Your magnificent query letter must:
1: Contain an intriguing beginning or a hook—something that catches the agent’s, publisher’s or editor’s attention. Don’t fret over this—just come up with something that creates enough interest so the editor will keep reading. Don’t try to be too cute or clever, you might come across as trite.
2: Identify this as a query letter and ask for what you want. Sometimes we become so involved in choosing the perfect words that we forget to focus on clarity. State or indicate early on that this is a query letter. Say, for example, “Please consider my manuscript for publication,” or “I’d like to propose a book featuring…”
3: Describe your project succinctly and briefly explain (based on information from your book proposal) the need and/or desire for a book such as this.
4: Mention the highlights of your project and any special aspects.
5: Name a few of your experts. (You might want to include a separate list of experts, if it is extensive and impressive.)
6: Share something about yourself—your background in the subject of your book and as a writer. I sometimes include a separate page listing my published books or titles of any articles I’ve had published on the topic of this particular book.
7: Let the publisher know that you have a book proposal ready to send or a complete manuscript. I know, I told you to forget about the manuscript until after you’ve completed the proposal. But there will come a point when you have completed the manuscript and you’ll want to mention that to the publishers you contact.
This is excerpted from my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.
I still have a few copies of this book to hand out to people who are willing to read it and post a review at amazon.com. Contact me at: PLFry620@yahoo.com.
In the meantime, visit the book’s page at amazon.com. It’s now in print and Kindle. Or here: http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html