Cover vs Query letters
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Kissmequick
loony
It is a bit of a 'mare to get your noggin around at first.
Simple version?
Hello superdooper agent
I would like you to sell my 3,000,000 word fantasy book, The Bumper Book of Awesome, for a million pounds. (Optional extra - say why you are querying this particular agent - because they rep Super Dooper Awesome Author whose work is similar to yours etc)
Couple of paras (approx 200 ish words normally) about Why Your Book is Awesome. Make it enticing, really show the characters and world, and what's at stake for them. Specifics will sell your story so try to be specific and not generic (An evil power comes to the land - generic. A Super Turnip of Doom threatens to explode is he is not given 365 fresh virgins is specific) Don't forget to tell the agent what actually happens in the book, or at least most of it (you'd be surprised how many people forget that bit....). I tend to go up to the Black Moment before the climax, and the Choice of Doom. Remember you know your book - the agent does not, and cannot guess.
A paragraph about where your book fits in the market (An erotic turnip fantasy with twist, this should appeal to readers of X, Y and Z - being books similar to yours), and whether it is a stand alone or has series potential (or both) Any writing credits.If you have relevant experience in book's subject (you are writing about brain surgery and you are a brain surgeon)
Cheers matey, let me know when I get the cheque.
Okay, kinda like that
Simple in theory
Hellishly hard in practice - it's the 'enticing synop' that gets me every time. But it gets easier with practice. Go and look at places where people show their queries for feedback. Read them, a LOT of them. Learn to pity agents. Would you want to buy the book? Why? Why not? Apply to your own query. It's a skill like writing a book, and you need to study as you would study writing a book.
Simple version?
Hello superdooper agent
I would like you to sell my 3,000,000 word fantasy book, The Bumper Book of Awesome, for a million pounds. (Optional extra - say why you are querying this particular agent - because they rep Super Dooper Awesome Author whose work is similar to yours etc)
Couple of paras (approx 200 ish words normally) about Why Your Book is Awesome. Make it enticing, really show the characters and world, and what's at stake for them. Specifics will sell your story so try to be specific and not generic (An evil power comes to the land - generic. A Super Turnip of Doom threatens to explode is he is not given 365 fresh virgins is specific) Don't forget to tell the agent what actually happens in the book, or at least most of it (you'd be surprised how many people forget that bit....). I tend to go up to the Black Moment before the climax, and the Choice of Doom. Remember you know your book - the agent does not, and cannot guess.
A paragraph about where your book fits in the market (An erotic turnip fantasy with twist, this should appeal to readers of X, Y and Z - being books similar to yours), and whether it is a stand alone or has series potential (or both) Any writing credits.If you have relevant experience in book's subject (you are writing about brain surgery and you are a brain surgeon)
Cheers matey, let me know when I get the cheque.
Okay, kinda like that
Simple in theory
Hellishly hard in practice - it's the 'enticing synop' that gets me every time. But it gets easier with practice. Go and look at places where people show their queries for feedback. Read them, a LOT of them. Learn to pity agents.
Would you want to buy the book? Why? Why not? Apply to your own query. It's a skill like writing a book, and you need to study as you would study writing a book.I'm reading loads at the mo and I think it's making my confusion worse! Thanks for that (hilarious) example, KMQ. That's a query letter, rather than a cover, right?
I'm just reading this at the mo: http://www.underdown.org/covlettr.htm
I'm just reading this at the mo: http://www.underdown.org/covlettr.htm
Kissmequick
loony
Lol yeah that's a query.
Thing is if you read lots of examples, you will start to get the feel for what doesn't work (I've read hundreds). You'll see the mistakes that happen a lot (such as being generic, or not telling agent what actually happens), and so can avoid them.
A good query is a lot of work. But it's worth it.
Cover letters are much easier Dear Mr Man, here's my book. It has turnips in it. kkthxbai. (but mostly for UK agents and there aren't so many that rep SFF! The link you gave is a pretty good summation) Still, the query proper is really good practice for the proposal/pitch. Learning to condense will hone your writing, and can also help show up any problems with the book (I know several writers who write the query before they start the book, for just this reason)
PS: That really short query I mentioned? Sorry, it was 7 sentences. But it got a hell yes.
Thing is if you read lots of examples, you will start to get the feel for what doesn't work (I've read hundreds). You'll see the mistakes that happen a lot (such as being generic, or not telling agent what actually happens), and so can avoid them.
A good query is a lot of work. But it's worth it.
Cover letters are much easier Dear Mr Man, here's my book. It has turnips in it. kkthxbai. (but mostly for UK agents and there aren't so many that rep SFF! The link you gave is a pretty good summation) Still, the query proper is really good practice for the proposal/pitch. Learning to condense will hone your writing, and can also help show up any problems with the book (I know several writers who write the query before they start the book, for just this reason)
PS: That really short query I mentioned? Sorry, it was 7 sentences. But it got a hell yes.
anthorn
Well-Known Member
It's not the size that counts but what you do with it.
Kissmequick
loony
Could well be.
Have you tried writing it as though you're trying to get a friend to see a film? Or a pitch/query style synopses for films you like? That's great practice - you aren't so tied to the story which helps you pick out what needs to go in there and what can be cut.
Warren_Paul
Banishment this world!
You would be mad not to hell yes that query. It is the ultimate hook. Which does bring around another point, there are people who do break the formatting rules for query letters yet somehow still get acceptance replies - I guess they are just that good.
Kissmequick
loony
It's risky - but it can be done. THing is, really all the rules state is 'Make the agent want to read your book RIGHT NOW THIS MINUTE!!'
The other guidelines merely help you to do that.
The other guidelines merely help you to do that.
Slightly on topic, I'm finding this page really interesting for example pitches:
http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2012/12/05/finding-a-critique-partner/
It's interesting how too much information can kill a pitch -- but, at the same time, how making it too general is a bit off-putting as well.
http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2012/12/05/finding-a-critique-partner/
It's interesting how too much information can kill a pitch -- but, at the same time, how making it too general is a bit off-putting as well.
