UK QUERY?

[barrett1987]

The internet is full of USA based queries and as such the templates for UK stuff is getting jumbled in my mind.

Is this the correct template? It seems extremely sparse.


· the first paragraph should say what the book is about

· the second should describe the book’s genre and style, and why it’s interesting and important

· the third should say something about you, the author

Does anyone have a sekrit! link to UK based querying? I'm working to that template but with only one paragraph to sell the book, its kinda feels like an extended log line rather than a query. Any advice would be lovely.

 

[Susan Boulton]

This is a copy of mine make of it what you will.

Dear Editor

Please find attached the first 50 pages of my historical, supernatural novel, Hand of Glory. The manuscript is complete at 100,800 words.

In the horror of the Passchendaele trenches of 1917, an ancient evil has been forged – the Hand of Glory, a mythical tool of robbers, a collector of souls. Capt Giles Hardy, wounded in mind and body, trapped on the wire in no man’s land, narrowly escapes falling victim to its creator. Recovering from his wounds, he finds he is drawn into a battle to destroy the Hand of Glory, and to lay to rest the ghosts of the men who will never leave Flanders Field. He is joined in his fight by Agnes Reed, the cousin of a fallen comrade, and the ghost of Corporal George Adams. They must battle against the evil of murdering thief, Archie Hawkins, who exploits the grief of the bereaved, and the Hand of Glory itself. Set in the war-torn fields of Flanders and a small English county town, Hand of Glory is a battle of hope against an enemy that feeds on loss.

I am a fifty-nine-year-old mother of two, who has lived most of her life in the Staffordshire countryside.

I have had short stories published in the following;

Flashspec volumes one and two published by EQ books
Touched by Wonder published by Meadowhawk Press.
Ruthless People - e-zine
Alien Skin - e-zine
Golden Visions. - e-zine
Seven Threads Anthology - co-authored with Dan Bieger
Malevolence – Tales From Beyond the Veil - Anthology by Ticketyboo Press

Novels.

Gaslight fantasy novel - Oracle - Ticketyboo Press

Thank you for considering my submission.

Regards

 

[Jo Zebedee]

To be honest, these days there isn't much difference between UK and US - I used the same basis for both and added a wee bit of dear agent and thanking you kindly in the UK version. Sue's looks pretty spot on:

Dear - mention here if there is a reason for subbing eg I saw you were looking for, you rep xyz....

Name-word-count-genre

One, or max two paragraphs about the book. Sometimes an will appeal to readers of... Is good.

Very brief blurb about you

Thanks for your time.

The blurb should be about 150 word ish... Good luck.

Oh, my advice? Stick it in the writing group and see if it can be honed. We all pretty much make a woeful job of writing our own.