sample literary agent cover letter

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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.

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 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.

Sign up now

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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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 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 Covering Letter

Literary agents will read the manuscript you send, and some the synopsis, but all will read the covering letter. Writing an effective one may take you a long time, but it is well worth the trouble. 

The whole thing should:

• Be well written – you are writing to people who care about words
• Be concise (don’t waste their time; you want to direct them to the manuscript rather than tell them everything about you). One side of the page is plenty
• Look attractive (it is the spaces on a page that draw the eye in, not the text, so paragraphs of different lengths and a ragged right-hand margin really help to attract the reader and keep them going)
• Be knowledgeable about the agency 
• Begin well (according to David Ogilvy, the copywriting guru, the first 11 words are crucial)
• Describe the project briefly (in no more than two or three sentences) so that the reader is clear about what kind of book is on offer, and wants to know more
• Never say at the end of the letter that you’ll telephone in a few days to follow up your submission – it sounds rather menacing (but do email to check on progress if you haven’t heard anything in a month or so).

Some agents and publishers acknowledge what they receive; others do not. Do bear in mind that some small agencies or publishers only deal with the unsolicited submission pile every few weeks, and so the waiting time may be slightly longer.

An agent’s advice

Here is the advice of  literary agent Simon Trewin on writing an introductory letter:

" Life is short and less is more. No letter should be more than one side of A4 and in a good-sized (12pt) clear typeface.

Sell yourself. The covering letter is one of the most important pages you will ever write. I will be honest here and say I find selling myself very difficult, so I can see how tricky this is – there is a thin line between appearing interesting/switched-on/professional and arrogant/unreasonable.

The letters that include phrases like “I am a genius and the world doesn't understand me” or “My Mum thinks this book is the best thing she has ever read” (of course she does – that is her job!) don’t exactly fill my heart with longing! In your pitch letter you are trying to achieve some simple things: you want me to feel that you take your work seriously. Wear your writing history with pride. Tell me about that short story you had published or that writing course you attended and the fact that you are writing alongside a demanding job or in the evenings and weekends when the kids are asleep. Tell me why you write – I love hearing about the different paths that have led people to the moment when they think “I want to write”.

Tell me who your influences are and tell me about the book you are sending me. A few lines will do the job here; I just want to get a sense of the territory I am going to enter. Tell me what you want to write next. Hopefully you won’t be following your commercial romantic comedy with a three-volume science fantasy epic or vice-versa!

At the end of your letter I want to feel in good company and ready to turn the page. I am not interested in seeing what you look like or how old you are – we are not running a model agency here! Publishing isn’t as obsessed with age and beauty as you might think, but it is obsessed with finding distinctive new voices. And a final point: get a friend to read the letter and give you some honest feedback. Put it to one side for a day or two and come back to it – distance is a great editor. "

Simon Trewin

Case Study. The Night Attila Died: Solving the Murder of Attila the Hun by Dr Michael Babcock  

Dear [Literary Agent]:

I am seeking representation for a non-fiction book entitled The Night Attila Died: Solving an Ancient Murder Mystery. I am a college professor with a PhD in medieval languages and literature from the University of Minnesota and a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina. [1]

Historians tell us that Attila the Hun died on his wedding night in 453 AD. Drunk and flat on his back, he died of natural causes – an internal haemorrhage. The only problem with this account (and it’s a big one) is that it’s a complete fabrication. The Night Attila Died challenges 1,500 years of history by presenting evidence that Attila was murdered and that the truth was covered up in the official imperial records. [2]

The events and characters are among the most interesting that history has ever assembled on one stage. There’s Aetius, the ruthless Roman general and boyhood friend of Attila who defeated the Hun in a decisive battle in Gaul. There’s the weak and stupid emperor, Valentinian III, who pulled a dagger from his robe and assassinated Aetius in a jealous rage. There’s the emperor’s older sister, Honoria, who secretly plotted to wrest power from her brother and managed to start a world war in the process. [3]

In the eastern Empire, the characters are just as colourful: Emperor Theodosius II, a weak ruler who bungled the first assassination plot against Attila, and Emperor Marcian, whom I accuse of masterminding the plot that finally destroyed the Empire’s greatest enemy. Throw in, for good measure, a scheming eunuch and a pathetic little dwarf named Zerko. It’s a great set of characters. [4]

But what the book is really about is philology. The textual science pioneered two centuries ago by the Brothers Grimm is the tool that lets us peel away layers of conspiracy and propaganda. Through the philological method we can reconstruct what really happened and how the conspiracy to kill Attila was covered up as official history. Chapter by chapter the reader participates in the detective work. In the end the threads of an ancient conspiracy are revealed and the verdict of history is overturned. [5]

There’s more at stake than just a good detective story. This is ultimately about what happens when two cultures with irreconcilable worldviews collide. It’s how we confront the Other with all the power of the sword and pen. What emerges from these violent confrontations is a skewed understanding of the past. We may call it history, but it’s often just propaganda. The Night Attila Died is rooted in the historical moment of the late Roman Empire, but the conclusions I draw are deeply connected to our own time. [6]

My publications to date are academic, in particular a book on the literary representations of Attila. I am uniquely qualified to write The Night Attila Died, having spent 15 years studying the historical and literary records as preserved in Latin, Greek, Old Church Slavonic, Old Icelandic, Old French, and Middle High German. (But that isn’t keeping me from writing a lively narrative!) I am recognised as an expert in this field and have consulted for a History Channel documentary on “famous deaths”. As an enthusiastic and dynamic speaker who speaks widely at conferences, I intend to promote the book aggressively. [7]

May I send you a full proposal with a sample chapter? [8]

Michael A Babcock, PhD

Commentary (keyed to the paragraph numbers)

[1] Direct introduction. No beating around the bush. No ‘clever’ attempt to hook the agent. Identify the type of book it is. Briefly identify yourself and your credentials.

[2] The hook. What’s unique about this book? Why should the agent keep reading the query letter?

[3] What you’re trying to demonstrate in the body of the letter is your style, your personality, and the ‘interest factor’ of the subject itself.

[4] With carefully selected details, you can pique the interest of the agent. Agents and editors love books – that’s why they do what they do. So show them what the pay-off will be for reading this book. You are also conveying the depth of the subject and your expert handle on the material.

[5] Establish the significance of the topic and its relevance. Establish points of contact with general knowledge (the Brothers Grimm).

[6] Again, this draws out the significance and timeliness of the subject – that is, you’re trying to answer the ‘So what?’ question.

[7] Return to your credentials and qualifications as to why you're the best person to be writing this book. 

[8] End with a direct, unambiguous appeal that requests a specific follow-up action.  

How it worked

‘This letter was sent out by e-mail to agents and out of the ten I submitted to, I heard back from nine and all nine wanted to see the full proposal. Of these nine I had three agents who were interested in representing the project and one, in particular, who pursued it aggressively. This agent called me up and expressed such enthusiasm for the concept and my writing style, that I felt he was the natural choice. Even though there were better known agents who were interested in the project, I opted for the lesser known agent on the theory that he was highly motivated to sell my book. The book sold in less than a month. There were three editors who were interested in making an offer on the book; in the end it came down to two and the higher bid won out. As a side note, the book sold on the strength of the formal proposal and a single sample chapter. The book was sold in December 2003 and submitted in final form to my editor in July 2004. It was published in July 2005 by Berkley Books.’

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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 .

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

View the query letter

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

Order a query letter.

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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Blog • Understanding Publishing

Posted on Jun 02, 2020

Writing a Non-Fiction Query Letter (+ Sample Query Letter)

Writing a non-fiction query letter is like writing your own ticket to the big time. If you want to convince an agent or publisher that your idea has ‘bestseller’ written all over it , the few hundred words that make up your query must be irresistibly compelling.

Elsewhere on this site, we go into detail on how to write a query letter for a novel. You can head there now and download a checklist for fiction queries which, truth be told, are about 90% the same as non-fiction ones. But with the help of current and former agents on the Reedsy marketplace, this guide will help you understand the other 10% that will push your non-fiction query over the top.

Note: This following process is not intended to be linear, starting with “Dear Ms. Agent” and ending in “Yours sincerely.” Instead, it’s a thorough guide that will prepare you for the querying process.

Create an airtight book proposal

What’s the biggest difference between a fiction and non-fiction query? In non-fiction, the author is not expected to provide a completed manuscript the way a novelist would. Instead, they present a book proposal, a 15-50 page pitching document with various details and sample chapters.

Reedsy has created a dedicated guide to writing book proposals that will show you how to prepare this document. But here’s the gist: a proposal should aim to answer the questions every agent will want to ask about you and your book.

The document can be broken down into the following sections:

• An overview — what is the book about?
• Target audience  — who is it written for?
• About the author — why are you the one who should write it?
• Marketing plan — how are you going to help sell it?
• Competitive titles — what are similar titles on the market?
• Chapter outline — how are you going to structure your book ?
• Sample chapters — can you actually write?

Don’t start querying until you have solid content for each of these sections. According to Jon Darga , former non-fiction editor at Penguin Random House and current agent at Aevitas Creative Management, agents and acquiring editors will notice if you leave anything out.

“I've seen a lot of proposals that think they can get away with just the pitch and an annotated table of contents. But we need to be able to make sure you can write, too! Overall, though, a non-fiction proposal should be faster and easier to put together than the full manuscript that you'd read with a novel. Much less writing!”

FREE RESOURCE

Book Proposal Template

Craft a professional pitch for your nonfiction book with our handy template.

Personalize your letter for each agent or editor

Agents and editors get flooded with queries and submissions every week. They call it slush , which shows how optimistic they are about pulling gold nuggets from their query piles. With this in mind, editor Rachel Stout (formerly an agent with Dystel & Goderich) reminds authors that they need more than a well-written pitch to get an agent’s attention.

“You need to show this agent that you are being intentional in your querying, and that you're reaching out to this agent for this book, for this specific reason. You're letting that agent know you're particular about who you query.”

This is where personalization comes in: the process of researching individual agents and publishers in order to:

• Ensure that you only query those who want what you have to sell; and
• Show the recipient of the letter that you are interested in them , specifically.

The second point is crucial. You need to demonstrate that you’ve done your research and you’re not just firing off boilerplate emails and BCC’ing the rest of the publishing world. It can be as simple as getting their name right (more of an issue than you’d imagine) and mentioning a book they’ve worked on — bonus points if it’s similar to yours!

Rachel goes into detail and reveals her top tips in a recent webinar on personalizing queries . Watch the replay and check out the transcript for invaluable advice on personalizing your non-fiction query letter.

Resources for researching agents

Ready to research some literary agents? Hit the ground running with our extensive directory of non-fiction literary agents! We have 500+ agents listed right there , all of whom have already been researched and vetted by our team, allowing you to pick from the best of the best.

Additional resources for researching agents include:

• Agent databases such as Agent Query , Query Tracker , or Publishers Marketplace (see the profiles listed for each agent in our directory ).
• Acknowledgments pages of similar books (which you can comb through for more of an old-school approach).
• Publishing conferences where agents and editors will happily speak with authors.

You'll find more assistance and resources in our post on how to find a literary agent. But in short, you need to find agents who are both open to submissions and seeking your type of book, then make notes of details about them that you can use to personalize your query letter.

Show that you’re the right person for the job

What makes a non-fiction query stand out from the crowd? For Jon Darga, it’s about author platform more than anything else:

“Not necessarily how many Twitter followers you have, but positioning yourself as the one best person to write that book. It would be really difficult to write, say, [cancer physician] Siddhartha Mukherjee's The Emperor of All Maladies if you weren't involved in the medical sciences in some way.”

Your platform doesn’t depend on advanced degrees, either — it’s about how your experience makes you uniquely qualified to write this book. In this next section, we’ll look at the short bios of first-time authors to see how, as Jon says, they position themselves as the best person to write each of their books.

Example 1. Memoir

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay.

The UK’s biggest non-fiction hit over the past few years, this memoir offers readers a humorous look at the doctors, nurses, and wards of Britain’s national healthcare system.

About the author (from the book): “Adam Kay is an award-winning comedian and writer for TV and film. He previously worked for many years as a junior doctor.”

Analysis: Boom — there it is. Who better to write a funny book about being a doctor than an acclaimed comedian who used to be a doctor? Before this book was published, Kay’s modest profile as a comic may not have been enough to pass as a “platform” — but his expertise on the subject has more than made up for it.

Example 2. Business

ReWork: Change the Way You Work Forever by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. 

This 2010 book showed its readers a new approach to entrepreneurship that leverages inexpensive apps and tools to simplify and streamline businesses.

About the author (from the book): “Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson are the president and co-founder/president of Basecamp (formerly 37signals), a privately-held Chicago-based company committed to building the best web-based tools possible with the least number of features necessary.”

Analysis: Fried and Hansson co-authored a book that’s intrinsically tied to both their story and their product; they built a company that created the very solution that allowed them to grow. Very meta.

Example 3. Health and Addiction

We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life by Laura McKowen

In this inspirational book , the author addresses the big issues faced by alcoholics in a charming and heartwarming way.

About the author (from the book): “Laura McKowen had a successful career in public relations and the Mad Men -esque drinking culture of advertising. After getting sober, she became recognized as a fresh voice in recovery, beloved for her soulful and irreverent writing. She now leads sold-out retreats on sobriety and is a celebrated yoga instructor.”

Analysis: McKowen’s bio is a quick and highly effective sell of her book. We see that the author has been through the wringer and can offer a first-hand account of alcoholism. Her mention of running “sold-out retreats” validates her claim of being an expert in helping others cope with their recovery. It also implies she has an existing audience of potential buyers

Sometimes, you just need something that no one else has

Let’s say that you don’t have a sexy CV, IMDb credits, a successful company, or even a personal story that ties into the subject of your book. In Jon Darga’s experience, that’s not necessarily a dead end: “I have published books without an obvious platform by writers who convinced me they'd found information and connections that nobody else had!”

A unique angle can take many forms. For example, you might take the wisdom found in ancient texts and spin it in a novel way (like Becky Sheetz Runkle did with Sun Tzu in her book, The Art of War for Small Business ). Or perhaps you’ve uncovered primary sources that other historians may have missed, as David Blight did in his 2018 biography of Frederick Douglass ). So long as you’re able to demonstrate why a more experienced writer couldn’t do a better job than you on this particular book, there’s still hope.

Query Letter Template

Learn how to grab a literary agent’s attention with our free template + checklist.

Start the letter with your strongest selling point

When you’re pitching a novel, you’re always told to “start with the hook,” which refers to a killer plot detail that makes anyone listening want to learn more. In a non-fiction query, the goal is still the same — to hook the reader — but the bait can take many forms. And guess what? You already know what most of these hooks are.

Hook 1: The Story

Dear Ms Buchanan,

I’m seeking representation for my debut non-fiction book, APOCALYPSE COW, which uncovers the darkest chapter in the USDA’s history: a failed 1980 paramilitary operation to neuter millions of cattle in South America.

Hook 2: Your platform

Dear Mr Caulfield,

You've definitely heard of my clients, but if I've done my job right, you've never heard of me. Meryl Streep's nose? Julia Roberts' forehead? Madonna's... everything? All my handiwork. I'm Beverly Hills' most prolific cosmetic surgeon and author of INNER BEAUTY OUTSIDE.

Hook 3: Personalization

Dear Ms Wormwood,

I recently read your post in the Publishers Weekly blog on the dearth of younger voices in historical non-fiction. You mentioned an interest in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and I would love for you to consider representing my non-fiction book, ROSSETTI VS. THE ART BROS.

Hook 4: An untapped section of the market

Dear Mr Chinaski,

I am writing to seek representation for my book, WFH: WORK, FAMILY, HAPPINESS — an irreverent parenting guide for the 5 million digital nomads scattered across North America — a third of whom are on the cusp of starting families.

Once you have the agent or editor sitting up and paying attention, it’s time to reel them in with the rest of your query letter...

Follow instructions and don’t reinvent the wheel

If you have wacky ideas for attention-grabbing ways to write your query letter (Pretend to be their high school buddy! Jokingly threaten to harm their pets!) then take a breath and start again.

In almost all cases, the best approach is a straightforward one: follow a fairly standard format and clearly communicate why they should be interested in your book.

With online submissions now being the norm, you often won't have to worry about structuring your query letter. You just have to fill in a form. But here’s a piece of advice that could make or break your query:

Follow the submissions guidelines.

This tip sounds so obvious that it verges on insulting. However, as we mentioned at the start of this guide, agents and editors are often swamped. A query that fails to follow the submission guidelines will be viewed poorly at best, and at worst, be rejected sight unseen.

In cases where submissions guidelines are loose, your query should contain:

• An irresistible hook
• Some aspect of personalization
• Estimated word count
• Intended readership
• Comparative titles ( similar to yours in genre, subject, or tone )
• A brief, relevant bio
• Your book proposal with sample chapters

To see what a standard non-fiction query might look like, here is an actual example of a letter that worked!

Sample Non-fiction Query Letter

One of Jon Darga’s clients kindly permitted us to reprint their query letter. The title and author name have been redacted — and some of the formatting and wording has been altered from the original.

Dear Mr. Darga,

Here’s some free doctor’s advice: never get sick in July. At best, you’ll meet a doctor at the hospital on her very first day, and she won’t know the difference between a sleeping patient and a patient in a coma. Worst case scenario, you’ll meet a more seasoned physician who was high on drugs the night before, still a little drunk that morning, and has contemplated suicide twice since you arrived in the ER. How do I know this?

I am many things: a dreamer, a high achiever, an Ivy-Leaguer; I’m not White, mostly Black, and questionably Asian; I’m a saboteur, a heavy drinker, a trust abuser; I am someone’s lost son; I’m not sure if I like myself. I am fragile. I am haunted. I’m the last person you want to trust your life to. And I’m your doctor.

[TITLE] is an unflinching, uncensored examination of the often harrowing, sometimes shocking, and progressively dehumanizing twists and turns of medical residency training, and how it provided the perfect context for the culmination of, and ultimate triumph over this young doctor’s struggles with his vices, mental illness, and complex relationship with his father.

A memoir written in the irreverent spirit of the Samuel Shem’s medical classic House of God , while embracing the vulnerability of Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air , my work provides a candid account of the ways in which residency training shattered the mind of an empathetic and well-intentioned doctor, and the arduous task of piecing it back together again through painful and overdue self-discovery.

I am a certified Otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose, and Throat surgeon) with degrees from Harvard and Emory University School of Medicine but I also appear frequently at The Moth competitions, where I’ve won their Storyslam and came runner-up in the Detroit Grandslam. I’m also a writing consultant for [POPULAR TV DRAMA], distilling complex medical and social issues into palatable and understandable mainstream storylines.

[TITLE] offers a modern and fearless appraisal of what it means to be unsure of yourself every day, even as you hold another person's life in your hands. It's hope and love and a cry to keep moving forward, to live each day the very best that we can. I hope you enjoy the read.

This letter comes in at under 380 words, but checks all the boxes and demonstrates that the author can write well, which every query should aim to do. After all, if the agent or editor doesn’t think you can write a compelling letter, why would they think that your book's any better?

To learn more, enroll in Reedsy’s free courses on Writing a Query Letter and Submitting Non-Fiction to Agents and Editors .

FREE COURSE

How to Write a Query Letter

Learn to grab agents’ attention with 10 five-minute lessons.

Submit to your shortlist and always follow up

Now that you have compiled all the elements of your query letter, it’s time to get it out into the world. But where should you start? Here are a few pointers to help you with the actual communication side of querying.

Decide whether you want to query agents or publishers (or both)

When it comes to agents, the conventional wisdom is that you’ll need one if you want to publish fiction traditionally; for non-fiction, however, authors can often submit directly to publishers.

When asked to clarify which precise types of books would require an agent to publish, Jon Darga pushed back at the premise.

“The question, for me, should be less what types of non-fiction book and more what does the author want to achieve ?

“If the author is an academic who's happy doing a deal directly with a university press, or someone who just wants to see their memoir published by an indie press , then you probably don't need an agent. But if your goal is to be published traditionally and commercially by one of the Big Five, you'll need an agent to make those inroads.”

Don’t be afraid to query more than one agent or publisher

Some agencies will only let you query one of their agents at any given time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put your feelers out to a few of their rivals.

Rachel Stout suggests querying anything from five-to-ten places at a time. “You can go to fewer, you can go to more, but remember it will be up to you to keep track of where your query is and who has had it for how long.”

Indeed, you will want to keep track of those queries so you can chase them up in good time — which leads to our next point.

Follow up at precisely the right time

It’s not unusual for your query to get buried under a mountain of slush, so you should always follow up. Again, read the submission guidelines — they will often tell you how long you should expect to wait for a reply (six weeks is not uncommon!). If you haven’t heard back by then, reply-all to your original query and just say that you’re following up and you’re looking forward to hearing from them.

Bonus tip: if you hear back from any of the agents you’ve queried, you should mention this in your follow-up to the ones who have yet to reply. Just frame it as a polite reminder to check out your submission and not to miss out on something valuable (your book!).

Don’t lose heart

Most published authors have had to deal with rejections at various points in their careers. If an agent rejects your query, it could just mean that the book is not right for them — but it might be perfect for another agent or editor. So keep at it.

As long as your non-fiction book is well-written and has a viable market, you can find a way to get it into the hands of readers. If it’s not with a Big 5 publisher, you might consider looking into a boutique press. And if not them, then perhaps it’s time to dive into the exciting world of self-publishing. Whichever route you take, good luck!

Continue reading

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

by Abigail Perry | 0 comments

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 a Query Letter That Grabs an Agent’s Attention

You’ve done the hard part.

You’ve spent ages researching, writing, and rewriting until you finally feel your book is ready to share with the world.

Not so fast .

Your next step is one of the most important. Writing a query letter can determine whether a literary agent asks to see more or sends you a cordial form letter intended to let you down easy.

It’s time to move from author to salesman.

You’re about to make a virtual sales call, and your query letter makes the first impression.

Nothing can be more important.

• What is a Query Letter?

It was once customary for a bachelor to request permission to call on a woman by having his calling card delivered to her.

You’re courting an agent on behalf of your manuscript , and the query letter is your calling card.

This one-page letter must masterfully sell. Write it poorly and an agent will assume your book is also poorly written.

It must stimulate and intrigue to secure your all-important first date.

A Query Letter Format That Makes Agents Take Notice…

1—speaks to a specific person..

Get the agent’s name and title right. You’re not sending this “To Whom It May Concern.”

It should be clear you’ve done your research and are targeting an agent who represents your genre and that you’re aware of similar books he has represented to publishers.

2—Presents your book idea simply.

Include a one-sentence summary. Here was mine for my first novel: “A judge tries a man for a murder the judge committed.”

3—Evidences your style.

Grab the agent with compelling writing . Briefly tell the plot of your novel or the purpose of your nonfiction book. Write with the same voice you’d use when telling your best friend about it. Your passion must be obvious.

4—Show you know who your readers are.

An agent needs to believe he can sell your book before he’ll ask for more.

Be specific about your target audience, and “everyone” doesn’t count. Agents know the business and cannot be persuaded that “everyone will find this amazing.”

Tell what you hope readers will take away from your book and why.

5—Clarifies your qualifications.

Briefly summarize why you’re the one to write this book.

What else have you published ? What platform have you built? What education do you have? Link to your website .

The more you’ve done, the less you need say about it. Don’t emphasize your lack of experience, but resist the urge to exaggerate or embellish.

You need not list your entire resume. Instead, refer to a web page where an agent can find more details.

Better to just say something like, “I’ve been a professor of astrophysics for more than two decades, the last four years at Notre Dame.”

An amazing book idea can even transcend the need for a vast platform. So if you don’t have one, it’s all the more important to well represent the potential of your book.

6—Exhibits your flexibility and professionalism.

Keep it brief and express your ability to provide whatever is requested: proposal , synopsis , sample chapters, whatever. Conclude with a simple “Thanks for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.”

Be sure to:

• Include your book’s genre, title, and expected word count.
• Properly format: limit yourself to a single page, single-spaced, and use a 12 pt. serif type. The shorter your letter the better, but say what you need to.
• Follow the agent’s submission guidelines to a T, including how to send (via email attachment, not as an attachment, by snail mail [rare], etc.).
• Query Letter Examples
• Here’s a great example with a breakdown of why it works, by Brian Klems of Writer’s Digest .
• Study Writer’s Digest’s list of successful query letters .
• Cardinal Sins
• Overselling —let your premise speak for itself.
• Gushing, flattering, or waxing obvious , like, “You’ll notice I got it to you early, because I’m so excited,” or “I hope you like it.”  Represent yourself as more potential colleague than fan. Be professional.
• Submitting more than one page. Trust me, your query will be ignored if it’s too long.
• Querying only one agent at a time. Volume is your friend.
• Typos. Proofread! Then proofread it again. Even one typo in such a short document smacks of amateurism. Have someone read it with fresh eyes.
• “I sent my query letter, now what do I do?”

Be patient. Occupy yourself with your next project idea.

Some agencies say that if you get no response after a certain period, assume they’re not interested. That’s rude, and sometimes you’re not even told whether they received it in the first place. In that case, wait six weeks  and follow up with kind note asking about the status.

Best case: the agent reads your query and immediately asks for more. That’s rare, but it happens.

Agents get thousands of submissions, and they reject most of them within minutes.

Too many writers give them too many reasons.

My goal is to get you to where you’re seen as the next success. That’s why agents are in the business.

Despite how many ideas they reject, they’re longing to discover the next bestseller. Be the one who writes it!

• A Query Letter Format That Makes Agents Take Notice...

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How to write a book: everything you need to know in 20 steps.

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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.

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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!

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[…] 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?

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• School Education /

Write a Formal Letter Applying for the Post of Assistant Editor in the Publishing House: Samples & Format

• Updated on  
• Jun 29, 2024

Applying for a job as an assistant editor is exciting. Publication houses need people who are passionate about reading books and help build them better. Publication houses often release advertisements for the position of skilled assistant editors to carry the passion with careers. 

Writing a formal letter applying for the post of assistant editor in the publishing house is a write up will certainly help our readers who aspire to apply for futuristic positions. Further, the details of the letter will also increase your chance to show your passion for books and your ability to write well.

Sample 1: Write a Formal Letter Applying for the Post of Assistant Editor in the Publishing House

Also Read: Write a Letter to Your Friend About Ram Mandir: Check Samples and Format!

Sample 2: Write a Formal Letter Applying for the Post of Assistant Editor in the Publishing House

Also Read: Write a Letter to Your Friend About Your Favourite Season: Check Samples and Format

Format: Write a Formal Letter Applying for the Post of Assistant Editor in the Publishing House

Also Read: Also Read: Write a Letter to Your Elder Brother Who Lives in Delhi Sharing Your Feelings About How You Miss Him at Home: Format and Samples

Ans: To write a formal letter to a publisher consider the following tips and tricks:  – Start with your contact information at the top – Include the date and the publisher’s address – Use a professional greeting like “Dear [Name]” – Write a clear opening stating your purpose – In the body, explain your background and why you’re writing – Keep your tone professional and concise – End with a polite closing and your signature – Proofread carefully before sending

Ans: If you want to write a cover letter for a publishing house, consider the following points: – Address it to a specific person if possible – Start by expressing your interest in the position – Highlight your relevant skills and experience – Show your knowledge of the publishing house and their books – Explain why you’re a good fit for the role – Include specific examples of your work or achievements – Keep it to one page and use a professional tone – End by thanking them and expressing interest in an interview

Ans: An editorial assistant is an entry-level position in publishing. Their major role primarily involves to support the senior editors by: – Reading and evaluating manuscript submissions – Proofreading and fact-checking content – Communicating with authors and agents – Managing administrative tasks like scheduling and filing – Assisting with the book production process – Writing book blurbs or marketing copy – Conducting research for various projects – Helping to organize and attend publishing events

Related Reads:

For more information on such informative articles, visit our interesting topics, visit our Letter Writing page , and follow Leverage Edu. 

Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with expertise in creating educational and informative content. She has a year of experience writing content for speeches, essays, NCERT, study abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and ananlysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particulary in education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs with related to her field to further expand her expertise. In personal life, she loves creative writing and aspire to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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