Query Writing
Well, I have finally reached the point where I feel like it is time to start the one month process of banging out the ‘perfect’ query letter. Egads! Perfect? But there aren’t even hard and fast rules about query letters! How can you make a perfect one?
Well, folks, that would explain the large sized bump on my forehead from banging it on the coffee table for the past few days.
To prepare for the task at hand (writing the letter that could change my life and career–no pressure), I’ve read Noah Lukeman’s book “How to Write a Great Query”, which varies quite a bit from some of the excellent advice over on AQ Connect. <Bang goes Jean’s forehead again.> But rules are for breaking. Sometimes. Kind of. A little bit. When you are brave. And sometimes when you are stupid. Really, the line between bravery and stupidity can be blurry. <Bang, bang.>
Catch the agent’s attention and try and get them to read more. That is the goal of the query. That is my goal. I can do this. I can condense my 118,000 word story (which is still on a diet, by the way) into three dynamic sentences that show my voice, answer what the book is about, touch on genre, and excite someone I don’t know. No problem. <More banging.>
<Deep breath.> Not intimidated, no, not at all… Anyway, Query Shark wouldn’t chomp on my letter from last month, which probably means that it was not stellar and it was not awful. Just mediocre. So, armed with yet more thoughts, advice and lots of head banging, I am diving in. At the end of the month, I hope to have the query letter of all query letters and not have a concussion.
