A Look at Writing a Query Letter
Now that you want to get your work published, it’s time to write a query letter!
It’s understandable to be a bit anxious about this. Practice will help a lot, and not just with writing better queries, but also with your nervousness.
Understand that many famous authors received several rejections before a publisher took a chance on them. So keep on plugging and try not to get discouraged.
Query Letter Basics
First things first: always do what the publisher says you should do. Seriously.
Queries are cover letters accompanying your submissions to a publisher or agent. They can vary in length, but Job One is always to do what the recipient wants. That is, if the recipient wants it as an attachment, send an attachment.
If they want it in the body of the email or sent via snail mail or faxed, then do that. Double-spaced? Do it. Times New Roman font? Why, that’s suddenly your favorite font, too!
The last thing you want to do is annoy the recipient of your letter. So follow directions to the letter. Unsure of an instruction? How about asking on Twitter? Do not let your manuscript get a rejection under a technicality.
Rather than giving you an example, it’s probably best to link to a successful modern query letter. Now imagine your work, with a showcase like that. Change the genre if necessary, the character names, etc., and you’ve got the bare bones of a query letter.
Suggestion: check several successful query letters, particularly those which are fairly recent and are in your genre. If they are the queries which your actual target admires, then so much the better.
Some Advice and a Little Hope for the Future
Keep plugging. Queries are a rite of passage for every author. At least, for every writer who wants to be published. They will get easier as you keep on doing them.
Rejection is also a rite of passage. They are not fun, and no one should ever pretend that they are. There is no reason to put on a brave face and claim they’re wonderful. They aren’t.
Sticking close to requirements and staying in the correct genre lane (i.e. if you write romance, query a romance publisher or agent, not one that specializes in horror) will help.
Keep on trucking. And if you need to take a break from it, then do so. No one is holding a gun to your head (at least, I sure as hell hope they aren’t). Publishers, agents, and querying will be there tomorrow, I swear.
You can do it!