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How to Write a Query Letter for Fiction
A query letter is a short business letter that asks an editor or agent to read your manuscript. It has one job: to make the reader want to see more. It is also the first sample of your writing that many editors will see, so it deserves as much care as a chapter.
Keep it to one page
An editor reading submissions has little time. A good query fits on a single page, which is roughly 250 to 400 words. Use standard business formatting, a clear subject line and a professional tone. Address the editor by name whenever you can, and check the press’s guidelines before you write, because each one asks for slightly different material.
The three parts of a query
Most successful letters have three parts. The opening tells the editor what you are offering: title, genre, word count and why you are writing to this press. The middle is the pitch, a paragraph or two that tells the story. The close is a short biography and a thank you.
Write the pitch like jacket copy
The pitch should sound like the text on the back of a published novel. Introduce the main character, the situation that upsets their life, what they want and what stands in their way. Give the stakes, meaning what happens if they fail. Do not summarize the entire plot or reveal the ending in a query; that belongs in a synopsis, if the press asks for one. Show voice by writing the pitch in the tone of the book: a mystery pitch should feel tense, and a comic novel should be funny.
State the essentials plainly
- Title of the book, in capital letters if you like
- Genre, described the way a bookstore would shelve it
- Word count, rounded to the nearest thousand
- Whether the manuscript is complete; for a first novel it should be
- Comparable recent titles, only if you know them well
What to say about yourself
Keep the biography brief and relevant. Publications, awards, professional experience related to the subject and writing training are all fair game. If you have none of those, say something short and true about yourself and move on. Editors do not expect a long resume from a first-time novelist, and they are not impressed by claims that friends and family love the book.
Common mistakes
Editors see the same problems again and again. Letters that are too long, letters that compare the book to a bestseller in every way, letters that say the book has no competition, and letters that spend more time on the author than on the story. Typographical errors are costly: a query with mistakes suggests a manuscript with mistakes. Read it aloud, and have someone else read it too.
Follow the guidelines exactly
Presses ask for particular materials for a reason. Some want a synopsis and the first chapter, others a proposal with a few sample pages. Sending something different shows that you did not read the instructions. If a press does not accept simultaneous submissions, respect that. If it does, say so in the letter.
After you send it
Be patient. A response can take weeks. Do not send follow-up messages every few days. If the stated response time has passed, a polite note is fine. Meanwhile, keep writing. Rejection is a normal part of the process, and it rarely says anything about the quality of your book.
If you have a finished novel, take a look at our submission guidelines and the catalog to see whether it would sit well next to the books we publish.