We all like to see examples to follow when we are in doubt as to how to write a book proposal or a query letter. But do they help?
Do you find examples helpful or do they just confuse you? Do you feel as though you should take examples too seriously—if the example query letter includes a list of experts who will be quoted, you believe this is a necessary element for your query letter? If the example query letter includes five marketing ideas, you deduce that you need to come up with five marketing ideas. No! Examples are just examples or ideas for you to use as a guide in designing your own query letter.
Obviously, your query letter will not look exactly like any other query letter because your subject is different and your writing style is different. Your experiences, connections and skills will differ. You could look at a hundred query letters and never find one exactly like yours or one that you feel comfortable patterning yours after. That’s okay. Just use them as guides and study the available instructions to design your query letter. Just keep in mind that your goal is to adequately and succinctly describe your project and make a case for it—sell it.
Rather than taking away from an example exact specifics to use in your query letter, you should study the deeper purpose of the query letter and come to understand its intent. Then go to work devising your query letter with those elements—a description of your project and why it is important/viable. Throw in your abilities, skills and connections that will help to sell this book and you could be signing a publishing contract sometime soon.
Resources and Opportunities for Writers
I have a couple of links I’d like to share. For new writers, you might want to visit http://www.writersandillustrators.com. It is a new writing community where you can display your unpublished work and get it critiqued. You can critique other works and communicate with other writers.
http://www.guru.com is an online marketplace for freelance talent and offers the opportunity to market your skills worldwide. If you need a web designer or photographer or if you want to promote your freelance writing or graphic arts business, you might want to check out Guru.com.
Be sure to sign up for your FREE ebooklet, 50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book at http://www.patriciafry.com