I get a lot of questions related to the query letter. In fact, one came in from someone yesterday. I’m always happy to see writers and authors taking the query letter seriously. It is a mighty important piece to the publishing puzzle—whether you are seeking a home for an article or a publisher for your book manuscript.
Some random writers, clients and students are seeking an exact template for their query letter. They are crushed when I tell them there is no such animal. Your query letter, while it can certainly follow specific guidelines, must have a personality of its own. It has a job and you must help it to do that job in the most effective and efficient way.
Other writers try to be too creative with their query letters. Sure, you want yours to stand out, but you also want it to be professional, succinct and perfectly clear.
Let’s dissect the query letter. Those of you who are queasy, turn away now. (That’s a little query humor—ha ha.)
1: Address your query letter to the appropriate editor. In this time of complete chaos within the magazine and publishing world, it won’t hurt to call the office and ask who the current acquisitions editor is.
2: Make it clear that this is a query letter. Don’t assume that the editor will know that you are proposing an article or a book project. These companies receive all kinds of mail from all kinds of charities, cranks and so forth.
3: Present your project with clarity. Write it succinctly, but so that someone from Mars would understand what you are presenting.
4: Give some back-up for your story idea. Why would their readers care about this piece or why would this publisher want to consider publishing your book manuscript. Offer statistics or other information to prove its validity.
5: Show why you are the person to write this article/book. What is your background in the subject and as a writer?
6: Ask for what you want. Say, for example, “Please let me know if you are interested,” or “Give me the go-ahead and I will send you the completed manuscript within the week.”
For those of you who are still a bit worried about exactly what to write, use your imagination. Adapt your topic and your personal story and expertise to fit this guide. Don’t look for some sort of exact template. It doesn’t exist. Just put yourself in the editor’s desk chair and the publisher’s head while devising your query letter. What is their bottom line? What will entice them to accept rather than reject your idea? What will make your idea stand above the rest? Well, that’s a whole new blog post, isn’t it?
Let me say that basically the book publisher is interested in high sales figures. Does your book idea truly have a potential to entice a large audience? The magazine publisher wants to sell ads and increase his circulation. What is it about your idea that can help them achieve these goals?
Remember, writing is a craft, but publishing (whether it is books or articles/stories) is a business and you must approach it as such.
If you have additional questions about the query letter or would like to see some query letter examples, order my book today: The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html
Do you need something to smile about? Order the ebook version or the print version of my brand new book, Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html