Imagine this: your letter is one of hundreds that your potential agent must read through this week . Between you and me, they’re probably skimming quite a few of those letters. Make it easy for them to skim through your letter by employing crisp, easy to digest sentences.

+Do use a similar tone to your narrative. Your query letter should evoke the same tone as your novel. Mirror the same language that you use in your book. Is it funny? Inject some of that humor into your query letter. Is it flowery? Use ornate and elegant language to sell your story. But be careful with wordiness. (See above.)

+Do follow submission guidelines. Be careful about sending off a query letter blitz without reading individual guidelines. Not every agent wants the same things. Some may only accept email submissions while others accept both.

The good thing is, they will always spell it out for you. Observe (no endorsement implied) :

Donald Maass Literary Agency

Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency

The Knight Agency

+Do address each specific agent. There’s nothing more newbie-ish than using a “to whom it may concern” address. This shouts, I’m sending this query letter to every single agent on the eastern seaboard. And, while that’s probably the case, you’ll miss a valuable opportunity to engage the agent (or his assistant) by simply saying his name.

Also, if possible, throw in why you’re pitching your book to that particular agent. Perhaps he or she represents other authors you love or represents the same genre as your book. Don’t hope for the agent to connect the dots—bring it up so it’s clear immediately.

+Do mention that your book has been reviewed by a professional editor. Agents love a polished manuscript. They notice writers who’ve taken the extra step of getting their manuscript edited by a professional. This makes the writer appear more professional and serious, and will definitely add more weight to your query letter. Check out our services page for more information on how we can help you .

Finally, the key to querying agents is volume. Two or three queries will rarely hit the mark. To find the right agent at the right time, you often need to send out a lot of query letters. As you'll see below, some of the greatest literary minds had to deal with rejection. A shadow would be cast over the literary world had they given up on their dreams.

Agatha Christie — 5 years of continual rejection. Her book sales are now in excess of $2 billion.

JK Rowling — 12 rejections until the eight-year-old daughter of a Bloomsbury editor demands to read the book. The rest is history.

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen — 140 years of rejection. Chicken Soup for the Soul sold 125 million copies.

Margaret Mitchell — 38 rejections. Gone with the Wind sold 30 million copies.

The list goes on.

How not to write a darn good query letter

-Don’t go beyond one page. Brevity is your friend. Actually, it’s rude to go over one page in a query letter, not to mention unprofessional. Most literary agents will not even consider a query letter with more than one page (or front and back).

-Don’t oversell it. Don’t let the following sentences into your query letter, no matter how proud you are of your masterpiece:

• Get ready to read your next best-seller
• This book belongs with treasured classics
• You’ll kick yourself if you pass this one up

Here’s why you don’t want to do it: it’s bad taste, and it’s already implied. Why else would you shop your manuscript if you didn’t think highly of it?

Instead of tooting your own horn, let your work sing for itself.

-Don’t self-deprecate, either. Starting out your query letter with a self-defeating phrase like, “I hope I’m not wasting your time,” is a big red flag to most agents. It makes the agent think, if this person doesn’t believe in his book, why should I?

Always face every query with undeniable optimism, even if you’re denied. Expect that this agent will say yes because your book is awesome, and waiting to be discovered.

-Don’t forget your SASE. Unless you’re emailing your query or expecting an email back, you need a self addressed stamped envelope (or SASE for short). Check with the submission guidelines for specifics.

-Don’t mistake your bio for a memoir. You have about two sentences to turn the spotlight on yourself. This isn’t the time to talk about your childhood in the south of France unless it is relevant to the novel you’re pitching. In fact, the only thing you should discuss about yourself is if there’s a personal connection or expertise that you have related to the content of your manuscript.

-Don’t handwrite or use strange fonts in your query letter. There are people who still use pen and maybe even pencils. This is not the time for either of those utensils. A query letter should be typed with a standard font. Use either Times New Roman or Arial, but do not, dear reader, use Comic Sans .

Image Courtesy of FeedGrids

Author Unknown

Keep the font size to 12 pt and the textcolor should be black. Also, use white paper. I know it’s boring, but this is what’s expected. Anything else will seem amateur, at best.

Final Thoughts

As a new author, you may be obsessed with finding an agent who will help you publish your manuscript. And, in order to accomplish this, you know that you need an impressive query letter. Putting this together might feel even more daunting than authoring your novel, but it doesn’t need to cause panic! Use the tips in this post to get your query letter noticed on a busy literary agent's desk.

[NEW UPDATE] A MUST-HAVE TOOL FOR LITERARY AGENT RESEARCH

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Your days of scrolling for useful pieces of information are over!

Literary Agent Alert is an easy way to find out when an agent is looking for a manuscript like yours.

Every week, you'll get a newsletter that aggregates all mentions by reputable agents who are looking for a book in your genre.

Click here to learn more.

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Example Cover Letter For Manuscript Submission

Writing a Strong Cover letter  for Manuscript Submission

When you send your manuscript to a publisher or literary agent, you will need to include the following information;

– A letter of motivation

– A biography of the author

– A synopsis of your manuscript

– Selection of sample chapters

The first thing the editor or literary agent will see when they open the envelope for submission is your cover letter. It is so often overlooked by aspiring writers, and yet, if the letter you wrote is not up to par, then chances are the editor or literary agent will not continue to read the rest of your submission.

So what information to include in your cover letter for manuscript submission? Well, in general terms, there are three important things in your letter should focus on you, your book, and why your book is worthy of publication.

Summerdale publications Stewart Ferris reports that “when writing about himself, the goal of a paragraph that summarizes the highlights of what qualifies you to write this book. The editor has to know if you have had success before publishing, if you have the necessary preparation for writing his book, and if you write more books on the subject. ”

Then you need to think about what information to include in your cover letter that is directly related to the manuscript or book in question itself. You want to focus just maybe a paragraph of your letter on the content of the book itself, to give the reader a taste of what is to come in the synopsis, and finally in the complete manuscript. Focus briefly on the “who, where, when and what is happening” on the story line.

You must also include the reasons why his book should be published in his letter. Think about why the publisher would not be taking a big risk on the introduction of his book. Maybe you have some contacts that allow easy campaign to promote the book. Or maybe you’ve completed a large piece of market research that shows that there is real demand for your book. In addition, you may be aware of ways that could lead to a rapid and reliable market for his book – which can be a university professor with a guarantee that your book will become an essential text for your university, once published by example.

Finally, remember that your writing is on permanent display throughout the presentation of manuscripts.  So try to include a sentence or two that summarize the essence of your beautiful book.

If you send your manuscript by e-mail, your cover letter comes before your story that the main body of your e-mail, and always acts as your introduction. Your cover letter should be single-spaced, written in standard block or semi-block format, and a double space between paragraphs. If you mail your manuscript, you should consider writing your cover letter on plain white 8 ½ “by 11” paper.

As mentioned earlier, the number of parts in a letter may vary. But regardless of how many sections there are, some information that is normally specified in the cover letter includes the title of your story and your word count history. If you send your manuscript by mail, as opposed to e-mail, you can also specify that the self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) is closed and there is no need to return the manuscript .

What not to include in your cover letter for manuscript submission is a detailed description of its history. I also noticed some recent submission guidelines where publishers have emphasized the authors not to include photos of themselves with their offers. Make sure to always read the most recent guidelines published and send only what publishers require that you send. Disobeying submission guidelines can sometimes mean an automatic rejection of its short history.

Not all publishers will be required to send letters with his manuscript short story, but when a letter is necessary, try to think of your cover letter as well as a courtesy, the introduction of a tool, rather than an argument of sale. Let your cover letter to introduce, and let your story speak for itself. This is more acceptable and less rejected.

The numbered requirements which you posted tell you exactly what the company wants you do. Generally the type preferred is Times New Roman. You should be able to format your word processor to create the book’s pages as the company is asking. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to determine how many pages you’ll have, and, if your manuscript is completed, you can just print it. The paper which you use in your printer would naturally be good quality and the proper size. The normal font size is 10 point, but you can control that, too, in your word processor.

How do i correctly send my story to these publishers? How do i make my novel in this format? For example, what does it mean by typewritten pages?

How should I write my story, the font size, are the pages supposed to be back and front written or what?

How do i write it in this structure they gave me?

This is what they said to me… FORMAT FOR SUBMISSIONS 1. Submissions should consist of a book-length manuscript with a contemporary setting that will be suitable for readers ages 12 to 18.

2. Manuscripts should be no shorter than 100 typewritten pages and no longer than 224 typewritten pages. Include a brief plot summary with your covering letter.

3. Each manuscript should have a cover page listing the title of the novel; the author’s name, address, and telephone number.

4. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced on 8-1/2″ x 11″ good quality white paper, and pages should be numbered consecutively. The type should be at least 10 point. The author should retain a copy of any manuscript submitted.

Writer’s Market: What else do I need? I’m purchasing the 2009 version of WM, but having never submitted any of my writing as a freelancer before, what else do I need to know that’s not included in this book? For example, will it tell me how to write a query letter, the dos and don’ts of my manuscript, and so on? At this point I have no idea if I should be sticking to a certain number of pages, what the format of my manuscript should be, and so on.

Basically, I’m trying to find out if the WM only gives listings, or if it will guide me step-by-step through the submission process.I would appreciate any guidance regarding websites or other publications for the first time writer, if you feel that WM does not cover some of the things I need to know.

Thanks in advance!

It does cover the basics, including how to format a manuscript and write a querry letter. Each book has articles on the publishing industry, submission process, and some author interviews.

consider joining absolutewrite.com/forum (the watercooler) for more assistance. It’s a large and knowledgable group with a wealth of information to share.

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161 Examples of Successful Query Letters from Famous Authors

On the road to traditional publication, your query letter plays a central role in getting your book noticed. In fact, when it comes to landing literary agents and publishers , a compelling and properly formatted query letter is just as important as a good manuscript. To help inspire you, we’ve collected 161 query letter examples from famous authors spanning various genres:

Adult Fiction

Author: Sean Ferrell

Genre: Contemporary

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Author: Richard Harvell

Genre: Historical

The Art of Racing in the Rain

Author: Garth Stein (This query letter example comes from a New York Times bestseller.)

Genre: Animal Fiction, Contemporary

Author: S.G. Browne

Genre: Contemporary, Dark Humor

A Mad, Wicked Folly

Author: Sharon Biggs Waller

Genre: Fiction

Between Earth and Sky

Author: Amanda Skenandore

Genre: Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction

Author: Alyson Gerber

Genre: Fiction, Bildungsroman

People Who Knew Me

Author: Kim Hooper

Genre: Psychological Fiction

If I Fix You

Author: Abigail Johnson

Where the Watermelons Grow

Author: Cindy Baldwin

Mosquitoland

Author: David Arnold

P.S. I Miss You

Author: Jen Petro-Roy

Genre: Fiction, Epistolary Fiction

Darling Rose Gold

Author: Stephanie Wrobel

Genre: Fiction, Psychological Thriller

Hunting Annabelle

Author: Wendy Heard

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Children’s Fiction

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic

Author: Jennifer Trafton

Genre: Fantasy, Children’s Literature

A Snicker of Magic

Original title used in query letter: There’s Magic in Midnight Gulch

Author: Natalie Lloyd

Genre: Children’s Literature, Fantasy & Magic, Family

Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow

Author: Nathan Bransford

Genre: Science Fiction, Children’s Literature

It’s Raining Bats & Frogs

Author: Rebecca Colby

Genre: Children’s Literature

The Peculiar

Author: Stefan Bachmann

Steering Toward Normal

Author: Rebecca Petruck

Genre: Children’s Literature, Middle Grade

Sure Signs of Crazy

Author: Karen Harrington

Pickle Impossible

Author: Eli Stutz

Genre: Children’s Literature, Middle Grade, Adventure

Author: Amber McRee Turner

Genre: Children’s Literature, Adventure, Middle Grade

I Have A Balloon

Author: Ariel Bernstein

Genre: Humor, Fiction, Children’s Literature

Maximillian Villainous

Author: Margaret Chiu Greanias

Crime Fiction

One for the Money

Author: Janet Evanovich (This query letter example is for the first book in a beloved series.)

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Women’s Fiction, Women Sleuths, Humor

Murder on the Rocks

Author: Karen MacInerney

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Women Sleuths

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Original title used in query letter: Blessed Are the Dead

Author: Kristi Belcamino

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

The Big Rewind

Original title used in query letter: No Awkward Goodbyes

Author: Libby Cudmore

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Untold Damage

Author: Robert K. Lewis

A Bad Day for Sorry

Author: Sophie Littlefield

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Women Sleuths

The Phoenix Reich

Original title used in query letter: The Phoenix Conspiracy

Author: Joshua Lisec

Genre: Thriller, Adventure

Tiger’s Curse

Author: Colleen Houck

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Author: Gail Carriger

Genre: Steampunk, Gothic Romance, Fantasy

By Darkness Hid

Original title used in query letter: Prince Gidon

Author: Jill Williamson

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Religious Fiction

Magic Lost, Trouble Found

Original title used in query letter: Thief of Souls

Author: Lisa Shearin

Genre: Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

Luck in the Shadows

Author: Lynn Flewelling

Genre: Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Throne of Glass

Original title used in query letter: Queen of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas (The novel launched by this successful query letter took the young adult world by storm.)

The Demon’s Lexicon

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: Paranormal & Urban Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Enchanted, Inc.

Original title used in query letter: Magic, Spells and Illusions, Inc.

Author: Shanna Swendson

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, Chick Lit, Women’s Fiction

Author: Kim Chance

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fantasy

An Enchantment of Ravens

Author: Margaret Rogerson

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Midnight Thief

Author: Livia Blackburne

The Iron Witch

Author: Karen Mahoney

Genre: Young, Adult, Urban Fantasy

The Accidental Demon Slayer

Author: Angie Fox

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Author: MarcyKate Connolly

Genre: Children’s Books, Fantasy, Young Adult

Gates of Thread and Stone

Author: Lori M. Lee

Genre: Fantasy

Bitten & Smitten

Author: Michelle Rowen

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Vampire Literature

The Whitefire Crossing

Author: Courtney Schafer

Genre: Crime Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Adventure, Historical Fantasy

All the Stars and Teeth

Author: Adalyn Grace

City of Lies

Author: Sam Hawke

Midsummer’s Mayhem

Author: Rajani LaRocca

The Secret Ingredient of Wishes

Author: Susan Bishop Crispell

Genre: Magical Realism, Fantasy

The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Genre: Romance, High Fantasy, Fantasy

Author: Edward David McDonald

Genre: Fantasy, Apocalyptic Fiction

Mystery/Suspense

Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Genre: Mystery, Women’s

The Night Child

Original title used in query letter: Split

Author: Anna Quinn

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Women’s, Psychological Thriller

The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors

Author: Michele Young-Stone

Genre: Mystery

The Lost Night

Author: Andrea Bartz

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction

Author: Allison Brennan

Genre: Romance, Suspense, Psychological Fiction

Trust Me, I’m Lying

Author: Mary Elizabeth Summer

Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Suspense

You Can’t Get There from Here: A Year on the Fringes of a Shrinking World

Original title used in query letter: Hobbits on the Silk Road

Author: Gayle Forman

Genre: Autobiography, Travel

The Hand-Me-Down PC

Author: Morris Rosenthal

Genre: Nonfiction

War Is Boring

Author: David Axe

Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir

Over-the-Counter Natural Cures

Original title used in query letter: The Wal-Mart Cure

Author: Shane Ellison

Genre: Nonfiction, Health

Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There

Original title used in query letter: Timing Is Everything: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There

Author: Mark Di Vincenzo

Genre: Nonfiction, Reference

Dumbemployed

Author: Phil Edwards & Matt Kraft

Genre: Humor, Anthology, Nonfiction

Hidden Cities: Travels to the Secret Corners of the World’s Great Metropolises: A Memoir of Urban Exploration

Original title used in query letter: Hidden Cities: Inside the Secret World of Urban Explorers

Author: Moses Gates

Genre: Travel Memoir

You’ll Never Nanny in This Town Again: The True Adventures of a Hollywood Nanny

Author: Suzanne Hansen

Genre: Memoir, Humor

Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own

Author: Doreen Orion

Genre: Memoir, Humor, Travel

River of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved

Original title used in query letter: Ernie and His Lovely Wife, Betty

Author: Jeffrey Buckner Ford

Genre: Autobiographies, Memoirs

Peaches & Daddy: A Story of the Roaring 20s, the Birth of Tabloid Media & Courtship That Captured the Heart and Imagination of the American Public

Author: Michael Greenburg

Frantic Francis: How One Coach’s Madness Changed Football

Original title used in query letter: The Rise and Fall of Francis Schmidt

Author: Brett Perkins

Genre: Nonfiction, Biographies

The Power of Memoir: How to Write Your Healing Story

Original title used in query letter: Becoming Whole, Writing Your Healing Story

Author: Linda Myers

Genre: Self-Help, Nonfiction

Sandhill Dreams

Original title used in query letter: A Fort Robinson Summer

Author: Cara Putman

Genre: Historical Romance, Religious Fiction, Western & Frontier

Proof by Seduction

Author: Courtney Milan

Genre: Historical Romance

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Original title used in query letter: The Panama Hotel

Author: Jamie Ford (This successful query letter was for the author’s debut novel.)

Genre: Historical Fiction, Family Saga

Rumble on the Bayou

Author: Jana DeLeon

Genre: Mystery, Supernatural, Contemporary Romance

Only with You

Author: Lauren Layne

Genre: Contemporary Romance

The Healer’s Apprentice

Original title used in query letter: The Woodcutter’s Daughter

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Genre: Teens, Religious Fiction, Historical Romance

Catching Jordan

Original title used in query letter: Score

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

The Notebook

Author: Nicholas Sparks (A successful query letter from a famous romance author.)

Private Arrangements

Original title used in query letter: Schemes of Love

Author: Sherry Thomas

A Gift of Grace

Author: Amy Clipston

Genre: Amish, Christian Fiction, Romance

A Royal Pain

Author: Megan Mulry

Genre: Regency Romance, Women’s Fiction

Author: Tiffany Reisz

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Letters from Home

Author: Kristina Mcmorris

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Historical, Romance

A Widow’s Hope

Author: Mary Ellis

Grave Intentions

Author: Lori Sjoberg

Genre: Romance, Paranormal

Devil on a Sparrow’s Wing

Author: Calista Taylor

Genre: Steampunk, Romance

Dark Desires

Author: Eve Silver

Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Gothic Fiction

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Humor, Fiction, Romance, Paranormal Romance

The Husband Trap

Author: Tracy Anne Warren

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Regency Fiction

Some Kind of Magic

Author: Mary Ann Marlowe

Genre: Erotic Romance, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance

Caged in Winter

Author: Brighton Walsh

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Author: Jennifer Blackwood

Chasing Crazy

Author: Kelly Siskind

Genre: Romance, Coming-of-Age, New Adult

Sorcerer to the Crown

Author: Zen Cho

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy

Science Fiction

Ancillary Justice

Original title used in query letter: Justice of Toren

Author: Ann Leckie

Genre: Science Fiction

Death Thieves

Original title used in query letter: The Revolution

Author: Julie Wright

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Hazzardous Universe

Genre: Science Fiction, Children’s Books, Fantasy, Adventure

The Daedalus Incident

Author: Michael J. Martinez

Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk, Science Fiction

The Disasters

Author: M.K. England

Author: Erin Bowman

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Dystopian Fiction

Author: Michael Mammay

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

A Spark of White Fire

Author: Sangu Mandanna

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy

Here and Now and Then

Author: Mike Chen

Genre: Science Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Time Travel Fiction

Women’s Literature

The Arrivals

Author: Meg Mitchell Moore

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Domestic Fiction

She Came from Beyond!

Original title used in query letter: She Came from Beyond

Author: Nadine Darling

The Art of Falling

Author: Kathryn Craft

Genre: Women’s Fiction

The Weird Sisters

Author: Eleanor Brown

Simply from Scratch

Author: Alicia Bessette

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Contemporary

Author: Allie Larkin

Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Take It Like a Mom

Original title used in query letter: Better Than T.V.

Author: Stephanie Stiles

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Humor, Domestic Fiction

If You Follow Me

Original title used in query letter: Repeat After Me

Author: Malena Watrous

The Last Will of Moira Leahy

Author: Therese Walsh

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary

The Department of Lost & Found

Author: Allison Winn Scotch

Young Adult Fiction

Author: Gayle Forman (This bestselling author shares several successful query letters on her blog.)

Genre: Young Adult, Bildungsroman, Social & Family Issues, Realistic Fiction

The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner (This successful query letter launched a famous young adult series.)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction

Pride and Popularity

Author: Jenni James

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Author: Kody Keplinger

Genre: Young Adult, Teens, Romantic Comedy, Social & Family Issues

Author: Marissa Meyer (This query letter example launched a popular young adult fairytale series.)

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian

Give up the Ghost

Author: Megan Crewe

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

A Wicked Thing

Original title used in query letter: After

Author: Rhiannon Thomas

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tales

Under a Painted Sky

Original title used in query letter: Golden Boys

Author: Stacey Lee

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Adventure

Original title used in query letter: Perfectly Pia

Author: Jessica Khoury

Genre: Young Adult

Of Poseidon

Author: Anna Banks

Not a Drop to Drink

Author: Mindy McGinnis

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian

The Heir and the Spare

Author: Emily Albright

As You Wish

Original title used in query letter: There Are No Stars in Caliban

Author: Jackson Pearce

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fantasy, Romance

You’re Welcome, Universe

Author: Whitney Gardner

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult

Sad Perfect

Author: Stephanie Elliot

Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings

Author: Helene Boudreau

The Weight of Zero

Author: Karen Fortunati

Genre: Young Adult, Social & Family Issues

A Death-Struck Year

Author: Makiia Lucier

Genre: Young, Adult, Historical

Falls the Shadow

Author: Stefanie Gaither

Genre: Young, Adult, Science Fiction

The Rules for Disappearing

Author: Ashley Elston

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller

Author: Amanda Sun

Genre: Young, Adult, Fantasy

Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars

Original title used in query letter: Skyship Academy

Author: Nick James

Genre: Young Adult, Children’s Books, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Oh. My. Gods.

Original title used in query letter: Growing Up Godly

Author: Tera Lynn Child

Genre: Young Adult, Mythology, Fantasy

The Liar Society

Author: Lisa & Laura Roecker

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

Author: Karsten Knight

Genre: Young, Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Mythology

Author: Mindi Scott

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon

Author: Sara Beitia

Genre: Young Adult, Suspense

Losing Faith

Author: Denise Jaden

Shadow Hills

Author: Anastasia Hopcus

I Was a Teenage Popsicle

Author: Bev Katz Rosenbaum

A Match Made in High School

Author: Kristin Walker

Author: Mara Purnhagen

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters

Original title used in query letter: My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters

Author: Sydney Salter

Original title used in query letter: Janie Hannagan: Dream Catcher

Author: Lisa McMann

Author: Stephanie Diaz

Eighth Grade Superzero

Original title used in query letter: Long Time No Me

Author: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Genre: Young Adult, Humor, Middle Grade

The Nightmare Affair

Author: Mindee Arnett

Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult, Fantasy

The Weight of Our Sky

Author: Hanna Alkaf

Never, Never

Author: Brianna Shrum

Author: Jackie Lea Sommers

Love, Hate, and Other Filters

Author: Samira Ahmed

When the Beat Drops

Author: Anna Hecker

Brave Enough

Author: Kati Gardner

Author: Jenn Polish

The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan

Author: Gia Cribbs

Did these famous query letters inspire you? If you’re ready to start pursuing a publishing deal for your book, get in touch with our team of experts . We can help you craft a successful query letter , a manuscript synopsis, and other material to pitch your book to a literary agent or publisher and get you one step closer to achieving your goals.

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• - 5 Practical Ways To Grow
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• - Child’s Play
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• - Jo Clarke
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• - Kate Walker

When you are preparing to submit your finished story to an agent or publisher, it can be rather daunting. First, you need to decide whether you are going to approach an agent, a publisher, or both simultaneously. Once you have decided, you need to write the cover letter to accompany your manuscript – but how do you make the perfect pitch to an agent or publisher?

The importance of a cover letter

This is your introduction to an agent or publisher and an opportunity to concisely provide information about your book and yourself. First impressions count, so make sure it’s brilliant. (No pressure, then). Check there are no errors in the letter, such as spelling or grammatical mistakes and also ensure you have the correct name (and spelling!) of the person you’re writing to. Don’t distract an overworked editor or agent with fancy fonts or gimmicks. Just keep it simple and keep it clear. You want to leave the reader feeling confident that:

• You are familiar with the market and that there could be a place for your book.
• Your book itself will be worth reading.
• You could be a good author to work with (writing credentials aren’t essential for this – just follow submission guidelines, proofread your letter and make the effort to research the publisher/agent and authors they work with).

How to write your letter

Think of your letter as having a beginning, middle and end. There’s no precise formula, as long as everything that needs to be included IS included. A letter might look like this:

Beginning – this introduces yourself and your work. What age group is your book aimed at? Genre? Word count (this shows you know the market, and your word count is appropriate for the age range)? Why have you approached this agent/publisher specifically? It’s fine to submit to several places simultaneously, but out of courtesy, mention if other agents or publishers are also reading your manuscript or whether this publisher/agent has it exclusively.

Are there published books with a style similar style to yours? Mentioning these will not only give agent/publishers a feel of your book and where it might be placed, but it also shows you’ve read widely and are familiar with the market.

If nothing really springs to mind, don’t worry. If you say it’s like Harry Potter and it clearly isn’t, your reader will just think you’re wasting their time.   

Middle – this is your big chance to showcase your book. Write a few lines with the bones of the plot, without revealing everything. If you’re writing a funny book, it can be a good idea to include an element of humour, too.

You can start with a concise pitch, which can help focus your reader’s attention. Using a logline like the ones you see on Netflix descriptions can help. One well-used formula is:

When (inciting incident happens) (character) must (do something) in order to (accomplish something).

There are other ways to communicate the information, however. You could introduce your pitch with a tagline – those witty, concise descriptions (which often come in threes), like the phrases at the bottom of a cinema poster. Or you could include memorable, impactful quotes from your story. Or you could pose questions to the reader.

Look at these examples for my middle-grade debut, The House At The Edge of Magic:

• When pickpocket Nine steals a house ornament which transforms into a full size magical house, she must break the curse which traps the mysterious residents in exchange for her heart’s desire: freedom.
• A witch’s curse. A hidden treasure. A wizard in fluffy slippers. Welcome to the House At The Edge Of Magic.
• Sometimes you are a whisper away from magic without even realising it. When pickpocket Nine accidentally steals a cursed house ornament, her life is about to change. Can she break the curse and secure her own freedom before the clock strikes 15, time runs out and her chance is lost forever?

End – after you have pitched the book itself, let the reader know a little about yourself. Do you have any writing credentials or writing experience? Have you attended writing festivals or courses? Agents like to know you’re capable of producing more than one book, so it’s helpful to give a brief outline of other stories you’ve written or works in progress.

Choosing where to submit

• Research agents – who do they represent? What books do they like? Have you heard of their authors? Follow them on Twitter to see whether this could be the agent for you. Attend webinars or talks where agents are speaking if possible.
• Follow publishers on Twitter, read their blogs, ‘like’ their Facebook page – how well do they promote their authors? Which books do they love at the moment?
• Do the publishers / agents have similar books to yours on their list?
• Do they accept books for your targeted age range? Some don’t accept picture books, or rhyming texts, or fantasy, or young adult books. Always double-check before you submit.
• You can use books or magazines (e.g. Children’s Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook ) to research agents and publishers but always visit their websites for up to date information.
• READ SUBMISSON GUIDELINES – submitting without reading them may lead your story to be rejected.

The road to publication isn’t always easy but with a good submission and a perfect pitch, you stand a far better chance. So good luck and happy submitting!

Sample lette r

Top Secret Location

The Depths of My Imagination

Dear CAREFULLY RESEARCHED NAME INCLUDING PRONOUNS IF APPROPRIATE,

A witch’s curse. A hidden treasure. A wizard in fluffy slippers.

Welcome to The House At The Edge of Magic.

I hope this finds you well. I’m delighted to send you the synopsis and first three chapters of my novel, The House At The Edge of Magic. I heard you speak at a webinar run by SOMEONE where you expressed an interest in funny books and fantasy, so I thought my story might be of interest.

The House At The Edge of Magic is a 30,000-word comic fantasy adventure for middle-grade readers.  When orphan pickpocket Nine plucks a beautiful ornament from someone’s purse, she’s sure her bad luck is about to change. But when her treasure grows into an enormous house full of magic, mystery and ridiculous residents, she learns the house is under a terrible curse. If Nine can break the curse before time runs out, she will be given something in exchange. Something which she longs for with all her heart: freedom. But time is running out, and someone is watching her every move. The race is on.

With flavours of Dianne Wynne-Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle and Alice in Wonderland , against a backdrop of Oliver Twist , this story has heart, humour and more than a sprinkling of mischief.

This is my first middle-grade book, but I have been writing picture books for several years, and recently attended a Writing Fantasy and Magic course by Amy Sparkes. I am currently working on a chapter book series about a pig-obsessed princess who lives in a sock, and a picture book about Maud the Carrot who decides to rule the world.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoy it!

Best wishes,

Amy Sparkes

www.amysparkes.co.uk

OPTIONAL FOOTER WITH CONTACT DETAILS

How to Craft a Winning Query Letter: Practical Tips for Impressing Literary Agents

Understanding query letters, purpose of query letters, components of query letters, knowing your audience: literary agents, how to write an effective query letter: structure, hooking the agent: creating a strong opening, synopsis: summarizing your story, author bio: showcasing your writing credentials, practical tips for writing query letters, personalization: tailoring your query letter to each agent, proofreading: ensuring a polished and professional letter, following submission guidelines: respecting agent preferences, common query letter mistakes to avoid, overly long letters: keeping it concise, generic letters: avoiding the one-size-fits-all approach, overselling yourself: staying genuine and humble, successful query letter examples and analysis, fiction query letter: capturing the essence of your novel, nonfiction query letter: showcasing your expertise and marketability, memoir query letter: selling your personal story.

As an aspiring author, you've worked hard on your manuscript and now it's time to find a literary agent to represent your work. To catch their attention, you need to know how to write an effective query letter to literary agents. In this blog, we'll guide you through the process of crafting a winning query letter, discussing its purpose, components, and providing practical tips to impress agents.

Before diving into the specifics of crafting an effective query letter, let's first understand what a query letter is and why it's important in the world of publishing.

A query letter serves as your introduction to a literary agent. It's a one-page document that showcases your manuscript and convinces the agent that your work is worth their time and attention. A well-written query letter can be the key to unlocking the door to a successful publishing career. Remember:

• First impressions matter : Your query letter is the first contact you'll have with a literary agent, so make it count.
• Agents are busy : They receive numerous submissions daily, so your query letter needs to stand out and grab their attention quickly.

There are three main components of a query letter that you should be familiar with:

• Opening hook : This is the first paragraph of your query letter, designed to grab the agent's attention and make them want to read more.
• Synopsis : A brief summary of your manuscript, highlighting the main plot points, characters, and themes.
• Author bio : A concise description of your writing credentials, relevant experience, and any publishing credits you may have.

By understanding these components, you'll be better equipped to craft a query letter that showcases your work and appeals to literary agents.

When crafting your query letter, it's crucial to know your audience—literary agents. They are professionals who represent authors and their works to publishers, negotiate contracts, and handle other aspects of the publishing process. Keep in mind:

• Research the agent : Learn about their preferences, genres they represent, and clients they've worked with. This information will help you tailor your query letter to their interests.
• Be professional : Although your tone should be relatable and personal, maintain a level of professionalism that demonstrates your commitment to your craft.

Now that we've covered the basics of query letters, let's explore how to structure your query letter to make the best impression on literary agents.

Now that we've laid the groundwork for understanding query letters, it's time to dive into the actual structure of your letter. In this section, we'll discuss how to write an effective query letter to literary agents by focusing on three key elements: hooking the agent, summarizing your story, and showcasing your writing credentials.

A powerful opening is the key to getting an agent's attention. Here's what you need to know when crafting the opening paragraph of your query letter:

• Start with a bang : Begin your letter with a captivating sentence that immediately engages the agent and sets the tone for your story.
• Introduce your book's concept : Provide a brief, intriguing glimpse into the main idea of your manuscript. The goal is to make the agent curious about your work.
• Be relatable : Write in a conversational tone, ensuring that your opening feels genuine and engaging.

Remember, the goal is to hook the agent and make them want to read more about your story. So, craft your opening with care, and be prepared to revise it until it achieves the desired effect.

After hooking the agent, it's time to provide a brief synopsis of your manuscript. This section should be concise, yet compelling. Here's how to craft an effective synopsis:

• Keep it short : Aim for a paragraph or two, focusing on the main plot points, characters, and themes.
• Show, don't tell : Use vivid language and specific details to paint a clear picture of your story. This will help the agent envision your manuscript and its potential.
• Avoid spoilers : While you want to provide enough information to pique the agent's interest, don't give away all the twists and turns. Leave them wanting more.

When crafting your synopsis, think about what makes your story unique and engaging. Focus on the elements that will make the agent excited to read your manuscript and represent your work.

The final element of your query letter's structure is the author bio. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your writing expertise and convince the agent that you're serious about your craft. Here's how to create an impressive author bio:

• Highlight your credentials : List any relevant writing experience, awards, or publishing credits. If you're a debut author, don't worry—you can still showcase your passion for writing and your commitment to the craft.
• Make it personal : Share a bit about yourself and your connection to the story. This helps the agent get to know you and understand why you're the perfect person to tell this tale.
• Keep it concise : Your author bio should be brief, focusing on the most important aspects of your writing journey.

By combining a strong opening, an engaging synopsis, and an impressive author bio, you'll be well on your way to crafting a winning query letter that stands out to literary agents.

With a solid understanding of the structure of an effective query letter, you're halfway there! In this section, we'll share some practical tips for making your query letter stand out even more. From personalizing your letter to proofreading and following guidelines, these tips will help you write an effective query letter to literary agents, increasing your odds of success.

Just as you put your heart and soul into your manuscript, it's important to give that same attention to your query letters. One-size-fits-all letters won't cut it. Personalizing your query letter to each agent shows that you've done your research and genuinely believe they'd be a great fit for your work. To personalize your letter:

• Address the agent by name : You'd be surprised how often this simple detail is overlooked. Make sure you're spelling the agent's name correctly and using their preferred title.
• Highlight their tastes and preferences : Mention specific genres, themes, or authors the agent has expressed interest in and explain how your work aligns with those preferences.
• Show you've done your homework : Reference the agent's agency, recent deals, or any relevant interviews or articles to demonstrate your understanding of their work.

Remember, agents want to feel a connection to the authors they represent—so give them a reason to believe you're the perfect match!

Just as a flawless manuscript is crucial to your success, an error-free query letter is equally important. Your letter is often the first impression an agent has of your writing abilities, so take the time to perfect it. To ensure your letter is polished:

• Check for typos and grammatical errors : Even the smallest mistake could cast doubt on your writing skills. Use spellcheck tools, but also proofread your letter manually.
• Read it aloud : This can help you catch awkward phrasing or inconsistencies in tone. If it doesn't sound natural when spoken, revise it.
• Get feedback from others : Ask friends, family, or writing peers to review your query letter. They may spot issues you've overlooked or offer valuable suggestions for improvement.

By taking the time to proofread and revise your query letter, you'll show agents that you're a professional who takes your writing career seriously.

Each literary agent has their own preferences for submissions, and it's essential to follow those guidelines to the letter. Ignoring them could lead to your query being disregarded, no matter how well-written it is. To make sure you're respecting agent preferences:

• Research the agent's website and social media : Find their submission guidelines, which may include specific formatting requirements, submission methods, or supporting materials they'd like included.
• Make note of any "no-nos" : Some agents have specific pet peeves or deal-breakers—for example, they might not want attachments or prefer a particular font. Be sure to avoid these pitfalls.
• Be patient : Agents are busy, and it may take time for them to review your submission. Resist the urge to follow up too soon—instead, consult their guidelines for response times and follow up accordingly.

By following these practical tips, you'll be well on your way to crafting a winning query letter that impresses literary agents and increases your chances of success. Now, go forth and conquer the world of query letters!

Now that you know how to write an effective query letter to literary agents, it's time to discuss some common mistakes that could hinder your chances of success. By steering clear of these pitfalls, you'll make a more positive and lasting impression on agents, increasing your chances of landing that coveted representation. Let's dive into some frequent errors and how to avoid them.

While you might feel the urge to share every minute detail of your manuscript and writing journey, brevity is key when it comes to query letters. Literary agents receive countless submissions, so a concise letter will stand out and show that you respect their time. To achieve this:

• Keep it to one page : Aim for a query letter that's no longer than one single-spaced page or about 300-400 words.
• Be selective with details : Focus on the most compelling aspects of your story and writing background, leaving out less relevant information.
• Trim the fat : Don't use flowery language or excessive adjectives—instead, opt for clear and concise wording to convey your message.

Remember, less is often more when it comes to query letters. By being concise, you'll ensure that your key points stand out and leave agents wanting to learn more about your work.

As we mentioned earlier, personalization is crucial for crafting a standout query letter. Sending a generic letter to multiple agents not only misses the opportunity to connect on a deeper level but also suggests that you haven't done your research. To avoid this pitfall:

• Customize each letter : Tailor your approach to each agent by addressing them by name and showcasing your knowledge of their preferences and successes.
• Research thoroughly : Spend time researching each agent's interests, past deals, and submission guidelines to demonstrate your dedication and professionalism.
• Stay genuine : While it's important to focus on what an agent is looking for, don't bend the truth or exaggerate your work to fit their mold. Be true to your voice and your story.

By avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach, you'll not only demonstrate your commitment to finding the right agent but also increase your chances of making a lasting impression.

While it's essential to showcase your writing talents and the unique aspects of your manuscript, it's important not to come across as arrogant or boastful. Literary agents are looking for authors they can work with, so a humble and genuine tone will go a long way. To strike the right balance:

• Focus on the facts : When discussing your writing accomplishments, stick to the facts and let your achievements speak for themselves.
• Express gratitude : Thank the agent for considering your work and express your appreciation for their time, demonstrating your understanding of the competitive nature of the industry.
• Show willingness to learn : Emphasize your eagerness to improve your craft and collaborate with an agent to bring your work to its full potential.

By keeping these mistakes in mind and avoiding them, you'll be well on your way to crafting a winning query letter that captures the attention of literary agents. Remember to stay genuine, concise, and personalized, and your query letter will set you apart in the crowded world of submissions. Good luck!

Now that you've learned how to write an effective query letter to literary agents and what mistakes to avoid, let's take a look at some real-life examples of successful query letters. By examining these examples, you'll gain a better understanding of what works and how you can apply these techniques to your own query letter. So let's dive into the different types of query letters and analyze what makes them stand out.

A successful fiction query letter should give agents a taste of your novel's unique voice and capture their interest with a compelling premise. To do this:

• Focus on the main conflict : Introduce your protagonist, the central conflict, and the stakes involved, drawing the agent into your story.
• Use your novel's tone : Reflect the tone and style of your novel in the query letter, giving agents a sense of what to expect from your writing.
• Include relevant comparisons : Mention one or two well-known titles or authors that share similarities with your work, demonstrating your awareness of the market and helping agents envision your book's potential audience.

By crafting a query letter that encapsulates the essence of your novel, you'll leave agents eager to read more and see how your story unfolds.

When writing a query letter for a nonfiction project, it's essential to establish your credibility as an expert in your subject matter and demonstrate the book's marketability. Here are some tips to help you achieve that:

• Highlight your expertise : Emphasize your qualifications, experience, or unique perspective that makes you the ideal person to write this book.
• Identify the target audience : Describe the specific group of readers who will be interested in your book, and explain why your topic is relevant and timely.
• Explain the book's structure and content : Provide a brief overview of the book's format and main themes, giving agents a clear picture of what to expect.

By showcasing your expertise and the marketability of your nonfiction project, you'll convince agents that you have a valuable and unique contribution to make in your field.

When querying a memoir, it's crucial to convey the emotional core of your story and demonstrate why your personal journey will resonate with readers. To create a compelling memoir query letter, consider these tips:

• Share your story's emotional impact : Describe the emotional journey you've experienced and how it has shaped you, making readers and agents care about your story.
• Highlight universal themes : Identify the broader themes your memoir explores—such as love, loss, or self-discovery—and explain why these themes will resonate with readers.
• Showcase your writing style : Just like with fiction, use your memoir's unique voice and writing style in the query letter to give agents a taste of your storytelling abilities.

By focusing on the emotional core of your memoir and its universal themes, you'll demonstrate to agents that your personal story has the potential to connect with a wide range of readers.

Now that you've explored successful query letter examples, it's time to put your newfound knowledge to work and craft your own winning query letter. Remember to stay genuine, concise, and personalized while showcasing the unique aspects of your manuscript, and you'll be well on your way to impressing literary agents. Good luck!

If you're looking to further improve your writing skills and craft a winning query letter, don't miss the workshop ' Everything You Need To Be A Skilled Writer ' by Christina Wolfgram. This workshop will provide you with essential tips and techniques to impress literary agents and elevate your writing to new heights.

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How to Write a Literary Agent Query Letter

by Literary Agent News | 5 December, 2022 | Looking for a Literary Agent

Home » Literary Agent Blog » Looking for a Literary Agent » How to Write a Literary Agent Query Letter

This article about how to write a literary agent query letter, by Mark Malatesta, is part of the Literary Agent Submissions  section of our free 15-part Guide About How to Get a Book Agent . This article was first published in the inaugural edition of the  Publishers Weekly Book Publishing Almanac , a collaboration between Publishers Weekly and Skyhorse Publishing, one of the fastest-growing publishers with 56 New York Times bestsellers, distributed by Simon & Schuster.

How to Write a Query Letter to a Literary Agent by Mark Malatesta

First published in the Publishers Weekly Book Publishing Almanac, a collaboration between Publishers Weekly and Skyhorse Publishing

Authors are often confused about how to write a literary agent query letter. That’s because most query letter “experts” have limited experience—or the wrong type of experience.

One source of “how to write a query letter” information is book agents, but their advice is based on reading queries rather than writing them. In addition, publishing agents usually give advice based on their personal opinions and preferences. In other words, they say to write queries a certain way because that’s what they like. With more than one thousand book agents, it’s no wonder there’s a lot of conflicting information out there.

Another source of “how to write a query letter to a literary agent” info is published authors, who sometimes share the queries that landed them agents. But these aren’t reliable models either. One reason is that they represent just one author’s experience, which is limited. Another reason is some of those letters aren’t great. (Yes, sometimes authors get agents despite mediocre queries. And yes, a bit of luck is occasionally involved in publishing.)

Instead of relying on luck when writing a query letter to a literary agent—or modeling what one book agent recommended or one author has written—write your literary agent query letter using principles that have helped hundreds of authors get literary representation and/or book deals, with traditional publishers such as Random House, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Harcourt, and Thomas Nelson. Some authors who’ve used this method have gotten multiple offers for representation from agents and multiple offers from publishers.

Writing a Literary Agent Query Letter

• Include items likely to help.
• Arrange everything in the best order.
• Omit items that don’t matter or that could hurt.
• Make your literary agent query letter concise.

Literary Agent Query Letter

Book agents and authors explain how to write a literary agent query letter on a basic or “micro” level. In other words, they mainly share what they believe should be the main parts of a query. I’m going to do that too, but I’m also going to share four “big picture” fundamentals. Understanding them will help you make you and your book look as appealing as possible.

1. Include Items most Likely to Help – How to Write a Query Letter to a Literary Agent

Sounds obvious, but when writing a query letter to a literary agent it isn’t always clear what’s most important to share. Only include information showing: a) what your target market is, b) what your book is about, c) what your book is similar to and how it’s unique, and d) that you’re professional, pleasant to work with, uniquely qualified to write a book like yours, and both willing and able to get exposure for your book. With that information, publishing agents can make an informed decision instead of incorrect assumptions.

2. Arrange Everything in the Best Order – How to Write a Query Letter to a Literary Agent

Most authors assume book agents are going to read their entire query letter. Instead, assume they’re only going to read the first sentence. And, if that sentence pulls them in—or doesn’t trip them up—they’ll read the next sentence. And so on. That’s why it’s critical, if you have something you must share in your query letter that might turn literary agents off, that you put it near the end of a literary agent query letter. And that’s why you should start the query letter with your best thing. What that “best thing” is varies for each book and author.

Examples of your best thing are a highly unusual book premise; you being one of the only people on the planet with access to some of the information in your book; an article you’ve written having been published in a major print or online media outlet; or that you have 50,000 social media followers. Examples of things you might want to put at the end of your query include that your word count is excessively low or high (each genre has different expectations); or that your book has already been published (something most agents don’t like).

The best tip you’ll ever get about how to write a literary agent query letter is to get some traction and momentum in your query before you address something difficult. Start your query with the most impressive item, followed by your book title, word count, and genre, along with a 1- or 2-sentence description. And, for the small number of book agents for whom you can do so, tell them why you believe—based on what you’ve seen in their bios and/or on their websites—they might like a book like the one you’re pitching.

If the above information “hooks” the publishing agent, they’ll then want to know more about your book. So, the next part of your literary agent query letter should be a paragraph or two about that. Think 6 to 12 lines of text, like the copy you’d find on the book’s back cover. Though most author representatives don’t require it, you should follow the above with another 6 to 12 lines of text comparing/contrasting your book with similar titles by other authors. Doing so will help agents get a better feel for what your work is like, it will give them the impression you’re knowledgeable about your competition, and it will give them the sense you might be doing something special.

Lastly, include another 6 to 12 lines of text telling the publishing agent about yourself. Things that show any of the following: you’re educated, professional, coachable, have had leadership positions, or that you understand success, business, advertising, marketing, or media; you’re a good writer and/or uniquely qualified to write a book like yours; and you have the time, connections, resources, skill, and desire to get exposure and sell books. You don’t need all those things, but any/all those things will make you more attractive to book agents.

3. Omit Items That Don’t Matter or Could Hurt Your Odds With Literary Agents – How to Write a Query Letter to a Literary Agent

Many authors unwittingly volunteer information they should, for the moment, keep to themselves instead of putting them in a literary agent query letter. For example, the number of queries the author has sent out unsuccessfully; or any information that isn’t relevant to the book. If it’s not going to make publishing agents believe you’re the best person to write and/or promote your book, leave it out.

4. Make Your Query Letter Concise – How to Write a Query Letter to a Literary Agent

In most cases, your literary agent query letter shouldn’t be more than one single-spaced page. Include everything you believe should be included. Then put everything in the best order. After that, do one last edit to make the query tight. As you likely know, successful people—including literary agents and publishing house executives—move fast. They must, to survive. Top agents get 10–15k queries a year, so you can lose them if you ramble or you’re redundant. Instead, present everything as outlined above. Give agents exactly what they want and need to sell your book, and they’ll trust you more because of it.

In a perfect world, authors would not need to learn how to write a literary agent query letter. Instead, book agents would just read every author’s manuscript. But that’s now how it is. We all must work within the system we’re in. For example, I could write a book about how to write a query (and one day I will), but when I was invited to write this article, I was told it should be no more than 1,250 words. So, guess what? It’s 1,250 words. Make every word count.

This article about how to write a literary agent query letter was created by former publishing agent turned author coach Mark Malatesta , creator of The Directory of Literary Agents , host of Ask a Book Agent , and founder of Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author .

Mark has helped hundreds of authors get offers from literary agents and/or traditional publishers. Writers of all  Book Genres  have used our  Literary Agent Advice coaching/consulting to get the  Top Literary Agents at the Best Literary Agencies  on our List of Book Agents .

How to write a literary agent query letter – Next Steps

Now that you know how to write a query letter for a literary agent, click here to:

• See more about Literary Agent Submissions .
• Visit our  Ask a Publishing Agent  page, where you’ll find a complete list of questions and answers about getting a book agent.

See more results...

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• 11363 likes

How I Got My Book Agent

Successful Authors

Thanks in part to your query letter, manuscript suggestions, and support prioritizing agents, I received multiple offers from agents. Within two weeks of sending out the first query, I knew who I was going to sign with. I value our friendship.

N E L S O N . J O H N S O N

NY Times bestselling author of  Boardwalk Empire , produced by Martin Scorsese for HBO, and Darrow's Nightmare: The Forgotten Story of America's Most Famous Trial Lawyer

After following your advice, my book was acquired, the prestigious PW gave it a great review, and Time Magazine asked for an excerpt. Thank you for believing in my book, and for helping me share the surprising truth about women’s most popular body part!

L E S L I E . L E H R

Author of A Boob's Life: How America's Obsession Shaped Me―and You , published by Pegasus Books, distributed by Simon & Schuster and now in development for a TV series by Salma Hayek for HBO Max

Fine Print Lit got publishers bidding against each other [for my book]. I ended up signing a contract with Thomas Nelson (an imprint of Harper Collins) for what I’ve been told by several people is a very large advance. What cloud is higher than 9?

S C O T T . L E R E T T E

Author of The Unbreakable Boy (Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins), adapted to feature film with Lionsgate starring Zachary Levi, Amy Acker, and Patricia Heaton

AHHH! OMG, it happened! You helped me get three offers for representation from top literary agents! A short time later I signed a publishing contract. After that, my agent sold my next book. I’m in heaven!

M I R I . L E S H E M . P E L L Y

Author/illustrator of Penny and the Plain Piece of Paper (Penguin Books/Philomel), Scribble & Author (Kane Miller), and other children’s picture books

Interviews/Tips from Successful Authors

Fiction/General - J. Jago Fiction/Mystery - B. Harper Fiction/Mainstream - K. Cox Fiction/Christian - K. Sargent Nonfiction/Business - D. Hamme Nonfiction/Self-Help - A. Goddard Nonfiction/Environment - J. Biemer Nonfiction/Diversity - S. Peer Narrative Nonfiction - D. Cohen Memoir/Women - L. Lehr Memoir/Christian - S. LeRette Memoir/Family/Identity - S. Foti Memoir/Multicultural - N. Aronheim Memoir/Inspirational - L. Subramani Memoir/Mainstream - E. Armstrong Children's/Pic Book - M. Leshem-Pelly Children's/Chapter Book - J. Agee Children's/YA - C. Plum-Ucci Children's/YA - D. Bester Children's/YA - L. Moe

Find answers to all your book agent questions. Search our  Ask a Literary Agent FAQ and/or post your question(s).

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How to pitch your book to an agent

The majority of authors we publish, especially fiction books, will be represented by a literary agent.  To get a literary agent to represent you as a new writer, you’ll need to pitch your book to them, usually in the form of a covering letter or email.   

Cathryn Summerhayes, a literary agent at Curtis Brown, talks to us about what she looks for in a pitch from a new writer.

When should a writer approach an agent?

For fiction, whether you’re writing for adults or for children, it always makes sense not only to finish your book, but to revise it. Get some readers (not just your mum and dad), and redraft and redraft until you feel you have got it to absolutely the best point you can without help from an agent and/or publisher.

No author’s first draft ever gets published – and an agent wants to really get the sense that you are hard-working, have spent a lot of time with your manuscript and you are determined to get it right. 

For non-fiction, you need a proposal that gives an overview of the project, a breakdown of the chapters you plan to write and at least one complete chapter to give a sense of your voice and direction. 

For all writers I would work on your ‘back of the book’ pitch – a couple of hundred words that really crystallises what the book is about. I far prefer these to long synopses.

What are you looking for in a writer?

I’m always looking for the same three things:

• Authenticity – why are you so well placed to tell this particular story?
• Uniqueness of voice – don’t tell me you are the next JK Rowling, instead be the best NEW thing.
• Intricacy of plotting – a good story cannot stand up if an author hasn’t thought about what every page will add to the telling of that story.

What are the common pitfalls?

Typos, accidentally cc-ing every other agent you’ve sent to, submitting to the wrong agent – I often see material I wouldn’t consider on my list, even though my online profile and the agency’s website make it very clear what I do and don’t like. We understand that you will want to submit to more than one agent, but just make sure if you are copying and pasting material over, that you make the necessary changes. 

You’d be amazed how many times I see things like ‘I would love  to be represented by United Agents’ (I work for Curtis Brown).  Sloppiness suggests your work will be lazy and that you might not be a good self-editor, and ultimately that you might not be the best author for me to represent. 

This is your audition, your biggest job interview ever, so do put the work in!  If you have written something brilliant, you don’t want to fall at the final hurdle by messing up the covering letter.

What do you like to see in a covering letter?

I like to get a very clear sense that the writer is in this because they love writing, not because they see pound signs flashing up. So, if you are working on a second book, say that. We like to see that you are not a one-trick pony and are in this for the long haul. Tell me that you have entered short story competitions, been published in magazines, attended a creative writing course, festivals, etc. Just show me that you are passionate  about the business of writing. 

Cathryn's top tips for a covering letter

• The key thing when approaching agents is research, research and more research. It helps your submission when you make each agent you approach feel like they have been specially selected because of authors they represent, projects they are committed to, or even hobbies they love.  Check the acknowledgements pages of books you love which are in a similar genre to yours. Often they will thank their literary agent - this could be a good place to start.
• Don't make basic mistakes. Spell the agent's name and the name of the agency they work for right. I’m afraid little things loom large on the slush pile – treat this as a job application.
• Pitch with confidence! But not arrogance. If you feel this book is the best thing you have written and that it is ready to share with agents, then communicate that with enthusiasm. 
• Nail your one line pitch – is it  Star Wars  meets  Bridget Jones ?  
• Have a nuanced 200 words that really crystallises what the book is about. A smart, to the point submission letter, that gives a clear overview of the material that is being submitted, is vital to capture an agent's interest.
• A sense of where your book would sit on the shelves if it were to be published today. Is it literary or commercial? Fantasy or sci-fi? Is it a memoir or a book examining a social issue?
• Make sure your first page is killer  so that you have the agent hooked straight away. 
• Only put relevant details about yourself in your letter - things like prizes won, your qualifications, where you were born, are fine, but be brief. 
• If you have a big social media presence, you can include your handles - but be prepared for the agent to look at your content. 
• Sell yourself, and sell your work. You are your own best advocate.

You can send your manuscript to Curtis Brown through their submissions portal  here .

The best place to find a full list of literary agents in the UK is the  Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook . 

Read about a day-in-the-life of a Literary Agent in  How To Get Published .

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The Perfect Cover Letter: Advice From a Lit Mag Editor

Today’s guest post is from Elise Holland, co-founder and editor of 2 Elizabeths , a short fiction and poetry publication.

When submitting your short-form literature to a magazine or journal, your cover letter is often the first piece of writing an editor sees. It serves as an introduction to your thoughtfully crafted art. As such, it is significant, but it shouldn’t be intimidating or even take much time to write.

As editor at 2 Elizabeths , I see a variety of cover letters every day; some are excellent, and others could stand to be improved. There are a few key pieces of information to include, while keeping them short and sweet. In fact, a cover letter should only be a couple of paragraphs long, and no more than roughly 100-150 words.

A little research goes a long way

Seek out the editor’s name, and address the letter to him/her, as opposed to using a generic greeting. Typically, you can find this information either on the magazine or journal’s website, or in the submission guidelines.

Read the submission guidelines thoroughly. Many publications will state in their guidelines the exact details that need to be included in a cover letter. With some variation, a general rule of thumb is to include the following:

• Editor’s name (if you can locate it)
• Genre/category
• Brief description of your piece
• If you have been published previously, state where
• Whether your piece is a simultaneous submission (definition below)

Terms to Know

The term simultaneous submission means that you will be sending the same piece to several literary magazines or journals at the same time. Most publications accept simultaneous submissions, but some do not. If a publication does not accept them, this will be stated in their guidelines.

Should your work be selected for publication by one magazine, it is important to notify other publications where you have submitted that piece. This courtesy will prevent complications, and will keep you in good graces with various editors, should you wish to submit to them again in the future.

The term multiple submission means that you are submitting multiple pieces to the same literary magazine or journal.

Cover Letter That Needs Work

Dear Editor, Here is a collection of poems I wrote that I’d like you to consider. I have not yet been published elsewhere. Please let me know what you think. Bio: John Doe is an Insurance Agent by day and a writer by night, living in Ten Buck Two. He is the author of a personal blog, LivingWith20Cats.com. Best, John Doe

What Went Wrong?

John Doe didn’t research the editor’s name. A personal greeting is always better than a simple “Dear Editor.” Additionally, John failed to include the word count, title and a brief description of his work.

There is no need to state that John has not yet been published elsewhere. He should simply leave that piece of information out. (Many publications, 2 Elizabeths included, will still welcome your submissions warmly if you are unpublished.)

John included a statement asking the editor to let him know what he/she thinks about his work. Due to time constraints, it is rare that an editor sends feedback unless work is going to be accepted.

Unless otherwise specified by the magazine or journal to which you are submitting, you do not need to include biographical information in your cover letter. Typically, that information is either requested upfront but in a separate document from the cover letter, or is not requested until a piece has been selected for publishing.

Cover Letter Ready to Be Sent

Dear Elise, Please consider this 1,457-word short fiction piece, “Summer.” I recently participated in the 2 Elizabeths Open Mic Night, and am an avid reader of the fiction and poetry that you publish. “Summer” is a fictitious tale inspired by the impact of a whirlwind, yet meaningful, romance I experienced last year. In this story, I gently explore the life lessons associated with young love, with a touch of humor. This is a simultaneous submission, and I will notify you if the piece is accepted elsewhere. Thank you for your consideration. Kindest Regards, John Doe

What Went Right?

In this letter, John includes all pertinent information, while keeping his letter clear and concise. In his second sentence, John also briefly states how he is familiar with the magazine. While doing this isn’t required, if done tastefully, it can be a nice touch! Another example might be: “I read and enjoyed your spring issue, and believe that my work is a good fit for your magazine.”

I hope these sample letters help you as you send your short works to magazines and journals for consideration. While you’re at it, I hope you will check out 2 Elizabeths ! We would love to read your work.

Elise Holland is co-founder and editor of 2 Elizabeths , a short fiction and poetry publication. Her work has appeared in various publications, most recently in Story a Day . Through 2 Elizabeths, Elise strives to create value and visibility for writers, through writing contests , events , and more!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

[…] view post at https://janefriedman.com/perfect-cover-letter-advice-lit-mag-editor/ […]

[…] To get into literary magazines, you need a cover letter, so Elise Holland lays out how to write the perfect cover letter for a literary magazine. […]

Love this! The letter is short and to the point, and covers all the necessary information. Great tips! I always worry that the only publishing credit I have is the winning entry in a short story contest through the local paper. Should I mention that? And writing conferences I’ve attended?

As Elise says, it’s OK if you’re unpublished. Don’t worry about it. But feel free to mention your winning entry. If the writing conferences would likely be known to the journals’ editors, you might mention one or two.

[…] recently wrote a full article on the perfect cover letter, here. Check it out for clear, simple instructions, along with sample […]

[…] publication. Her work has appeared in various publications, most recently in Story a Day, and at JaneFriedman.com.  Through 2 Elizabeths, Elise strives to create value and visibility for writers, through writing […]

Thanks for the concise and useful information! I’ve heard that it’s also a good idea to include a sentence or two that makes it clear that you are familiar with the kind of work the magazine has published in the past. Is this generally advised, or would you consider it nonessential unless specified in the submission guidelines?

Blog & Newsletter – 06.09.2022

Writing Tips: How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter  

You’ve come this far: you’ve written your manuscript and polished it as much as you can, and now you’re ready to share your work with literary agents. But before you share your work, you need to write a submission cover letter. So, what is a submission cover letter? And how can you write one that will make your work stand out from the rest? As an agency that receives hundreds of submissions each week, our agents have shared their tips on how to write the perfect cover letter, and make sure that yours is a cut above the rest.

What is a cover letter?

In short, a cover letter is something which introduces you and your novel to an agent. It’s the first point of contact between you and the agent, so it needs to be short, convincing and to the point. Your cover letter should entice the agent and make them want to pick up and read your manuscript.

How should I structure my letter, and what do I include in it?

Firstly, make sure you address the specific agent you are submitting to.

Include an enticing pitch in the body of your email. This should include a one-line hook outlining the central premise of your book; a short, back-of-the-book type blurb; three comparable books in the market today; a short bio; and any other information relevant to your work, such as any courses you have taken, or any prizes you have been shortlisted for, or won. 

When thinking of your three comparable books, try and make the comparisons as precise as possible. For example, ‘this story blends the charm of Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine with the Agatha Christie-esque mystery of a Ruth Ware novel.’ This will give us a clear sense of where it might sit in the market.

What are your agents looking for in a cover letter?

Madeleine Milburn, CEO and Literary Agent: I look for a clear, concise covering letter with a professional yet conversational tone that gets to the heart of the story quickly. Imagine you are pitching your favourite book…how would you get a reader excited? Look at the blurbs on the backs of books and see how they entice someone to start reading. I also love a title that stands out, and resonates in some way, before even opening the manuscript or knowing anything about the story. 

Hayley Steed, Senior Literary Agent : Personally, I love a strong concept – a one line pitch that makes me stop and catch my breath, an idea that feels new and exciting whilst having a clear audience and pitch, a book that feels like it’s doing something different within a familiar genre. I’m always reassured by convincing comparison titles too – I know that a novel is going to deliver if the writer knows exactly who they’re targeting and where it would sit in the market.

Olivia Maidment, Literary Agent: I am always really impressed by a cover letter that shows that an author has really thought about and grappled with their key themes and central ideas, and how to navigate those ideas in their writing, their style, and the stories they tell. I want to work with authors who have something to say and really put the time into working out how to say it, and I love to see those elements coming together in their pitch.

Emma Bal, Literary Agent:  For non-fiction what I am looking for in a cover letter is an author’s mission statement – why they want to write this particular book and why they should be the one to write it. If an author can establish how their ideas fit into the wider discourse, and what is original about those ideas, even better.

Hannah Todd, Literary Agent: The thing I’m always impressed by in a covering letter is accurate comparison authors or titles. It takes some market awareness to be an author, and this shows that you know what is out there and where your book would sit on the shelf. It also shows us that there is already a market out there for your book! There are LOADS of great resources out there on this (most recently  this twitter thread ) and maybe we’ll do our own post on it in future!

Rachel Yeoh, Associate Agent : In upmarket and literary fiction, I really want to get a strong sense of the themes that that author is writing about – why are these themes important? How are you tackling them in fresh, distinctive ways that will make readers pause for thought?

We know how daunting the querying process can be, but we hope that with these tips you can polish up that cover letter and feel confident whenever you decide to share your work with agents. Good luck!

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How to Write A Query Letter That Hooks Agents and Publishers

Are you ready to cast your manuscript out into the publishing industry to see who will bite?

Your eagerness to publish your book is palpable…but more than that it’s overwhelming. You want so badly for your book to be out there. But where do you even start?

That’s where query letters come in.

It cuts out all the noise and streamlines information for literary agents and publishing houses to decide if your book idea is worth publishing.

A lot is riding on this one letter, so you need to know how to do it right. 

And that’s where we come in. 

Below you can find everything you need to know about writing a compelling query letter that will grab the attention of agents and publishers.

What is a Query Letter

A query letter is the first impression you make when trying to get your book traditionally published. Almost like you’re introducing your book.

Essentially, it’s a one-page document that aims to sell your book’s idea to a literary agent . It tells them everything they need to know before they decide to champion your book in front of publishers. 

Keep in mind, that some publishers don’t require you to have a literary agent. So, if you don’t plan on going to one of the big publishing houses, a query letter can be sent to smaller publishers to consider your manuscript.

If your query letter is successful, they’ll ask to read the book or a few sample chapters.

Note: If you’re self-publishing. You don’t need one at all!

Difference between Querying for Fiction and Non-Fiction

As a fiction author, your book should be edited to perfection (or as perfect as you can get it) before you send a query letter out to agents. 

Some may think querying early will save them waiting time for a response, but it could put you in a pickle.

Imagine sending it before your book is done and the literary agent requests to see the manuscript.

  Awkward . And unprofessional!

The reason they want to read the manuscript is to see if your story holds up and if you have something worth putting out into the world.

If you haven’t finished writing your novel, they won’t have the patience to see whether you can execute your idea.

On the other hand, non-fiction authors may send a query letter (accompanied by a book proposal ) before they even write the book.

For some, it may not be worth writing your non-fiction book if agents and publishers don’t think it will sell, so these authors gauge interest in their idea before committing to it.

A query letter for a fiction writer is all about the hook and the book’s plot, while for non-fiction it’s focused on detailing your author platform and the marketability of the book. 

How Long Should A Query Letter Be?

The word count varies, everyone says a slightly different number.

Some may say 200-500 words. Or they say it’s 300 words. But in reality, it depends on you and your book. 

The best advice we can give is to keep it to 1 page, or it should fit on the screen. The word count won’t matter too much. 

We’ve all read short passages that seemingly took forever to get through or read long text that zoomed by because of how immersive it was. The same applies to query letters. 

You could bore an agent to death with 100 words or excite them with 700.

As long as you make it easy to read and engaging (and it fits on a page), you should be in the clear.

Note: If your work is literary or non-fiction, you can extend it to 2 pages maximum. But don’t get too carried away!

Format of a Query Letter

Everything is digital nowadays, so no one would be asking you to snail mail your query letter to their offices.

And please don’t get out a pen and paper either. This isn’t a 3rd grade assessment.

This is a business type of letter at the end of the day, so keep it professional.

You’ll likely be filling in an online submission form or pasting your query letter into an email. Whichever writing software you use, be it Google Docs or Microsoft Word, follow the format below:

• Font: Arial or Times New Roman.
• Font size: 12 point.
• Line Spacing: 1.5 or 2.
• Margin: 1-inch.
• Paragraph space: 1 blank line in between paragraphs.
• Header: Date, your contact details, agent’s information
• Submission guidelines: Check what the agent has requested and follow suit.

Note: Use this formatting for your sample chapters or your manuscript when an agent requests to see it.

What Literary Agents Want

When the literary agent is skimming through your query letter they’ll be looking for certain information to pop out and intrigue them. If it doesn’t, your letter will be in the reject pile – which can be okay!

Sometimes the agent is not suited for your work, they may feel they’re not in a position to support you as you’d need. Which means someone else is probably better suited for you.

That’s why it’s important to make the information about your book as clear as possible so they know what you bring to the table.

This is what a literary agent will be looking for:

• Finished book (for fiction): If you don’t specify the word count, they’ll know it’s not done.
• Author Branding (for non-fiction): Do you have a following that you can leverage for book sales?
• Genre of the book: If you did your research, they’ve probably represented authors in the same genre as your book. 
• Interesting Story: Is it a plot that excites them? Agents have taste in books that dictates who they represent, it’s just personal preference – they have to feel eager to represent your book.
• Skimmable: Use short sentences and paragraphs where possible to make it easy to read.
• Author’s voice : Write in the same tone as your book so they get a feel for the book.
• Professionalism: Keeping to the format and being professional will show that you have what it takes to be in the traditional publishing industry .

How to Write a Query Letter 

Here are the main elements that go into a query letter:

• Personalized Intro

Book Overview

Book summary, proofreading.

As you’ll see from the examples we share below, these elements can be in any order so long as the flow makes sense.

A query letter works well when it supports the narrative you’re trying to sell.

Personalized Intro 

Personalization is key. If you do your research and add details that a specific agent will engage with, they’ll be more likely to give your query letter a chance.

An example of an error, and a lack of personalization, that could get your query letter dismissed is if you address the agent with ‘To whomever this may concern.’

It comes off as if you’ve copied and pasted your query letter from agent to agent, without a thought into who they are and if they fit your book.

Starting with ‘Dear Jane’ or ‘Dear Jane Doe’ is the most appropriate way. Exclude any courtesy titles like Mr. and Miss. because you don’t know for sure if they are Mr. or Miss. 

If you want to perk up their ears at the beginning of your query letter, you could use one of these personalized intros:

• Past meeting: If you met the agent at an event, mention it.
• What they’ve said: For example, if you were inspired by a speech they gave, show how that relates to the book you’re querying for.
• Referral: If an author or other industry professional refers you to this agent, make sure you highlight it.
• Their work: Use one of the books they’ve represented as a comp title ( comparative title ), for example.
• Wish list: If you’ve seen them post about being in the market for your type of book, let them know!

Note: If you don’t know them and don’t love their clients’ work, don’t say you do. Lying about your connection to this agent could stir up a weird encounter if they ask you about it later.

If there’s no link between you and this agent besides them possibly being interested in your book, then lead with the book. Some authors start the query letter with information on the book.

For example, “I’m seeking representation for [Book Title], a 94,000 Fantasy Supernatural…”

Or you can immediately go into the hook of your story as the opening. You’d rather cut to the chase than add fluff to your intro that will immediately lose the agent’s attention.

Query Letter Example 1

Here’s an example of how to add a personal link to the agent as seen in Between Earth and Sky by Amanda Skenandor e :

Dear Michael, It was a pleasure to meet you at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference. Not only did I learn a lot, but left steadfast and inspired. Thank you for sitting down with me to hear the pitch for my historical novel ASPEN’S WAY. I’ve attached the first thirty-five pages as you requested and included the query below. I look forward to hearing from you. It’s 1906 and Askuwheteu, an Ojibwe Indian, stands trial for the murder of a white man. The shadows of Little Big Horn, Pine Ridge, and subsequent policy of forced assimilation loom over the courtroom. Alma Mitchell, a friend and former classmate of the defendant, travels hundreds of miles from her home to prove him innocent. Her fledgling investigation brings her face-to-face with the destructive legacy of the “savage-taming” boarding school run by her father that she once called home. To discover the truth behind her friend’s arrest, Alma must first reckon with the past; with love, racism, and betrayal; and with the seemingly impassable divide between their cultures. Told in an interwoven narrative, ASPEN’S WAY is a work of upmarket historical fiction complete at 99,000 words. The story was a finalist in the 2014 Pitch Wars competition. My short fiction appears in Writer’s Bloc IV (2012) and VI (2015) under the pen name A. R. Shenandoah. I am an officer in the Henderson Writers’ Group. My mother-in-law, a Lac Courte Oreille Ojibwe, sparked my interest in Native American history. Her struggles at an Indian boarding school in the 1950s and campaign to recognize the inherited trauma still haunting the Native American community are the genesis of my story. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Amanda Skenandore

Why it’s successful

Amanda gives the agent context on their meeting and what transpired. She then leads into the rest of the query letter seamlessly. She includes the genre and name of the book, letting the agent get up to speed and ready to review the summary of the book and sample chapters.

Give the agent exactly what they need to know as quickly as possible. Add this information:

• Book Title: Don’t worry, sharing this doesn’t mean it’s set in stone.
• Genre: Add the genres your book fits into, and you can also include comp titles to give them an idea of where your book fits on the bookshelf.
• Word count: Round it off to the nearest thousand. Be sure to research the word count expectations for your genre. If your word count fits the standard, add it here. And if it’s too long, reserve that information for further down in the query letter after the agent has become intrigued by the story.

This information will be a taste test to see if the type of book you have on your hands will be of interest to the agent. 

Note: If you don’t know what genre your book fits into, you can take some time to explain your vision. Remember to keep the explanation of it to 2 sentences tops.

Query Letter Example 2

Check out this book over example for The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf :

Dear [NAME OF AGENT], I am sending you my query for THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY, a young adult novel complete at about 60,000 words and set against the backdrop of an actual black mark in Malaysian history. By the time school ends on Tuesday, Melati Ahmad’s mother has died 17 times. On the way to school, she is run over by a runaway lorry. During English, she is caught in a crossfire and hit by a stray bullet straight through the chest. At recess, she accidentally ingests some sort of dire poison. And as they peruse their geography textbooks, Melati’s mother is stabbed repeatedly by robbers. Melati knows she isn’t to blame. It’s the Djinn, scratching at her mind with his wicked, clawed fingers, squeezing the air out of her lungs and pounding urgent tattoos on her heart. It’s only through an intricate web of counting and tapping rituals that she’s able to tame the beast within her and keep her mother safe. That’s the sacrifice the Djinn demands, and one she’s happy to pay. But it’s 1969, and on May 13th, the already percolating melting pot that is Kuala Lumpur boils over. As the Chinese and Malays wage war, Mel and her mother find themselves separated by a city in flames. And with a 24-hour curfew in place and all lines of communication down, it will take all of the courage, grit and Beatles songs in Melati’s arsenal to overcome the violence on the streets, her own prejudices, and the Djinn’s surging power to make it back to the one person she can’t risk losing. Since graduating from Northwestern University in 2007, I’ve put my journalism degree to good use with stints in copywriting, magazines and non-profit communications. My first book, GILA (published locally), is narrative non-fiction that explores the landscape of mental illness in my country, Malaysia – a topic that’s still sadly fraught with stigma. It’s because of my experience in writing GILA that I was inspired to write Melati’s story. As I don’t live with mental illness myself, I was careful to have both neurotypical and neuroatypical beta readers go over this manuscript, and it has been edited to reflect their feedback. The first three chapters are pasted below, as per your submission guidelines. Thank you for your consideration. Hanna Alkaf

The author takes a quick 2 lines to share the overview, making sure she has enough space on the page for her book summary. She carefully chooses to share the setting and genre as the main key points that the agent will latch onto.  What helps is that her book is at 60,000 words, which is industry standard.

For novelists, this is the most important part, selling your story. 

This is your opportunity to reel the agent or publisher in with a good hook before leading into the book synopsis, or rather book blurb .

The hook needs to be short while highlighting your unique concept, the main character, the setting, and the inciting incident that creates a major conflict.

Once you have the opening, you can write out a summary. Some would advise you to give a mini book synopsis which will reveal the ending and major twists.

Some suggest a query letter’s book summary should be similar to the blurb on the back cover of a book . It all depends on the nature of your idea and what you feel is important to share. If the twists or ending is crucial to your originality, then you can share it.

But it’s best to keep to the most important plot points in your summary while leaving the agent wanting more. Your summary should include the following:

• The main character’s problem, the setting, and the inciting incident. This allows the agent to sympathize with the character and care for their situation.
• What occurs after the inciting incident that begins the main conflict of the book? You can include any turning points that lead your story to the next point.
• The high stakes and what must be done to succeed, or to accomplish the main character’s goal.

For nonfiction, you should highlight what makes your story different from others in this space, and what type of readers would buy it. You can also mention your unique experience that led to this book idea.

Query Letter Example 3

Here’s a 198-word example from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:

Dear Ms. Rydzinski: What if Cinderella went to the ball not to win the heart of the prince, but to kill him?  In THE EYE OF THE CHOSEN, the first book of my fantasy trilogy, QUEEN OF GLASS, Celaena Sardothien is not a damsel in distress—she’s an assassin. Serving a life sentence in the salt mines for her crimes, Celaena finds herself faced with a proposition she can’t turn down: her freedom in exchange for the deaths of the King of Adarlan’s enemies. Before she can complete her mission, she must first train within the glass castle in the capital of the empire. As training with the Captain of the Guard revives her muscles, encounters with the Crown Prince threaten to do the same to her heart. But Celaena soon learns that the King of Adarlan might have plans more sinister than assassinations. An ancient queen’s ghost charges Celaena with an enormous task: to discover and destroy the mysterious source of the evil king’s power. Torn between her desire to win her freedom and a mission much bigger than herself, Celaena thus begins an adventure she never wanted, which will uncover her forgotten, magical past—a past more dangerous than any tyrant… I am a 2008 graduate of Hamilton College with a degree in Creative Writing, and I have been published in Hamilton’s literary magazine, Red Weather. Because of your interest in fantasy, I thought you might be interested in my trilogy, which is centered on a retelling of the Cinderella legend through the eyes of an assassin. My completed manuscript is available at your request. Below, please find the first ten pages of my manuscript. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you for your time and consideration, Sarah J. Maas

We love Sarah J. Maas’ hook. It asks a gripping question that describes a twist on a classic. Sarah then positions her character in her reality to let the agent understand her background for her to sympathize with. The summary is the bulk of the query letter and she uses it to describe the main character’s inner conflicts and the main conflict of the story.  She puts all her weight into painting a vivid picture of her story.

Comp Titles

To show how your book fits in the book market space, you can include comparable titles. If the agent also likes those books, they could like yours too. Or if they don’t, you two are probably better off not partnering up.

Consider the tone, subject matter, main characters, themes, style of writing, and plot of the comp titles before selecting the ones to add to your query letter.

Make sure the titles you pick are recent and relevant in today’s market.

Note: Don’t compare your book to classics, or mega-hits that sold millions and millions of copies. Be realistic in your comparison, so that the agent won’t think your head is in the clouds.

Want To Give Your Readers An Engaging Online Experience?

Get an author website that showcases your books, grows your list, and attracts publishers and promoters.

An author bio briefly tells the agent everything they need to know about the author’s credentials, previously published works, and anything of note that will sell the book.

This part of your query letter will give the agent context to who you are, and your potential in publishing. You can include the following in an author bio:

• Your day job: Especially highlight this part if it contributes to your expertise in your book. However, you can still add this if you’re a first-time author.
• Your published works: If your work has made it into any magazines or journals, mention what is relevant to the agent. For example, if you’re querying for historical fiction, you may mention academic publications on historical subjects.
• Previously published books: If you’re seeking new representation for your next book, let them know why.
• Self-published: If you’ve published books on your own that have relatively good sales, add them in your bio.
• Qualifications: This would include any degrees or certificates related to writing, your book’s subject matter, and even writing workshops.
• Life experiences : If any experience has shaped the nature of this book, it would be worth adding to your query letter.
• Accolades: Winning prestigious awards for your writing will be a good way to show your talent. Only mention lesser-known awards if there was a large number of entries.
• Author Platform: This is most important for non-fiction writers as it shows you have something to help you sell your books. For fiction, you can add this information if you have fans for your web novel, etc.

Query Letter Example 4

Check out this example for a short bio from Numb by Sean Ferrell :

Dear Ms. Reid: I am seeking representation for my literary novel, Numb. I found your submission guidelines online and have included below a one-page synopsis. I live and work in New York City, I have had short stories published in Uber, WORDS and Bossa Nova Ink, and one of my recent short stories was a finalist in the Italo Calvino writing competition at the University of Louisville. I received my MFA in creative writing from Emerson College. Numb is approximately sixty-thousand words in length. In summary: Numb is a man who cannot feel physical pain. When he wanders into a dying circus, he doesn’t know who he is or how he got there. Despite feeling like an outcast the circus adopts him. When it is clear that his “talent” (if you can call being shot with nail guns and staplers a talent) will make him the star freak of the show, he becomes the circus’ best chance for survival. After nearly sacrificing himself for the circus’ sake, he decides to run away from the circus and make his way to New York City to discover himself and his past. Accompanied by his fire-eating best friend, Mal, Numb discovers a world outside the circus that is all too ready to reward and punish him for his self-destructive talents; and it’s a world that forces all his relationships to shatter. Numb finds women to comfort him, yet he won’t allow himself to trust them. He looks for love but won’t accept it, and he looks for safety in self-destruction. After undermining or losing friends and lovers, Numb is forced to figure out how to find a place for himself instead of just taking up space. This novel is in the spirit of Fight Club or Battle Royale; it is an antiheroic tale of finding a way to survive in a world so filled with noise that simple conversation and compassion are often drowned out. I look forward to your thoughts. Sincerely, Sean Ferrell

Curating an interesting bio as a fiction writer can be tricky, but Sean did extremely well with his. The recognition he’s received for his past work shows the author’s talent. Plus he shares where he’s been published previously but highlights the most important one where recently he was a finalist in a big competition. This shows the agent that the author is continually improving their craft.

Note: A first-time author may not have much to say in terms of published accomplishments, awards , etc., but you should still add something about yourself to tell the agent who you are. 

Whether it be your hobbies, where you live, or anything that can be charming or indicative of your personality. Keeping it short and sweet is perfectly fine.

However, if you’re writing non-fiction, you have to emphasize your bio more than your book. 

Query Letter Example 5

Here’s an example of a stellar bio from Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon : 

Dear Ms. Wolfson, Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out to dinner? Have you ever wondered about the best time of day to send an email or ask for a raise? What about the best time of day to schedule a surgery or a haircut? What’s the best day of the week to avoid lines at the Louvre? What’s the best day of the month to make an offer on a house? What’s the best time of day to ask someone out on a date? My book, Timing is Everything: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There, has the answers to these questions and hundreds more. As a long-time print journalist, I’ve been privy to readership surveys that show people can’t get enough of newspaper and magazine stories about the best time to buy or do things. This book puts several hundreds of questions and answers in one place — a succinct, large-print reference book that readers will feel like they need to own. Why? Because it will save them time and money, and it will give them valuable information about issues related to health, education, travel, the workplace and more. In short, it will make them smarter, so they can make better decisions. Best of all, the information in this book is relevant to anyone, whether they live in Virginia or the Virgin Islands, Portland, Oregon, or Portland, Maine. In fact, much of the book will find an audience in Europe, Australia and Latin America. I‘ve worked as a journalist since 1984 and have made a name for myself as someone who exposes wrongs, such as rampant abuses at mental hospitals and decades of neglect by government agencies that monitor the environment. I’ve won numerous awards, competing against reporters from The Washington Post, The Washington Times, the Associated Press, the Richmond-Times Dispatch and The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot. In 1999, the Virginia Press Association created an award for the best news writing portfolio in the state – the closest thing Virginia had to a reporter-of-the-year award. I won it that year and then again in 2000. The next year I beat out reporters from The Charlotte Observer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to win the Southern Environmental Law Center’s first-place journalism award. I then became metro editor at a 100,000-circulation newspaper in Newport News, Va. Over the years, I’ve honed my long-form writing skills by doing magazine cover stories and writing short stories. During the summer of 2007, I left newspapering to pursue book projects and long-form journalism. I saw your name on a list of top literary agents for self-help books, and I read on your Web site that you’re interested in books that offer practical advice. Timing Is Everything offers plenty of that. Please let me know if you’d like to read my proposal. Sincerely, Mark Di Vincenzo

As with non-fiction writers, the query letter will be mostly the bio. The author, Mark, explains why he’s certain there’s an audience for his book, and why he’s perfect to write it. He then extensively details his many credentials, accolades, and writing prowess, and the fact that he’s a reporter shows that he can provide people with information in an understandable way.

In closing your query letter, don’t go over 1 line. 

Warning! Being too personal or overzealous with the agent is tacky and won’t impress them.

You can end your query letter in one of these ways:

• Short and Sweet: For example, “Please let me know if you’re interested in reading the manuscript. I’d gladly send it through.”
• More books: You can end off by mentioning that you plan for it to be a trilogy, for example.
• Competition: If another agent has requested your manuscript, let them know. For agents, if one person thinks your story is good, they may give it more of a chance themselves.
• Show thanks: Briefly thank the agent for considering your query letter, but don’t go overboard. Keep it simple.

Cap it off with ‘Kind regards,’ or ‘Sincerely,’ followed by your name, and you’re good to go.

But whatever you do, be professional and you can’t go wrong.

Query Letter Example 6

Check out this simple last line from The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein : 

Dear Mr. Kleinman: Saturday night I was participating in a fundraiser for the King County Library System out here in the Pacific Northwest, and I met your client, Layne Maheu. He spoke very highly of you and suggested that I contact you… I am a Seattle writer with two published novels. I have recently completed my third novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and I find myself in a difficult situation: my new book is narrated by a dog, and my current agent told me that he cannot (or will not) sell it for that very reason. Thus, I am seeking new representation. The Art of Racing in the Rain is the story of Denny Swift, a race car driver who faces profound obstacles in his life, and ultimately overcomes them by applying the same techniques that have made him successful on the track. His story is narrated by his “philosopher dog,” Enzo, who, having a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), believes he will return as a man in his next lifetime. My last novel, How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, won a 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award, and since the award ceremony a year ago, I have given many readings, workshops, and lectures promoting the book When time has permitted, I’ve read the first chapter from The Art of Racing in the Rain. Audience members have been universally enthusiastic and vocal in their response, and the first question asked is always: “When can I buy the book about the dog?” Also very positive. I’m inserting, below, a short synopsis of The Art of Racing in the Rain, and my biography. Please let me know if the novel interests you; I would be happy to send you the manuscript. Sincerely, Garth Stein

If you’re feeling a bit lost as to how to end your query letter, Garth Stein’s should give you the confidence to end off on a short note that doesn’t overstay its welcome. He lets the agent know what is attached to the email and mentions that he’ll share his manuscript if the agent is interested. Simple, no fluff, and straight to the point.

Note: At the end of the page, include your phone number, email address, and author website if you have one.

If your query letter looks like a mess, the agent will assume your manuscript will be a mess too.

Check your grammar and formatting a few times and ensure you’ve hit the mark on each of the agent’s submission guidelines.

Anything less and you risk having your query letter dismissed without a second thought.

Sending them out and Following up

Don’t send your query letter to every agent on your list. Send it out in batches so that you can see how well your query letter does.

If you get no responses or too many negative responses, you probably need to edit your query letter for the next batch.

But if you don’t hear back you can follow up. Check on their submission guidelines page if they’ve specified a waiting time. If not you can follow up at the 3-month mark.

When following up, keep it brief, and be sure to mention the title of your book and any relevant information from your initial query letter.

Common Mistakes that Turn Literary Agents Away

Writing a query letter is a skill you’ll need to learn, and another step in the learning curve is finding out what to avoid doing.

Avoid these common mistakes that’ll give agents the ick, blowing your chances at getting representation:

• Detail overload: There isn’t exactly a word count limit, but if you add unnecessary details to your book summary or bio, you’ll lose the agent’s interest. 
• Being a Boastful Betty: It’s important to write your query letter with confidence, but if you cross the line and oversell, the agent will feel you are overcompensating.
• Being a Negative Nelly: This is no time to be modest or self-effacing toward your work. If you don’t believe you are good enough, the agent won’t either.
• Excessive typography: Using color or too much bold and italics will look unprofessional.
• Page-turner: Unless you’re writing non-fiction or literary work, exceeding 1 page, including doing front and back, is near criminal.
• Chain mail: CC’ing all your prospective agents in one email is certifiably criminal.
• Being a buddy: Adding too much familiarity in the email, even if you’ve met them before, is distasteful. Be cordial and professional.

This is Only the Beginning

Once you get a few query letters going, you’ll start feeling like you’re on the road to something great.

And you are! But…

It may take a while to gain momentum on this long road. You’ll likely be waiting a while before you find ‘the one’ literary agent or publishing house that wants to go the distance with your manuscript.

Once you start making bigger strides toward releasing your book, you’ll need to really consider your online platform. Nerve-wracking right?

Luckily, we specialize in creating author websites for authors to display their amazing books and other works on. We take all the fuss out of it for you. So, just fill in this inquiry form and we’ll see what we can do for you!

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Phoebe Morgan

Author and Editor

My submission letter to my agent

I thought it might be helpful to share the original submission letter which I sent to my lovely agent, Camilla at Darley Anderson.

Now, please bear in mind I wrote this letter a couple of years ago, when I was young and fairly naive – but it did get me an agent, so I thought still worth sharing in case anyone out there finds it useful (although if I’m honest, it makes me cringe a bit now!)

After this letter, Camilla emailed me within 48 hours and asked to read the whole manuscript – we then did some intensive editing together, and she then made an offer of representation (at which I was delighted, of course).

I attached the letter to an email, along with a synopsis of my book (which gave away the ending – you need the full, summarised plot) and the first three chapters. I emailed Camilla directly, after seeing her manuscript wishlist on a website, having looked for agents who enjoyed the genre I thought I was writing. I don’t know why I call it literary in the letter, as it’s not really, its commercial, and the plot has changed a bit since I submitted it first – but this is the completely unedited letter that led to agent representation. This novel changed name to become The Doll House , but The Architect’s Daughters was it’s original name. It outlines a bit about me, a very basic plot including themes of the novel, and is (I hope…) polite and professional.

Dear Ms Wray,

I would like to submit to you a sample of my novel, ‘The Architect’s Daughters.’ This is a piece of literary fiction which tells the tale of how a mother’s loving lie kills her own daughter.

Thirteen years ago, the death of the famous London architect Richard Hawes left his two daughters reeling with grief. Now, as Ashley and Corinne Hawes navigate the pitfalls of adult life, they find that everything they held true about their parents and what it means to be honest is to be turned upside down. Battling with their own demons of infertility, errant teenagers and an odd dislike for their own mother, the sisters are fighting for the truth within a family that has never understood the term. The underlying themes of this novel are honesty, sisterhood and the illusion of reputation.

I am now working as an editorial assistant at Octopus Books, Hachette UK. Writing is the only thing that I find makes sense to me; I am prepared to work very hard (probably for my entire life!) in order to pursue a career in this field, and would be delighted to have the opportunity to work with you if you like my book. There is nothing quite like the fantastic feeling that comes with reading a really great story, and if even one person could enjoy my own it would be an honour. I am in the process of writing another novel (partly to stop myself frantically checking my emails for agent responses!) and have plans to continue writing for as long as possible.

I worked as a news reporter previous to my publishing role, and have had many news articles published in print and online. However, there is only so much one can write about potholes and 101-year-olds; I find writing fiction to be a little more satisfying! I have also completed a creative writing course at the University of Illinois which is where I really began writing seriously.

Thank you so much for your time, and I do hope to hear from you.

It’s not a perfect letter, by any means. But, it is properly spell-checked, and it does give a flavour of what the book is about. I tried to put a little bit of my personality into it too, which I think is always a plus, but it doesn’t ramble on for too long and it’s quite to the point. I had spent a lot of time on the first three chapters I sent to her, proofreading them multiple times, making sure that the beginning really did give a good insight into the book, and closing the third chapter at a point which I hoped would make an agent want to read on.

Every agent will be looking for different things at different times, but I think as a whole, the submission process can be a very daunting one for a new writer so any light I can shed on it from the author angle will hopefully be a tiny bit useful! I would advise keeping your covering letter relatively short – 3/4 short paragraphs maximum, as agents get a lot of submissions and no-one wants to read an essay. Make sure you outline your commitment to writing, explain your day job if you have one, and give a clear idea, very early on, of what your book is about. Agents sometimes use information from your covering letter to pitch you to editors, so be honest, don’t exaggerate anything too much, and above all, keep it professional – you’re essentially asking to go into business with your agent and sign a formal contract, so they need to know that you’re taking this whole writing thing seriously.

Writing cover letters and synopses can be really hard, because you don’t have pages and pages to play with and you need to be succinct, so give it a few goes, make sure you edit your letter as much as you can before sending, and don’t be disheartened if you don’t get an immediate response. I waited months to hear from some agents – Camilla was very quick but that isn’t always the case, so always keep positive and keep writing while you submit – it will help, I promise.

If you enjoyed reading this article, my debut novel is only 99p here if you wanted to check it out and make me a happy writer 🙂 Thank you for visiting my blog.

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Published by phoebemorganauthor

I am an author and editorial director, currently working on the HarperFiction crime and thriller team. My psychological thrillers,The Doll House, The Girl Next Door and The Babysitter are out now with HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins. My fourth, The Wild Girls, will publish in April 2021. My books have sold over 150,000 copies and been translated into nine languages. They are also on sale in the US and Canada. View all posts by phoebemorganauthor

3 thoughts on “ My submission letter to my agent ”

V. interesting! It’s funny to see how much the book changed in between this letter and coming out, too.

What’s up, every time i used to check website posts here early in the dawn, since i love to learn more and more.

• Pingback: Writing Tip Number Seven - Rachel Sargeant

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