How to Write A Query Letter That Hooks Agents and Publishers

Are you ready to cast your manuscript out into the publishing industry to see who will bite?

Your eagerness to publish your book is palpable…but more than that it’s overwhelming. You want so badly for your book to be out there. But where do you even start?

That’s where query letters come in.

It cuts out all the noise and streamlines information for literary agents and publishing houses to decide if your book idea is worth publishing.

A lot is riding on this one letter, so you need to know how to do it right. 

And that’s where we come in. 

Below you can find everything you need to know about writing a compelling query letter that will grab the attention of agents and publishers.

What is a Query Letter

A query letter is the first impression you make when trying to get your book traditionally published. Almost like you’re introducing your book.

Essentially, it’s a one-page document that aims to sell your book’s idea to a literary agent. It tells them everything they need to know before they decide to champion your book in front of publishers. 

Keep in mind, that some publishers don’t require you to have a literary agent. So, if you don’t plan on going to one of the big publishing houses, a query letter can be sent to smaller publishers to consider your manuscript.

If your query letter is successful, they’ll ask to read the book or a few sample chapters.

Note: If you’re self-publishing. You don’t need one at all!

Difference between Querying for Fiction and Non-Fiction

As a fiction author, your book should be edited to perfection (or as perfect as you can get it) before you send a query letter out to agents. 

Some may think querying early will save them waiting time for a response, but it could put you in a pickle.

Imagine sending it before your book is done and the literary agent requests to see the manuscript.

 Awkward. And unprofessional!

The reason they want to read the manuscript is to see if your story holds up and if you have something worth putting out into the world.

If you haven’t finished writing your novel, they won’t have the patience to see whether you can execute your idea.

On the other hand, non-fiction authors may send a query letter (accompanied by a book proposal) before they even write the book.

For some, it may not be worth writing your non-fiction book if agents and publishers don’t think it will sell, so these authors gauge interest in their idea before committing to it.

A query letter for a fiction writer is all about the hook and the book’s plot, while for non-fiction it’s focused on detailing your author platform and the marketability of the book. 

How Long Should A Query Letter Be?

The word count varies, everyone says a slightly different number.

Some may say 200-500 words. Or they say it’s 300 words. But in reality, it depends on you and your book. 

The best advice we can give is to keep it to 1 page, or it should fit on the screen. The word count won’t matter too much. 

We’ve all read short passages that seemingly took forever to get through or read long text that zoomed by because of how immersive it was. The same applies to query letters. 

You could bore an agent to death with 100 words or excite them with 700.

As long as you make it easy to read and engaging (and it fits on a page), you should be in the clear.

Note: If your work is literary or non-fiction, you can extend it to 2 pages maximum. But don’t get too carried away!

Format of a Query Letter

Everything is digital nowadays, so no one would be asking you to snail mail your query letter to their offices.

And please don’t get out a pen and paper either. This isn’t a 3rd grade assessment.

This is a business type of letter at the end of the day, so keep it professional.

You’ll likely be filling in an online submission form or pasting your query letter into an email. Whichever writing software you use, be it Google Docs or Microsoft Word, follow the format below:

• Font: Arial or Times New Roman.
• Font size: 12 point.
• Line Spacing: 1.5 or 2.
• Margin: 1-inch.
• Paragraph space: 1 blank line in between paragraphs.
• Header: Date, your contact details, agent’s information
• Submission guidelines: Check what the agent has requested and follow suit.

Note: Use this formatting for your sample chapters or your manuscript when an agent requests to see it.

What Literary Agents Want

When the literary agent is skimming through your query letter they’ll be looking for certain information to pop out and intrigue them. If it doesn’t, your letter will be in the reject pile – which can be okay!

Sometimes the agent is not suited for your work, they may feel they’re not in a position to support you as you’d need. Which means someone else is probably better suited for you.

That’s why it’s important to make the information about your book as clear as possible so they know what you bring to the table.

This is what a literary agent will be looking for:

• Finished book (for fiction): If you don’t specify the word count, they’ll know it’s not done.
• Author Branding (for non-fiction): Do you have a following that you can leverage for book sales?
• Genre of the book: If you did your research, they’ve probably represented authors in the same genre as your book. 
• Interesting Story: Is it a plot that excites them? Agents have taste in books that dictates who they represent, it’s just personal preference – they have to feel eager to represent your book.
• Skimmable: Use short sentences and paragraphs where possible to make it easy to read.
• Author’s voice: Write in the same tone as your book so they get a feel for the book.
• Professionalism: Keeping to the format and being professional will show that you have what it takes to be in the traditional publishing industry.

How to Write a Query Letter 

Here are the main elements that go into a query letter:

1. Personalized Intro
2. Book Overview
3. Book Summary
4. Author Bio
5. Sign Off
6. Proofreading

As you’ll see from the examples we share below, these elements can be in any order so long as the flow makes sense.

A query letter works well when it supports the narrative you’re trying to sell.

Personalized Intro 

Personalization is key. If you do your research and add details that a specific agent will engage with, they’ll be more likely to give your query letter a chance.

An example of an error, and a lack of personalization, that could get your query letter dismissed is if you address the agent with ‘To whomever this may concern.’

It comes off as if you’ve copied and pasted your query letter from agent to agent, without a thought into who they are and if they fit your book.

Starting with ‘Dear Jane’ or ‘Dear Jane Doe’ is the most appropriate way. Exclude any courtesy titles like Mr. and Miss. because you don’t know for sure if they are Mr. or Miss. 

If you want to perk up their ears at the beginning of your query letter, you could use one of these personalized intros:

• Past meeting: If you met the agent at an event, mention it.
• What they’ve said: For example, if you were inspired by a speech they gave, show how that relates to the book you’re querying for.
• Referral: If an author or other industry professional refers you to this agent, make sure you highlight it.
• Their work: Use one of the books they’ve represented as a comp title (comparative title), for example.
• Wish list: If you’ve seen them post about being in the market for your type of book, let them know!

Note: If you don’t know them and don’t love their clients’ work, don’t say you do. Lying about your connection to this agent could stir up a weird encounter if they ask you about it later.

If there’s no link between you and this agent besides them possibly being interested in your book, then lead with the book. Some authors start the query letter with information on the book.

For example, “I’m seeking representation for [Book Title], a 94,000 Fantasy Supernatural…”

Or you can immediately go into the hook of your story as the opening. You’d rather cut to the chase than add fluff to your intro that will immediately lose the agent’s attention.

Dear Michael,

It was a pleasure to meet you at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference. Not only did I learn a lot, but left steadfast and inspired. Thank you for sitting down with me to hear the pitch for my historical novel ASPEN’S WAY. I’ve attached the first thirty-five pages as you requested and included the query below. I look forward to hearing from you.

It’s 1906 and Askuwheteu, an Ojibwe Indian, stands trial for the murder of a white man. The shadows of Little Big Horn, Pine Ridge, and subsequent policy of forced assimilation loom over the courtroom. Alma Mitchell, a friend and former classmate of the defendant, travels hundreds of miles from her home to prove him innocent. Her fledgling investigation brings her face-to-face with the destructive legacy of the “savage-taming” boarding school run by her father that she once called home. To discover the truth behind her friend’s arrest, Alma must first reckon with the past; with love, racism, and betrayal; and with the seemingly impassable divide between their cultures.

Told in an interwoven narrative, ASPEN’S WAY is a work of upmarket historical fiction complete at 99,000 words. The story was a finalist in the 2014 Pitch Wars competition.

My short fiction appears in Writer’s Bloc IV (2012) and VI (2015) under the pen name A. R. Shenandoah. I am an officer in the Henderson Writers’ Group. My mother-in-law, a Lac Courte Oreille Ojibwe, sparked my interest in Native American history. Her struggles at an Indian boarding school in the 1950s and campaign to recognize the inherited trauma still haunting the Native American community are the genesis of my story.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Amanda Skenandore

Why it’s successful

Amanda gives the agent context on their meeting and what transpired. She then leads into the rest of the query letter seamlessly.

She includes the genre and name of the book, letting the agent get up to speed and ready to review the summary of the book and sample chapters.

Book Overview

Give the agent exactly what they need to know as quickly as possible. Add this information:

• Book Title: Don’t worry, sharing this doesn’t mean it’s set in stone.
• Genre: Add the genres your book fits into, and you can also include comp titles to give them an idea of where your book fits on the bookshelf.
• Word count: Round it off to the nearest thousand. Be sure to research the word count expectations for your genre. If your word count fits the standard, add it here. And if it’s too long, reserve that information for further down in the query letter after the agent has become intrigued by the story.

This information will be a taste test to see if the type of book you have on your hands will be of interest to the agent. 

Note: If you don’t know what genre your book fits into, you can take some time to explain your vision. Remember to keep the explanation of it to 2 sentences tops.

Dear [NAME OF AGENT],

I am sending you my query for THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY, a young adult novel complete at about 60,000 words and set against the backdrop of an actual black mark in Malaysian history.

By the time school ends on Tuesday, Melati Ahmad’s mother has died 17 times.

On the way to school, she is run over by a runaway lorry. During English, she is caught in a crossfire and hit by a stray bullet straight through the chest. At recess, she accidentally ingests some sort of dire poison. And as they peruse their geography textbooks, Melati’s mother is stabbed repeatedly by robbers.

Melati knows she isn’t to blame. It’s the Djinn, scratching at her mind with his wicked, clawed fingers, squeezing the air out of her lungs and pounding urgent tattoos on her heart. It’s only through an intricate web of counting and tapping rituals that she’s able to tame the beast within her and keep her mother safe. That’s the sacrifice the Djinn demands, and one she’s happy to pay.

But it’s 1969, and on May 13th, the already percolating melting pot that is Kuala Lumpur boils over. As the Chinese and Malays wage war, Mel and her mother find themselves separated by a city in flames. And with a 24-hour curfew in place and all lines of communication down, it will take all of the courage, grit and Beatles songs in Melati’s arsenal to overcome the violence on the streets, her own prejudices, and the Djinn’s surging power to make it back to the one person she can’t risk losing.

Since graduating from Northwestern University in 2007, I’ve put my journalism degree to good use with stints in copywriting, magazines and non-profit communications. My first book, GILA (published locally), is narrative non-fiction that explores the landscape of mental illness in my country, Malaysia – a topic that’s still sadly fraught with stigma. It’s because of my experience in writing GILA that I was inspired to write Melati’s story. As I don’t live with mental illness myself, I was careful to have both neurotypical and neuroatypical beta readers go over this manuscript, and it has been edited to reflect their feedback. The first three chapters are pasted below, as per your submission guidelines.

Thank you for your consideration.

Hanna Alkaf

Why it’s successful

The author takes a quick 2 lines to share the overview, making sure she has enough space on the page for her book summary. She carefully chooses to share the setting and genre as the main key points that the agent will latch onto. 

What helps is that her book is at 60,000 words, which is industry standard.

Book Summary

For novelists, this is the most important part, selling your story. 

This is your opportunity to reel the agent or publisher in with a good hook before leading into the book synopsis, or rather book blurb.

The hook needs to be short while highlighting your unique concept, the main character, the setting, and the inciting incident that creates a major conflict.

Once you have the opening, you can write out a summary. Some would advise you to give a mini book synopsis which will reveal the ending and major twists.

Some suggest a query letter’s book summary should be similar to the blurb on the back cover of a book. It all depends on the nature of your idea and what you feel is important to share. If the twists or ending is crucial to your originality, then you can share it.

But it’s best to keep to the most important plot points in your summary while leaving the agent wanting more. Your summary should include the following:

1. The main character’s problem, the setting, and the inciting incident. This allows the agent to sympathize with the character and care for their situation.
2. What occurs after the inciting incident that begins the main conflict of the book? You can include any turning points that lead your story to the next point.
3. The high stakes and what must be done to succeed, or to accomplish the main character’s goal.

For nonfiction, you should highlight what makes your story different from others in this space, and what type of readers would buy it. You can also mention your unique experience that led to this book idea.

Dear Ms. Rydzinski:

What if Cinderella went to the ball not to win the heart of the prince, but to kill him?  In THE EYE OF THE CHOSEN, the first book of my fantasy trilogy, QUEEN OF GLASS, Celaena Sardothien is not a damsel in distress—she’s an assassin. Serving a life sentence in the salt mines for her crimes, Celaena finds herself faced with a proposition she can’t turn down: her freedom in exchange for the deaths of the King of Adarlan’s enemies.

Before she can complete her mission, she must first train within the glass castle in the capital of the empire. As training with the Captain of the Guard revives her muscles, encounters with the Crown Prince threaten to do the same to her heart. But Celaena soon learns that the King of Adarlan might have plans more sinister than assassinations.

An ancient queen’s ghost charges Celaena with an enormous task: to discover and destroy the mysterious source of the evil king’s power. Torn between her desire to win her freedom and a mission much bigger than herself, Celaena thus begins an adventure she never wanted, which will uncover her forgotten, magical past—a past more dangerous than any tyrant…

I am a 2008 graduate of Hamilton College with a degree in Creative Writing, and I have been published in Hamilton’s literary magazine, Red Weather. Because of your interest in fantasy, I thought you might be interested in my trilogy, which is centered on a retelling of the Cinderella legend through the eyes of an assassin. My completed manuscript is available at your request. Below, please find the first ten pages of my manuscript. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Sarah J. Maas

Why it’s successful

We love Sarah J. Maas’ hook. It asks a gripping question that describes a twist on a classic. Sarah then positions her character in her reality to let the agent understand her background for her to sympathize with.

The summary is the bulk of the query letter and she uses it to describe the main character’s inner conflicts and the main conflict of the story. 

She puts all her weight into painting a vivid picture of her story.

Comp Titles

To show how your book fits in the book market space, you can include comparable titles. If the agent also likes those books, they could like yours too. Or if they don’t, you two are probably better off not partnering up.

Consider the tone, subject matter, main characters, themes, style of writing, and plot of the comp titles before selecting the ones to add to your query letter.

Make sure the titles you pick are recent and relevant in today’s market.

Note: Don’t compare your book to classics, or mega-hits that sold millions and millions of copies. Be realistic in your comparison, so that the agent won’t think your head is in the clouds.

Author Bio

An author bio briefly tells the agent everything they need to know about the author’s credentials, previously published works, and anything of note that will sell the book.

This part of your query letter will give the agent context to who you are, and your potential in publishing. You can include the following in an author bio:

• Your day job: Especially highlight this part if it contributes to your expertise in your book. However, you can still add this if you’re a first-time author.
• Your published works: If your work has made it into any magazines or journals, mention what is relevant to the agent. For example, if you’re querying for historical fiction, you may mention academic publications on historical subjects.
• Previously published books: If you’re seeking new representation for your next book, let them know why.
• Self-published: If you’ve published books on your own that have relatively good sales, add them in your bio.
• Qualifications: This would include any degrees or certificates related to writing, your book’s subject matter, and even writing workshops.
• Life experiences: If any experience has shaped the nature of this book, it would be worth adding to your query letter.
• Accolades: Winning prestigious awards for your writing will be a good way to show your talent. Only mention lesser-known awards if there was a large number of entries.
• Author Platform: This is most important for non-fiction writers as it shows you have something to help you sell your books. For fiction, you can add this information if you have fans for your web novel, etc.

Dear Ms. Reid:

I am seeking representation for my literary novel, Numb. I found your submission guidelines online and have included below a one-page synopsis.

I live and work in New York City, I have had short stories published in Uber, WORDS and Bossa Nova Ink, and one of my recent short stories was a finalist in the Italo Calvino writing competition at the University of Louisville. I received my MFA in creative writing from Emerson College.

Numb is approximately sixty-thousand words in length.

In summary: Numb is a man who cannot feel physical pain.

When he wanders into a dying circus, he doesn’t know who he is or how he got there. Despite feeling like an outcast the circus adopts him. When it is clear that his “talent” (if you can call being shot with nail guns and staplers a talent) will make him the star freak of the show, he becomes the circus’ best chance for survival. After nearly sacrificing himself for the circus’ sake, he decides to run away from the circus and make his way to New York City to discover himself and his past.

Accompanied by his fire-eating best friend, Mal, Numb discovers a world outside the circus that is all too ready to reward and punish him for his self-destructive talents; and it’s a world that forces all his relationships to shatter. Numb finds women to comfort him, yet he won’t allow himself to trust them. He looks for love but won’t accept it, and he looks for safety in self-destruction. After undermining or losing friends and lovers, Numb is forced to figure out how to find a place for himself instead of just taking up space.

This novel is in the spirit of Fight Club or Battle Royale; it is an antiheroic tale of finding a way to survive in a world so filled with noise that simple conversation and compassion are often drowned out.

I look forward to your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Sean Ferrell

Why it’s successful

Curating an interesting bio as a fiction writer can be tricky, but Sean did extremely well with his. The recognition he’s received for his past work shows the author’s talent.

Plus he shares where he’s been published previously but highlights the most important one where recently he was a finalist in a big competition.

This shows the agent that the author is continually improving their craft.

Note: A first-time author may not have much to say in terms of published accomplishments, awards, etc., but you should still add something about yourself to tell the agent who you are. 

Whether it be your hobbies, where you live, or anything that can be charming or indicative of your personality. Keeping it short and sweet is perfectly fine.

However, if you’re writing non-fiction, you have to emphasize your bio more than your book. 

Dear Ms. Wolfson,

Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out to dinner? Have you ever wondered about the best time of day to send an email or ask for a raise? What about the best time of day to schedule a surgery or a haircut? What’s the best day of the week to avoid lines at the Louvre? What’s the best day of the month to make an offer on a house? What’s the best time of day to ask someone out on a date?

My book, Timing is Everything: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There, has the answers to these questions and hundreds more.

As a long-time print journalist, I’ve been privy to readership surveys that show people can’t get enough of newspaper and magazine stories about the best time to buy or do things. This book puts several hundreds of questions and answers in one place — a succinct, large-print reference book that readers will feel like they need to own. Why? Because it will save them time and money, and it will give them valuable information about issues related to health, education, travel, the workplace and more. In short, it will make them smarter, so they can make better decisions.

Best of all, the information in this book is relevant to anyone, whether they live in Virginia or the Virgin Islands, Portland, Oregon, or Portland, Maine. In fact, much of the book will find an audience in Europe, Australia and Latin America.

I‘ve worked as a journalist since 1984 and have made a name for myself as someone who exposes wrongs, such as rampant abuses at mental hospitals and decades of neglect by government agencies that monitor the environment. I’ve won numerous awards, competing against reporters from The Washington Post, The Washington Times, the Associated Press, the Richmond-Times Dispatch and The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot. In 1999, the Virginia Press Association created an award for the best news writing portfolio in the state – the closest thing Virginia had to a reporter-of-the-year award. I won it that year and then again in 2000. The next year I beat out reporters from The Charlotte Observer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to win the Southern Environmental Law Center’s first-place journalism award. I then became metro editor at a 100,000-circulation newspaper in Newport News, Va. Over the years, I’ve honed my long-form writing skills by doing magazine cover stories and writing short stories. During the summer of 2007, I left newspapering to pursue book projects and long-form journalism.

I saw your name on a list of top literary agents for self-help books, and I read on your Web site that you’re interested in books that offer practical advice. Timing Is Everything offers plenty of that. Please let me know if you’d like to read my proposal.

Sincerely,

Mark Di Vincenzo

Why it’s successful

As with non-fiction writers, the query letter will be mostly the bio. The author, Mark, explains why he’s certain there’s an audience for his book, and why he’s perfect to write it.

He then extensively details his many credentials, accolades, and writing prowess, and the fact that he’s a reporter shows that he can provide people with information in an understandable way.

Sign Off

In closing your query letter, don’t go over 1 line. 

Warning! Being too personal or overzealous with the agent is tacky and won’t impress them.

You can end your query letter in one of these ways:

• Short and Sweet: For example, “Please let me know if you’re interested in reading the manuscript. I’d gladly send it through.”
• More books: You can end off by mentioning that you plan for it to be a trilogy, for example.
• Competition: If another agent has requested your manuscript, let them know. For agents, if one person thinks your story is good, they may give it more of a chance themselves.
• Show thanks: Briefly thank the agent for considering your query letter, but don’t go overboard. Keep it simple.

Cap it off with ‘Kind regards,’ or ‘Sincerely,’ followed by your name, and you’re good to go.

But whatever you do, be professional and you can’t go wrong.

Dear Mr. Kleinman:

Saturday night I was participating in a fundraiser for the King County Library System out here in the Pacific Northwest, and I met your client, Layne Maheu. He spoke very highly of you and suggested that I contact you…

I am a Seattle writer with two published novels. I have recently completed my third novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and I find myself in a difficult situation: my new book is narrated by a dog, and my current agent told me that he cannot (or will not) sell it for that very reason. Thus, I am seeking new representation.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is the story of Denny Swift, a race car driver who faces profound obstacles in his life, and ultimately overcomes them by applying the same techniques that have made him successful on the track. His story is narrated by his “philosopher dog,” Enzo, who, having a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), believes he will return as a man in his next lifetime.

My last novel, How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, won a 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award, and since the award ceremony a year ago, I have given many readings, workshops, and lectures promoting the book When time has permitted, I’ve read the first chapter from The Art of Racing in the Rain. Audience members have been universally enthusiastic and vocal in their response, and the first question asked is always: “When can I buy the book about the dog?” Also very positive.

I’m inserting, below, a short synopsis of The Art of Racing in the Rain, and my biography. Please let me know if the novel interests you; I would be happy to send you the manuscript.

Sincerely,

Garth Stein

Why it’s successful

If you’re feeling a bit lost as to how to end your query letter, Garth Stein’s should give you the confidence to end off on a short note that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

He lets the agent know what is attached to the email and mentions that he’ll share his manuscript if the agent is interested.

Simple, no fluff, and straight to the point.

Note: At the end of the page, include your phone number, email address, and author website if you have one.

Proofreading

If your query letter looks like a mess, the agent will assume your manuscript will be a mess too.

Check your grammar and formatting a few times and ensure you’ve hit the mark on each of the agent’s submission guidelines.

Anything less and you risk having your query letter dismissed without a second thought.

Sending them out and Following up

Don’t send your query letter to every agent on your list. Send it out in batches so that you can see how well your query letter does.

If you get no responses or too many negative responses, you probably need to edit your query letter for the next batch.

But if you don’t hear back you can follow up. Check on their submission guidelines page if they’ve specified a waiting time. If not you can follow up at the 3-month mark.

When following up, keep it brief, and be sure to mention the title of your book and any relevant information from your initial query letter.

Common Mistakes that Turn Literary Agents Away

Writing a query letter is a skill you’ll need to learn, and another step in the learning curve is finding out what to avoid doing.

Avoid these common mistakes that’ll give agents the ick, blowing your chances at getting representation:

• Detail overload: There isn’t exactly a word count limit, but if you add unnecessary details to your book summary or bio, you’ll lose the agent’s interest. 
• Being a Boastful Betty: It’s important to write your query letter with confidence, but if you cross the line and oversell, the agent will feel you are overcompensating.
• Being a Negative Nelly: This is no time to be modest or self-effacing toward your work. If you don’t believe you are good enough, the agent won’t either.
• Excessive typography: Using color or too much bold and italics will look unprofessional.
• Page-turner: Unless you’re writing non-fiction or literary work, exceeding 1 page, including doing front and back, is near criminal.
• Chain mail: CC’ing all your prospective agents in one email is certifiably criminal.
• Being a buddy: Adding too much familiarity in the email, even if you’ve met them before, is distasteful. Be cordial and professional.

This is Only the Beginning

Once you get a few query letters going, you’ll start feeling like you’re on the road to something great.

And you are! But…

It may take a while to gain momentum on this long road. You’ll likely be waiting a while before you find ‘the one’ literary agent or publishing house that wants to go the distance with your manuscript.

Once you start making bigger strides toward releasing your book, you’ll need to really consider your online platform. Nerve-wracking right?

Luckily, we specialize in creating author websites for authors to display their amazing books and other works on. We take all the fuss out of it for you. So, just fill in this inquiry form and we’ll see what we can do for you!