The Perfect Pitch: How to Write a Query Letter

Short of seeing your name in print for the first time, there are few things more satisfying than having a completed manuscript or a well-conceived proposal ready to take to the marketplace. But before you send it off, you must learn to write what many writing coaches will tell you is "the most important letter of your career".

It's called a query letter. A one-shot, one-page opportunity to grab an editor's attention and convince them that you, and your work, are worth looking at. If that sounds scary, it's meant to; without an invitation to submit, you won't get very far in this business.

First up, do your research.

Make sure you are sending your query letter to the appropriate editor; that the magazine and/or publishing house you’re approaching is the right one for you; and, that your market information is up-to-date.

And know your story, or the one you want to tell, inside-out and backwards; be able to describe it in one or two paragraphs; and if it's non-fiction, point out why you are the best person for the job, what angle makes your take a fresh one, list any artwork or photographic material you intend to provide, and identify any experts you intend to interview.

Then write your first draft. Try using three paragraphs: one for you, one for your story or proposal and one for why acme publishing is the perfect house and/or magazine for your work. And close with something along the lines of: "In the meantime, I'll be working ahead on my next novel..."

By the way, if you've already met the editor you're addressing at a conference or a workshop, make sure you mention it. If you have an "in" with the publisher, such as a long lost relative in the shipping department, mention that, too. Failing which, find an angle which makes you and what you have to offer unique.

Case in point: I once had a student with a marketable manuscript who was absolutely convinced that no one would ever look at her stuff. She had no writing experience, no publishing history, and no connections. But she did have a PhD in Microbiology, a penchant for pigs in tights, and an adoring audience of preschoolers. Now I don't know about you, but that combination alone would pique my curiosity. As long as the letter was well-written.

Be brief, be professional and make sure you:

* include your name, address, telephone, fax and email address;

* direct your letter to the appropriate agent or editor;

* keep it to one page, block paragraphs, no indentations, single-spaced within the body of the text, double-spaced between paragraphs, one-inch margins all round,

* and also include an SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope).

A cover letter, by the way, is not the same as a query letter. It is as its name implies, a "cover" letter, sent in response to an editor's request to see more, if not all, of your work. Use it as an opportunity to remind the editor who you are and what your project is but keep it short and sweet.

As Susan mentioned in a recent blog, do keep track of who you send what to and when. And, if you feel it necessary, find a way to remind them of your existence. I had written a query letter to a major publisher and received a request to submit a synopsis and the first three chapters of my book. Which I did. I was also keen to establish a relationship and keep the process moving so I followed up with another letter about six weeks later.

Here's my opening paragraph:

"While I realize it’s a bit soon for a response to the first three chapters of Remember This, I thought I should let you know (were you to request the complete manuscript) that I’ll be in the U.K. until early April, visiting family and walking in the footsteps of my latest main character, thirty-year-old silver expert Gillian Maxwell."

I went on to "pitch" my story in the second and third paragraphs with a reference back to the book currently under review. I didn't sell that original submission but this second letter prompted another reply and another request. Now all I have to do is finish the manuscript. And when I do send it in, I'll be able to refer back to the editor who asked me to submit those three chapters.

In the meantime, I'm heading back to England.

f & f Anne