Imagine this: you sit down, you write a fiction book that’s destined to be a best-seller, and it flies off bookstore shelves faster than the night stock guys can replace it.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
You have to sell it to a publisher first.
If you’ve chosen not to work with an agent to sell your book, you’ve got some research to do. Figure out exactly what the publishing company you’re considering submitting to is looking for this year – they may have all the Harry Potter-esque titles they can handle and only be looking for grownup Sci-Fi, or maybe they only publish non-fiction.
Don’t waste time querying publishers who aren’t looking for the type of book you’ve written.
When you do find a publisher who accepts unagented manuscripts and they’re looking for what you’ve got, you can sit yourself in front of the computer and write a query.
There are good queries, there are bad queries, there are horrible queries and there are amazing queries – and you’re going for amazing. Amazing is the only kind that sells – well, sometimes an ok query letter sells a book, but the book has to be phenomenal. And if you can write a phenomenal book, you can write a phenomenal query letter!
That said, here are eight sure-fire winners and losers for fiction book query letters:
1. Write your query in a polite but approachable tone
2. Be enthusiastic about your book, but don’t get all crazy about it
3. Give a quick, easy-to-read summary of your book (just like you’d read on the back cover of a best-seller)
4. Indicate to the editor that you’re familiar with the types of books they publish and point out how your book can complement their existing collection If you have a sturdy platform (already been published, thousands of followers on your blog, et c.) mention it briefly
5. Don’t ask for money
6. Don’t write, “Dear editor” – address him or her by name respectfully: “Mr. April; Ms. May”
7. Don’t spell anything wrong – at all
8. Don’t ask if you can write the book for them – you should already have it written, and they’ll completely ignore your query (and feed it to the shredder laughingly) if you haven’t finished it yet
There’s a proper format to a query letter, too. The editor’s contact info goes at the top; yours goes at the bottom.
If you’re pitching a book about a couple who met as soldiers in Iraq, fought two wars together and lived to tell about it, your query would look like this:
Angie Papple Johnston, editor
HireAWriterOnline Publishing
123 Hukilau Street
Mililani HI 96789
Dear Ms. Johnston,
Battlefield Romance, my 68,000 word novel, is a detailed look inside the lives of two American soldiers who met and fell in love amidst the rubble in war-torn Iraq. It’s thrilling and full of adventure, and above all focuses on the power of love.
Specifically aimed at the soft-at-heart, this novel blazes forward and dares touch on subjects many people don’t know about – including how Iraqi children live and the differences soldiers make in their lives.
Sergeant Marie Carter is a do-it-yourself, hard-as-nails soldier who finds herself injured by an Iraqi roadside bomb; Staff Sergeant Rob Jackson is the combat medic responsible for saving her life – and winning her heart. The two were on completely different paths until their lives were rocked by her tragedy and his heroism.
Throughout Marie’s recovery, Rob is there to encourage and help her heal; when Rob experiences personal trauma of his own, the… (blah, blah, keep describing your book…)
Sprinkled with humor, feeling and hope, Battlefield Romance brings Marie and Rob – and readers - on a rollercoaster of emotion and leads to an exciting climax that no one expected.
Although Battlefield Romance is a unique story, it will fit well with other recent titles you’ve published, such as What’s Under Those ACUs? and Meet Me in the HumVee.
I’ve written for several fiction magazines, including Love Snippets and Heart Thumpers Quarterly Review.
Per your guidelines, I am including the first three chapters of my novel. I appreciate your time, and thank you for considering Battlefield Romance.
Sincerely,
Mush E. Writer
123 Kissyface Street
Loveland TX 98999
Your goal with the query is to pique the editor’s interest. If your letter doesn’t do that, he’s not going to bother reading the chapters you’ve sent. Shredder food for sure!
After you’ve written your query, have a few people read it. Actually, have a lot of people read it. If most of them ask you to read your novel afterward (assuming they’re avid readers), then it’s a safe bet an editor will find something tugging him toward reading it too.
To learn more about writing, visit Angie’s freelance writing site.<!– google_ad_section_end(name=main) –>
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About Author
Angie Papple -
About the Author:
Angie Papple Johnston is a freelance writer offering press releases, web content and several other types of business writing. Please visit HireAWriterOnline.com to find out how Angie can help your business, blog or website grow exponentially with customized articles, web copy and more!
