It’s Tough Enough (pt. 2)

 
The query.
 
It’s important. But…
 
No one ever got a book deal from a query.
 
Seriously. This shouldn’t be a controversial statement but with today’s focus on “the query” as the be-all and end-all of becoming published, it might take a few by surprise. But I stand by it—no agent or editor ever read a query letter and said, “This is such a great letter! Let’s send them a contract, this minute!”
 
So as a follow-up to our previous post I thought it might be worth discussing the concept of: What does a query actually do?
 
There is one primary job, but first let’s break it into a few sub-tasks…
 
1. It lets them know the meta-data around your book, so they can quickly assess if they even want to consider it. If an agent’s MSWL clearly states “No kidlit” and your query starts with “My middle-grade novel is…” they’ll delete it on the spot and move on to someone who can follow basic instructions.
 
2. It lets them know if—at a minimum—you possess the basic writing skills to construct a common-sense, readable, compelling cover letter. (As one newer agent recently said, “If you can write a coherent query letter it automatically puts you ahead of 90% of the other querying writers.” And as agent Erik Hane [from the ‘Print Run’ podcast] has said more than once, “A query letter is just a business email.”) Because if you can’t, there’s no point in looking at your pages even if all the meta-data is on point, right?
 
3. Besides giving them the pitch for your manuscript, it lets them know if you know the important highlights of your book… the character, the setup, the central conflict, and the stakes. If you can clearly delineate these things to them, it gives them reassurance you know something about crafting fiction, and…
 
4. It lets them know if what you’re offering is in their wheelhouse. If they’re interested in book club fiction about family drama and your pitch starts with “My 80,000 word upmarket women’s novel follows our thirty-year old protagonist who left home the day she graduated from high school but now has to return to her wildly dysfunctional family because she just got word that…”, then the agent is likely to think: This sounds like my jam, and turn to your pages.
 
With the above in mind, there are a few simple ways to concoct your query. A common one is some version of the “Hook, Book, Cook” format, which basically goes as follows…
 

• Open with why you’re querying this particular agent. What connects you to her? (Perhaps her MSWL listed something like your manuscript? Perhaps she represented a book you loved, and you think your new work is in a similar vein? Perhaps you heard her speak at a conference and something she said clicked with you?)

 

• Give the metadata around your book. (Genre; sub-genre; word count; etc.)

 

• Give comps for your work. (Two is fine, three max. They should be recent-ish. They should be somewhat known, but not crazy-popular. No “It’s Harry Potter meets Twilight!” It’s okay if one is a film or TV property, if it’s in the current zeitgeist. Do not tell her how good your book is, how funny it is, how literary it is, etc. That’s her job to decide that.) Then…

 

• Give the hook. (A brief line that will sum up what it is about the book that makes it compelling. A sentence or two.)

 

• Pitch the book. (A pitch--not a synopsis—outlining the central character, her main conflict, and the stakes involved. Do not list every character and outline all the plot points. A couple of paragraphs is fine here. Pro tip: Read the pitches on the back covers of similar books to get an idea of how these are worded.)

 

• Tell them about the cook. (A very brief bio, listing any relevant publishing credits. If you have none, that’s fine but no need to mention it. Also list any relevant experience… if the book is about capturing wild zebras and you were a pro zebra wrangler in Kenya, she’ll want to hear about it! But otherwise, no need to mention your education or professional accolades if they don’t relate to the book.)

 
The entire query should be the equivalent of a one-page business letter. (Shoot for under 400 words, shorter being better. If you can cut something and it doesn’t detract from the desired outcome then by all means trim it!)
 
About that desired outcome, always keep in mind the singular objective of your query letter:
It leads to the agent/editor reading your sample pages.
 
That’s all. But assuming you’ve done your job with crafting your story, that’s enough.
 
No matter how great your query is or how much time you spent poring over it, if they turn to your pages and they don’t fall in love with (a) the voice, and (b) the actual writing itself, it’s almost certainly going to be a pass. But a straight-forward query (as long as it tells them enough to get them to read your pages) can absolutely lead to what you’re looking for.
 
As I’ve mentioned before, the query is the taxi or rideshare that took you to an important job interview. Yes, it’s important to get to the interview on time and in one piece, but once you’re in the room with the panel, the vehicle that got you there is immaterial.
 
So by all means, have a good query that places you and your work in the best light. But don’t spend an inordinate amount of time and anxiety trying to concoct the perfect query. There is no such thing. Put most of your efforts into what really matters, the thing they will ultimately say yes or no to… the pages.
​Which we will discuss next time.
 
Happy querying!