Unless you are one of the lucky few
who has all of the right connections, you’re going to have to do a lot more
than just write a good book. Someone who has the power to put your book in print
and has the experience and money to market it has to first be convinced that
they want to read it. Then, hopefully, your writing and the story will enthuse them
to make the all important investment in you.
Make your pitch with a query letter. Query letters need to be short (they are also
sometimes referred to as elevator pitches for the short time you have to sell
your idea) and direct. Your first line need to hook the acquisitions editor who
opened your mail or they won’t have any interest in reading more. Speak to the
person reading your letter as you would a potential reader – sell your story. That’s
all.
Before you even start composing your
letter, make sure you are sending it to the correct publishing house for your
genre and your target audience. It doesn’t make sense to send adult eroticism
to a company that publishes high school text books or children’s fiction.
Verify the correct spellings of the company name, the person you are addressing
the letter to, and that you have the correct address. So a bit of research as
well to find any available submission instructions – find out if your selected
publisher or agent wants queries snail mailed or emailed, do they want a SASE
(self addressed stamped envelope for return), do they want a synopsis or sample
chapters included. If you can find instructions, FOLLOW THEM TO THE LETTER!
Your opening line should be the hook.
Think “what would you do if”…(fiction); why (target audience) want to read about
your subject… (non-fiction). Now that you hooked them, reel them in. Keep the
reader interested, but use no more than two or three sentences. For a fiction
book, your next short paragraph should be a very brief overview of the main
story plot/conflict – don’t waste space including sub-plots, unexpected twists
and turns or introducing secondary characters. If you are querying a fiction
book, unless you are proposing a series and/or are well known, the work should
already be complete. Include the word count.
For a non-fiction book, open the same
way, with the hook. Your second paragraph should emphasize who the target
audience is – be specific, you are not a one-size-fits all writer, that is
unrealistic. Very, very briefly, include your qualifications for writing this
book, why should people believe or listen to you. Generally for a non-fiction
work , this letter should be a proposal before the book is complete. What
experts are you interviewing, how will you obtain your research, will you be
including step-by-step instructions, reference materials, etc.
Your third paragraph in both cases
throws the ball into their court, so to speak. “I would like to submit the
first three chapters, my full manuscript, a more detailed outline, sample
articles I’ve written on this topic, etc. Include your full contact information
and whether or not your query is snail or email, include both your street/mailing
address and your email, include at least one contact phone number, and the
complete spelling of your name. Unless submission instructions ask for it, do
not attach a resume or list of credits. Be sure to thank the individual for the
time they took to read your letter and let them know you are looking forward to
their response.
The letter should be typed, spelling
and punctuation should be checked and corrected, and the overall impression
should be professional. Never tell the editor what they should think of your
book and unless you are really sought after as a popular author or notorious
subject, do not make demands of advances or conditions (and even then, don’t
negotiate yourself out of a possibility).
Writing Exercise: Write one to two sentence sales pitches for (1) the
nearest bridge; (2) the chair or couch you are sitting on; (3) the most recent
meal you cooked; (4) your tell-all diary; and ((5) THIS article on writing
query letters. No matter what, you need to make the sale, so really make an
effective pitch.
Writing Prompt: Make a list of ten to fifteen attributes that
make you the best writer for your most recent work-in-progress. In no more than
one sentence (each), defend any challenge to that attribution. (For example,
attribution: expert in marriage – defense: I’ve been happily married five
times!)
