If you’re looking to get a traditional publishing deal, a great query letter is a must.
But it seems like a dark art: what do agents and editors want to see in that first moment of contact? How do you cut through all the clutter and get the agent to actually read your note, instead of skimming and trashing it like so many others?
Most importantly, how do you get someone to request your full manuscript for review from just a teeny little one-page note?
A Great Query Letter Sells Your Book
From that perspective, a query letter is a marketing piece—it’s a 30-second written commercial intended to get a literary agent or editor at a publishing company to read your manuscript, review your book proposal, or read your submitted sample chapters.
Different publishers have different submission guidelines. Some require you to write a full book proposal, while others only ask you to only submit a few sample chapters, and still others may require you to submit your full and completed manuscript for review.
But no matter what your addressee’s submission guidelines are, you’ll still need to write a great query letter to get them to open your email and review your submission in the first place.
How to Write a Query Letter
Follow our formula to learn how to write a query letter that works:
Personalization + Statistics + Hook + Synopsis + Bio + Closing = Query
1. Make It Personal
Lead off your query letter by customizing it for the agent or editor you’re writing to. Do your research; show that you’ve spent some time figuring out who’s a good fit for your work and why.
Agents and editors know that you’re submitting to a dozen or more different places. That’s normal and fine. What they need to see is that you’re not spamming them—if they have no interest in historical romance but you send them an Edwardian bodice-ripper, you’re not only going to get nowhere with your query, but you’re also going to tick the person off. It might seem like that doesn’t matter, but you might have a project that’s a better fit someday and end up regretting having torpedoed that relationship by failing to do your homework.
Personalizing the query letter doesn’t have to be a lengthy thing. Just mention why you’re writing to this agent, editor, or publisher specifically. Here’s some examples:
- We met at the Willamette Writers Conference last year and you mentioned that you were looking for more books on health and wellness for single working moms. I just finished editing my new book, Yoga with a Baby Bottle, and thought immediately of you.
- I noticed that you’re currently seeking steampunk romance works. I recently completed Gears and Girls, an epic romance novel detailing the doomed affair between Jules Verne and an automaton, and wanted to reach out.
Mention any personal referral from another author or anyone in your network, whether you’ve met the agent or editor in person at a conference or workshop, if you’ve attended a speaking engagement they were at, or any other personal connection you might have.
None of those apply? No worries! Just mention that you know the person is interested in your specific genre—either from a listing on their website or because they’ve recently had success publishing something similar—and go from there.
2. Know Your Market and Statistics
Variable 2 in the query letter formula is the statistics for your book. Outline up front what the agent or editor can expect to deal with. This is simple: title, genre, approximate word count, and whether the book is part of a series.
Yes, you have to include the word count. Yes, the book has to be complete. You should never send out query letters before the book is done and has been revised at least once—if it’s not ready to go immediately, what will you do if the agent or editor requests to see the full manuscript right away? Look like a fool as you try to get around the request or ask for a delay without burning any bridges. Never a good situation.
If it’s relevant, you can also include no more than one or two examples of books that may have targeted a similar audience. Don’t fall back on the tired old cliché of “Dan Brown meets Jodi Picoult” here—use specific examples that show you’ve done your market research.
The statistics line in your query letter may look something like this:
- Roses Are Blue is a spy romance, complete at approximately 65,000 words. It’s the first in a planned trilogy, with Book 2 complete and Book 3 in progress.
- Tree Climbing for Beginners is a fully illustrated how-to guide. It is complete at 92,000 words.
- Wrath of the Tiki God is a 76,000-word magical realism thriller set in the South Pacific. It appeals to fans of American Gods and Kon-Tiki.
Follow our free guide to book market research and go through that process before attempting to query agents or publishers.
3. Include a Great Hook
Next up in our formula is the most important bit: the hook. This is where you grab your reader’s attention with a one-sentence tagline explaining what the heck your book is about.
This may be the most important piece of marketing copy you’ll ever write for your book, so take your time and get it right. Distill the essence of your book into a single sentence (don’t worry, it can be a long one) and put it all out there.
For instance:
- Odysseus thought life would be easy when he returned from the war, but his dreams of a quiet retirement were quickly derailed by horrific travel delays, worries about his wife cheating, and dealing with an obsessed fan—all brought about by a vengeful god he tried to cheat.
- When mild-mannered accountant Leopold Blum agreed to take on a new client, he never anticipated that it would lead to masterminding one of the greatest Ponzi schemes of all time—much less marrying a gorgeous Swedish actress and fleeing to Brazil.
4. Synopsis
The book synopsis picks up where your hook line leaves off. In 300 words or less—a single paragraph—you now explain the who, why, and how of your book.
Who is your main character? What tantalizing situation do they find themselves in? What is at stake?
Describe the arc of the story as vividly as you can, but leave out secondary/tangential characters, side plots, and the ultimate conclusion—leave your reader aching to find out what happens so they have to request the full manuscript to get to the conclusion!
The best way to write a synopsis is to sit down and completely summarize your book, then start crossing stuff out. Whittle it down to 200-300 words, then get friends and colleagues to read your description. Find out what confuses them and what engages them, then revise accordingly.
It’ll probably take quite a few tries to get this right… but it’s a key part of the query letter formula. You need to give enough detail to show what sets your book apart from others—the sizzle and spark that makes it unique—but not so much that it bogs things down. Keep it lean, mean, and streamlined.
5. Include Your Bio
Include a little information about yourself and why you’re the best possible person to write this book. For nonfiction, this is particularly important—you want to show that you’re an expert in a relevant area and demonstrate your platform.
In fiction, you don’t need to worry so much about establishing your credentials. In fact, unless you have an MFA from a prestigious program or you’ve won some major awards, it’s often best not to bother with outlining professional credentials at all.
When in doubt, just include one or two basic bits of background about yourself and leave it at that. Unless you have a huge personal platform already, agents and editors are more interested in the quality of your writing than your 15 years as a kindergarten teacher.
6. Make the Closing Brief
Keep the closing short and sweet. Thank the person reading for their time and consideration, then mention that the full manuscript is available upon request. If you’re writing nonfiction and you haven’t completed the manuscript due to the volume of research required, mention that a complete pitch package is available upon request.
Sign off with a formal closing, like “sincerely” or “best regards” and you’re done.
Sample Query Letters for Nonfiction and Fiction
To begin drafting your query letter template, you should start by researching and reading some successful query letters.
A “successful” query letter is a query letter that got somebody (hopefully you!) a book deal. If you model your query letter based on the best elements of successful query letters, you’ll have a much better shot of getting the agent’s or editor’s attention.
You can browse hundreds of successful query letters here, and here’s a great list of successful nonfiction query letters.
When you’re drafting your query letter, make sure you’re modeling successful query letters from authors with books in your market or genre. Modeling your query letter for a business book based on the query letter for a memoir may very well lead you astray.
The more successful query letters you read, the easier it will be to write a professional query letter.
More Tips for Querying Agents
While the query letter formula gets everything you need out there quickly and efficiently, there are still a few other things you can do to increase your chances of success.
1. Write short, snappy sentences.
Publishing professionals never have enough time in the day. Skimming is a way of life. So make their lives easier by keeping your sentences short and streamlined and keeping paragraphs small. It’s easier to digest—and the agent or editor is more likely to remember what they’ve read.
2. Use a similar tone to your book.
Although the formula doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room and you should certainly never veer off into left field with an outrageously innovative query letter that, say, takes the form of an interpretive dance video, you have some flexibility in the tone you use.
If your book is a humor novel, lighten up your Personalization, Bio, and Closing sections a bit. If it’s a spy thriller, punch things up with more action. Just be sure that the essential elements are covered and you’re not spending too much time attempting to show how funny, clever, or smart you are. The query letter is about your book and its plot—nothing more, nothing less.
3. Don’t write fluff.
There’s no need to guess at the audience for your work or anticipate their reaction. You’re adding nothing by injecting your opinions or hopes for how audiences will connect with your work—let it stand on its own merits.
Likewise, you don’t need to articulate the major themes in your work. You’re not writing to a college literature class—you’re marketing your book to an agent or editor. Restrict your description to the plot arc.
Examples of fluff include statements like “I believe young readers will connect strongly with my heroine” or “This book’s themes of everyday heroism and quiet self-confidence are perfect for our troubled times.”
4. Follow the submission guidelines.
I can’t stress this one enough: Follow the submission guidelines. Follow the submission guidelines. FOLLOW THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES.
Read up on the agent, editor, or publisher you’re submitting to. Do they want only a query letter? Do they want a query letter plus a certain number of pages? Do they want the full manuscript right away?
What format do they want any samples in: RTF, Word, pasted directly into the email? Should samples be double-spaced? In a certain font?
Do they have a preference for electronic or print submissions?
No matter what they ask, even if it involves standing on your head and whistling Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, if you’re interested in working with this person, do your best to follow along.
Follow this simple formula and you’ll be turning out great query letters in no time!
Remember:
Personalization + Statistics + Hook + Synopsis + Bio + Closing = Query
Now that you’ve learned how to write a query letter, you’ll be on your way to getting a great literary agent.
Finding Literary Agents to Query
Looking to start querying literary agents? Check out our lists of literary agents in your genre to find the right agent for your book.
- List of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary Agents
- List of Young Adult and New Adult Literary Agents
- List of Romance Literary Agents
- List of Mystery and Thriller Literary Agents
- List of Historical Fiction Literary Agents
- List of Nonfiction Literary Agents
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
For more on how to succeed in traditional publishing, read on:
- How Traditional Publishing Has Changed and What That Means to a Writer Starting Out
- How Advances and Royalties Really Work
- 4 Important Book Publications You May Not Have Heard Of
Kate Sullivan is an editor with experience in every aspect of the publishing industry, from editorial to marketing to cover and interior design.
In her career, Kate has edited millions of words and helped dozens of bestselling, award-winning authors grow their careers and do what they love!
We appreciate you taking the time to explain the structure and provide some illustrations to help us understand it better. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe.
So grateful to have found your post! I’ve spent 2 1/2 years working on my first manuscript. It’s done! It felt like I just drove off a cliff when I finished the second draft. Now, I can thoughtfully move into the next phase of this experience. Much appreciated!
We hope the post helps you write some great query letters, Michael! You already did the hard work of finishing your book, now you just have to find it a home! :)
Hi Kaelyn – after an exhaustive search, I landed on your post, and it helped cut through the clutter and provided a bit of hope – thank you! I am a self-published children’s book writer focused on diversity in STEM. I am looking for a literary agent, yet clueless of the right (best) place to start. I look forward to any guidance you can share.
Hi Louis, I’m glad you found the post helpful! :) I would start by checking out this list of children’s book literary agents and focus on those searching for books related to science or education.
Hi,
After years of keeping my theatrical works to myself and producing them in-house at a not -for profit I was involved in starting, I think I’d like to see if I could get them published. I believe that I would need to acquire a literary agent? That genre is not listed above and I would love any help pointing me in the right direction. Thank you!
Hi Reba, you might want to start with this list of play publishers or our post on how to publish a play. I don’t think all of them require an agent, but I’ll work on a list for that too.
Great initial guidance. Sadly, my “genre” is tiny: “projecting current overpop/global
warming into 2029->2089…has to be fiction, but based on current hard-facts.
Alienates everyone who denies current human overpopulation of double to quadruple.
My publications were in late 1980s on “Computers in Investing” (Reston, etc. books)
I’m now 90 yrs. old…never published “fiction”..but have a 3rd draft of 45,000 words.
Toffler interviewed me at a “Think Tank” for his “Future Shock”. Rod Packer
Hi Rod, sounds interesting. Are you looking for an agent or publisher?
Yes, Kaelyn..I’ll need an Agent. If you’ll read a brief “Query”, I’ll send
it in an eMail, including a couple of early Chapters and my credentials.
“NovoCiety”, a Future Documentary covers 2029 to 2089, and next
week’s fiasco in Scotland’s “Climate” annual on backing out on Coal
mining closure is already preparing my readership (potentially several
million). I’ll send the Query eMail if you’ll provide you eAddress. -Rod
Hi Rod, I’m actually not an agent, but you’re welcome to submit your book to us for publishing consideration. You can find detailed instructions on our submissions page
Summary: A “Future Documentary” 2029 to 2089″ on Overpopulation driving Global Warming.
Highly competent Supreme Court Justices CLERKS, without Justices knowledge, form club
including dozens of wealthy parents/contacts, to buy up Earth areas to become MORE liveable
in next 3 generations (mainly So.Island, New Zealand). Their NovoCiety attracts highly skilled
scientists, futurists, and needful workers in vineyards, sheep/deer farms, and computing tech.
As leading nations fail, China–leader–sees takeover of NovoCiety as its ideal survival action.
Credentials: Yale/USC/Uof Minn.”Mass Communications” Ph.D
My career spanned “Think Tanks” (beginning with G.Dynamics BARTransit proposal for its
RapidTransit loops), initial development of Circle K & my monthly “Tomorrow’s Convenience
Stores nationally, then books (Reston, etc.) and articles (Science Digest) on use of computers
in investment, etc. (all in 1980s-90)…my 1st fiction effort–at age 90 (3rd Draft: 60K. words)
After several Foreword/Prologue pages on this story’s relevant Science/MassCommunications,
here are several opening pages:
A vacant warehouse in Washington, DCs closest industrial fringe to the pristine U.S. Supreme Court:
It was late Wednesday evening, early October, 2028. Washington D.C.’s growing summer heat–usually faded by late
September, still hovered in mid-90s this evening. The U.S. and most of the world had hotter Summers and warmer Falls
each year. Neither the U.N. nor most nations recognized the sharp need to phase-out atmospheric pollution. Oil was
yet pumped and refined for society’s electricity and vehicle fuel. Coal mines had NOT shut down as “scheduled” years
earlier–particularly in China and Germany–each had promised early shut-downs. Politicians were dragging their feet
on anti-global warming “targets”–always slipping one new decade away. In short–decades were now wasted in UN
pledges to slow or stop atmospheric pollution and Earth’s steadily higher temperatures.
Large sky-lights above the assembled four dozen Clerks of the Supreme Court exhausted the high room’s heat to barely
bearable–if not comfort-level. Someone was ‘calling to order’ this first official, but secretive meeting of the yet unofficial
new “ClerksClub”–with no Supreme Court Justices’ permission for their unusual undertaking. The 30-foot square room
hung in the top corner of a decrepit old warehouse on the fringe of an industrial district within walking distance of the
Supreme Court. Nondescript, vacant, cooled via the huge open skylites–plus an attractive rental cost (free) made this an
acceptable–if not plush nor ideal–meeting site for these young and underpaid law clerks. It was 10pm. All these “Clerks
of the Supreme Court” had climbed the 22 steps to reach this high-hung “Meeting Room” in its vacant building. It snugly fit
their meeting purpose: a frugal, secret “clubhouse”. There were not enough folding chairs, but was a firm wooden box
for speakers. The unpublicized time-and-place, hand circulated “off-Web”, had worked well.
Brian Stanford, in his late 20s, and second in his 2028 Yale Lawschool class, had come to the room’s front to
approach “the Box” in the room’s inner corner (opposite the stairs), pushing “Down..down!” with his hands. His Clerk-
audience stopped milling. Brian was still unsure how to “Open” strongly: Again he mulled to himself: “Tonight is the ‘Start’
of…of..what?” Brian, an “outstanding” law scholar to his “profs”, stood six-foot, white, blue-eyed–noted by some of the
two-dozen females of the four-dozen Clerks. His “Grab a chair, all!..let’s get started! became his clever “Opening”. But,
at least there was no Court Justice to critique them up here! So…Time to speak! His compact audience: settled and silent.
Brian took a deep breath and began:
“Good Evening, Justice Clerks! All present, it seems! Even better, NOT present is even one Supreme Justice ..
they all are probably sound asleep–having been appointed “late” in what each hopes, along with his backers, will be a
very long life!” ( Supportive laughter!) “Our quiet, still queasy Supreme Clerks Club has, managed months of quiet plans
toward goal: actively advancing our supposedly already “advance society” toward more dynamic and consciencious goals
for a still-young 21st Century. It is a world that WE–not our respected, but aging Justices–must live much further into. A
world we hope will not be worsening with an unliveable climate–that some climatologists see climbing to above 140-plus !
And that’s “Fahrenheit”–not Law Degrees!” (Brian’s feeble joke brought feeble groans). Look around you: Our crop of
Clerks would seem admirable: Carefully selected as half male, half Goddesses–I mean women, of course. And maybe a
Gay or two–they “deserve”. Races run from a Native American thru White, Black, Latino, Asian –some of us not totally
up on our various racial roots! We have professed Catholics, Jews, Protestants, a Muslim, an open Atheist or two..and
several “Undecideds”. That’s fine. It mirrors major cases that are coming before our current Court, for fair decision by a
Court’s, itself, of carefully “balances” appointments. Many Supreme Court preoccupations and decisions were reflected
in our Clerks’ selections. But where are the deep, decisive Supreme Court decisions on world energy monopolies, the U.S.
stalemated 2-Party system, the Court’s striking down flagrant gerrymandering, secret funding of political campaigns, legal,
or illegal restrictions on voting, wild “printing” of unbacked dollars by the trillions, and most to the point: Strong ruling aids in
building renewable energy–to significantly slow major global warming–as it is pushed ever upward, by unfettered, unwise-
-even unnoticed explosion of humans from 2.5 Billion to over 8 Billion in only 125 years! Is that really “legal”? Could this
Court–on which some of us dream of becoming later-life Justices–actually rule on over-population policies on a future day ?
Most of you might mirror my impressions.–or reflect even stronger opinions that could get one in our public position quickly
discharged. That’s why our meetings will be careful, cautious–and in late evenings. Such outlandish hope is not openly
permissable just yet. seeking to save Humanity from soon being incinerated in extreme temperatures is beyond “normal”
in many quarters–some of them legally influential. Trying to hold back future high-tides possibly up by feet higher–as ices
melt in Greenland and Antarctic glaciers and slip into the seas!: That’s obviously “physical”. But some questions are legal or
political: like being blown-to-bits in an insanely created radioactive cloud–because “The Bomb” is still hoarded by “advanced”
powers…”just-in-case”. We remain responsible “law-clerks”. Not a weird batch of unbalance minds–running wild against
society. So let us proceed in a sane manner. It won’t be easy: So who volunteers to voice baby-steps toward our modest
goal of “saving this, our world, from itself?”
Brian cedes his “soapbox” in the dingy room to Denise Buendonado–whose well-assembled shape draws male
ClerkClubbers’ attention even before she speaks. Denise charges right in: “Our law schooling gave us mountains of murky
facts buried in mountains of miniscule data.: The point? to Extract useful TRUTHS, and form concise legal opinions! Wow!
You well know how this legal smorgasbord has moved us from Law School to our Supreme Court bewilderment. In “Mock
Court”, obstacles were flagged as: deliberate obscurities. But too many lawyers want self-advancement more than winning
–to please a judge, not advance legal precedent and principles. Let’s push that kind of Bar aside for this Club’s broad “extra-
judicial” new goal–to nudge society away from its plunge into more overpopulation, deteriorated climate or even into nuclear
destruction. Our Club’s first focus? I’d propose recruiting others, like-minded, with more seasoned wisdom–and particularly
with wealth acquired by many fortunate elders who are like-minded with our goals. Many happen to be our parents: surprise !
They are wiser than we! We must then make early and active use of our new pools of knowledge, capital and “know-how”
to accomplish new objectives as we gradually define them…using that “save-the-earth” priority that we bring–neglected by
current society leadership. The underlying cause of Earth’s dilemma, “over-population” we must always attack at all angles.
Denise, just warming up ..continues: “Our Club must launch programs and groups intent on reversing deadly abuses
of Earth’s forests, oceans and resources by billions of overpopulating “consumers”, but rarely producers. The ClerksClub is
unseasoned and certainly underfunded after our years of costly education. But we can be a logical touchstone for starting
real, positive actions leading to permanent programs. Where will find the determination and the billions in capital toward our
goal? Certainly not from among our Supreme Court Justices–for all of their highest special authority. As the pathetic prisoner
said to his companion, both chained to the wall: “Now..here’s my plan!…” But..” Denise said after feeble laughs: “Sadly, our
Don Quijote altruism looks, as we try to get underway, too much like that chained prisoner’s plan. So let’s begin with top-of-our
-heads offerings from Club members right here & now–concepts for funnelling our early efforts into a strong start. After all,
our project’s time-schedule will measure, not in months..but probably in decades, long after our Supreme Court Clerkships!!”
Denise–now done–stepped back down into the group.
And..slowly, on this awkward warehouse perch, a green but growing “altruism” DID come into being. These “green”
ambitious activists’ mood morphed from nebulous to impetus. Brian recognized the importance of Denise’s call for immediate
ideas, and he breathed a hopeful sigh. Awakened specifics began pouring from numerous short speeches: Suggestions and
ideas and funding plans, even early suggested projects. And surprisingly, this young ClerksClub took shape–even from this
initial meeting–a permanent, positive action group–clearly divorced from their specified duties to the U.S. Supreme Justices.
At first lull, a large, swarthy male Clerk stood up: “Hi!..Stride Browning here: “It’s hardly surprising that our Clerks’
Club has wide-ranging ideas about improving–even saving society for our own families later lives. We’d like seeing ourselves
successfully showing Society how to rein-in overpopulation and suicidal Global Warming. We may believe it will be in political
battles within each nation: to convince people that their Party policies must reflect life-threatening realities if overpopulation
continues–a tough sell!. But most of us are “born pessimists”. I’m among them: We see true success only in abandoning
the inertia of current world societies and slowly building what I’ve heard here termed a separate “NovoCiety”. It must consist
of willing “pilgrims” into a positive, stable new way of life, separated from the burdensome politics and regulated “inertias” of
today’s established nations. And it has to mature, through intensive education of its OWN following generations, to understand
the positive power of Stability–not eternal Growth…of individual effort, not society’s “support” of ever-shallower youths. That
task may prove longer and tougher than we here hope. But let’s start soon–perhaps on New Zealand’s suggested South Island
–with a reality that we can begin by shaping own small society through insightful “trial & error”. Even if “multi-generational” our
can best succeed best by our “getting going” right now. As our Earth overheats, we’ll be ready to provide the “escape hatch”
for each generation’s awakening to the Earth’s growing desperation. We certainly cannot just “extemporize” as our lives grow
ever hotter & more unliveable. Sorry to state aloud what most of you know. But it’s really time to move our intended project
“off-the-dime”! NovoCiety is the name I’ve hear proposed. And as such, it could well become a three or four-generational task.
“OK..I’m telling myself: CUT”.. I’m being too verbose. .too wordy. Shut up, sit down.” And he did.
I’m in good health..life expectancy about 96-7..Earth events are already shaping up as conceived (especially back-downs on
shutting COAL production worldwide). My readership should only grow through 2020s. – Rod Packer, Ph.D.
Greetings to you,
I am looking for a literary agent who handle inspirational poetry. I just completed a collection of poetry based upon my perspective and experience life through covid 19
Hi Nick, thanks for your comment! You might find this list of poetry agents helpful
Good morning. I am looking for a literary agent in the children’s book area.
I reside in Canada 6 months and in Florida 6 months.
Thank you!
Hi Kelly, you can find a list of children’s book literary agents here
Good morning, and God bless you, Kaelyn Barron. I am seeking a list of Christian Literary Agents who handle Non-Fiction Christian Books. I am primarily seeking to be published with a traditional publisher, something I have in prayer with God. I have written 7-Christian books; 1-Memoir book on Child Abuse; and am presently writting an Action packed Thriller. I have also written over 2,000 poems under three headings: 1-Christian; 2-General; 3-Love, both in English and in Spanish. Hope you can help me with a list of agents. Thank you so much, and may God bless you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Yours truly,
Dr. Rev. Alfredo Lopez Cortes
Hi Dr. Rev. Cortes, we have this list of Christian literary agents that includes nonfiction representatives. I hope that helps! :) and may God bless you too
Thank you for demystifying the format and providing concrete examples. I’m not scared anymore.
I’m so glad you found this post helpful for writing query letters, Aaron!
do you have a list of literary agents in NYC?
Hi Joseph, we don’t have a list of agents specific to certain regions. However, we do have many lists by genre. Which genre are you interested in?
This is such useful information written in concise, easy-to-follow steps. Thank you! I am a new writer with a completed novel and sequel and I’m just starting the process of acquiring an agent.
I’m so happy you found the post helpful, Sharri! Best of luck with your search :) let us know if you have any questions!