Literary agents certainly arent going to tell you what im going to tell you, because the knowledge ill share with you will help make your query letter leap out of the pack and genuinely excite agents whether your book is any good or not. How to format an email query for literary agents and literary. If you can send the book proposal along with the query, you should. A query letter is meant to elicit an invitation to send sample chapters or even the whole manuscript to the agent. This article is part of a series called get a literary agent. Jun 09, 2010 so today im sharing the query i sent to literary agents with the hopes that it will help you create your own pitch letter. How to draft proposals to childrens book publishers dummies. Variable 2 in the query letter formula is the statistics for your book. Dec 19, 2011 youve got a great idea for a nonfiction book. This is your big chance to impress them, to interest them in your work and get them to eagerly request that you send your manuscript right away.
Writing a query letter for a nonfiction book can be challenging because, unlike when youre querying fiction, theres no triedandtrue formula for writing a nonfiction query letter. A great query should not only tell an agent what your book is about, but it should also match your book s tone. Dear mitchell, we met last monday evening at the lammys. A query letter is a onepage letter sent to literary agents in an effort to get them excited about your book.
To help inspire you, weve collected 116 examples of successful query letters from famous authors spanning various genres, from crime fiction, to fantasy, to young adult. Sample query letter actual letter that landed a book deal hi name of person, i would love to speak with you about my new book kick start your success and its ability to become a market phenomenon. Once you find literary agents that indicate that they represent authors like you who are writing nonfiction books in a particular genre, then your first step in the traditional publishing process is to send them a query. A great query should not only tell an agent what your book is about, but it should also match your books tone. Query letters for fiction are worth a bit of angst and extra polishing. Yes, a query should be a professional business letter, but honestly, writing a query in the same manner as a regular cover letter is a recipe for snoozeville.
But in the book publishing industry, query letter describes letters that are sent to pitch books to literary agents. Jan 30, 20 the 10 dos and donts of writing a query letter by. Nonfiction query sample regular blog readers probably remember the queries i posted in january and if you missed them, check them out. The overview is similar to the query letter but provides more detail. Publishers require prospective authors to submit either a proposal a longer document providing additional editorial and marketing information about your book or a query letter a onepage letter of introduction inviting the publisher to ask for more details about your project. Imagine my delighted surprise when the category you got up to present best gay memoirbiography was the one in which my book, oneman show.
You should put just as much care and attention into crafting and polishing your query as you did into your manuscript. Nonfiction book query letter, the goldilocks method. Take a look at this list of query letter examples that worked. Marketing plan resources william and mary quarterly historical scholarly magazine founded in 1892 covering early american history and culture. How to write a query letter for nonfiction tck publishing. The letter you send to an agent to get him to request your book proposal is a query letter. But its the result of a lot of research into how to write a good query, and several people who know what theyre talking about helped me mold it into its.
How to write a cover letter andor a query letter for submission. A query is a business letter asking permission to send the project described. Book proposals are generally used for nonfiction books and can be submitted for a manuscript that is not yet complete. When that happens you get multiple agents offering representation, you then get to interview the agents and find out which one is the best fit for you. Klems january 30, 20 learning how to write a mustread query letter is nearly as important as writing a mustread manuscriptafter all, an enticing query letter is what will get an agent to say, love your story. On the road to traditional publication, your query letter plays a central role in getting literary agents and publishers to notice your book. In such cases, the query really ends up being a cover letter and doesnt have to be labored over that much. It is a letter you send to convince agents or editors that you have a project that not only will interest them but also make them money. May 11, 2017 nonfiction query basics part 1 picture books barbara kingsolver once likened writing fiction to planting a garden in the desert.
Reading a novel requires a larger investment of time on the editors part, so the query letter must be targeted very carefully. Here is a list of the components that goldilocks uses when composing your nonfiction query letter. Review this post from writers digest on how to write a successful query letter for any genre. Before i share the ideal structure for book queries with you, i need to make sure you understand something. The nonfiction triumvirate handout query letters how to write a nonfiction childrens book query letter nonfiction proposals. This year, i asked him to offer advice on writing a query letter. If you write fiction or narrative nonfiction, a query letter is your first and often, your only chance to get an agent interested in reading and, with hope, signing your work. How to write a nonfiction query letter for childrens. Now, a nonfiction query isnt entirely different from a fiction one, but there are some nuances. Other times, you query to determine if you should write the piece, such as a nonfiction book. In a single page, the writer aims to make the editorpublisher get interested in reading or publishing the entire story. Publishers require prospective authors to submit either a proposal a longer document providing additional editorial and marketing information about your book or a query letter a onepage letter of introduction inviting.
In a single page, the writer aims to make the editorpublisher get interested in reading or publishing the entire. If youre writing a memoir or narrative nonfiction, research what topics agents and editors tire of seeing. I created this book to compel people to take the right action for their successnow. Query letter sample below reveals how you can double your chances of getting the attention of book agents and publishers. The life and art of bernard perlin, was a finalist. That said, if you break down the perfect nonfiction query letter into its component parts, youll be able to understand what worksand what doesnt workso you can write a great query letter quickly and easily. How to write the perfect query letter query letter example. I want some feedback, so dont be shy about making comments. Dont send a serious issue book to a house that does only series romances. Meanwhile, writing nonfiction is weeding an overgrown hillside into something beautiful. Like writing in general, when it comes to writing a query letter, the more you write, the easier it gets. First of all, i have to make the distinction between a nonfiction picture book and nonfiction for older readers. Read elizabeth lyons book on writing nonfiction book proposals. Two years ago agent michael larsen, author of how to write a book proposal, told wnfin participants how to write a nonfiction book proposal read the post here.
Publishing agents have to write query letters, too. Sample query letter nonfiction authors association. Thats why i created this list of the ten things you need to know about query lettersso you can create a successful query. One of the easiest ways to learn what makes a good, standard query letter is simply to see an example of one that does its job well. The query letter has one purpose, and one purpose only. The appropriate length for a nonfiction query is somewhere between 1 and 1. Essentially, a query letter is a way to introduce yourself and your work to a literary agent or editor. Were waiting for the results on this, but i think the letter is pretty good. You can search online and view samples of different kinds of query letters to guide you in writing the best query letter for nonfiction magazine writing. Sep 23, 2011 personally, i learn the best by example.
Jun 25, 2019 sample query letter actual letter that landed a book deal hi name of person, i would love to speak with you about my new book kick start your success and its ability to become a market phenomenon. Jan 05, 2016 the appropriate length for a nonfiction query is somewhere between 1 and 1. Youre about to make a virtual sales call, and your query letter makes the first impression. Mar 21, 2016 one of the easiest ways to learn what makes a good, standard query letter is simply to see an example of one that does its job well. Outline up front what the agent or editor can expect to deal with. How to write a query letter that gets manuscript requests. If you write fiction or narrative nonfiction, a query letter is your first and often, your only chance to get an agent interested in. So today im sharing the query i sent to literary agents with the hopes that it will help you create your own pitch letter.
Writers use these letters to pitch their ideas to editors and publishers. Example of a good nonfiction query letter nathan bransford. Query letters and book proposals ghostwriting, editing, and. The timehonored method is to look at the acknowledgments page. Include the key points, follow these steps, and then mail it out based on the listed requirements of your preferred agent or publisher to receive the best possible results. Agent query letters that actually worked for nonfiction. To write a killer query, you need a onepage letter with three basic sections or paragraphs. So heres a sample query letter i did for a nonfiction book idea brought to me by a new author. Query letter sample literary agents and literary agencies. It is a letter you send to convince agents or editors that you have a project that. Many writers want to know how to write a nonfiction query letter for childrens books.
Jan 17, 2020 the query letter has one purpose, and one purpose only. A query letter is a way of introducing your writing to editors or literary agents and publishers. The following is an excerpt from write a book without lifting a finger by mahesh grossman, available at. After all, without a good query letter no agent or acquisition editor will ever ask to read a proposal. Writing a memoir query letter can be difficult, but it will generally contain all of the elements of a fictional query letter. Jul 11, 2011 many writers want to know how to write a nonfiction query letter for childrens books. If the query letter stands alone, its your only chance to sell the editor on your book. Nov 12, 2010 two years ago agent michael larsen, author of how to write a book proposal, told wnfin participants how to write a nonfiction book proposal read the post here.
Many literary agents and publishers request to see a nonfiction book proposalessentially a business plan for your bookthat includes a cover letter, an overview of your book, your author bio, a table of contents, detailed chapter summaries, a list of comparative works, and a market analysis or marketing plan. That said, if you break down the perfect nonfiction query letter into its component parts, youll be able to understand what worksand what doesnt work. Since they were all for fiction, one of my readers made a special request to include a nonfiction query, so here it is, a query by cynthia shapiro. Nonfiction query basics part 1 picture books sub it club. Example of a query letter to literary agents for a nonfiction. In the freelance writing industry, the term query letter can be used to refer to a letter that is pitching a nonfiction article to an editor at a news magazine or other periodical. All it requires is a firm grasp of your story premise. For a nonfiction book, the overview is generally going to be longer and will include information about the specific market that will find the book useful.
Mar 05, 2008 in the freelance writing industry, the term query letter can be used to refer to a letter that is pitching a nonfiction article to an editor at a news magazine or other periodical. Writing a query letter can determine whether a literary agent asks to see more or sends you a cordial form letter intended to let you down easy. Your nonfiction query letter is your first contact with literary agents or publishers. Wow children book publishers with perfect query letters. How to write a nonfiction query letter eschler editing. How to write a query letter that grabs a literary agents. For example, writing a query letter for a fiction book isnt the same as writing a query letter for a nonfiction book or a magazine article. The magical lemon tree recipe book is a middle grade contemporary fantasy novel, complete at 56,000 words with series potential, and will appeal to fans of the truth about twinkie pie and the peculiar incident on shady street. It is either sent without an accompanying manuscript, or with two or three sample chapters the publishers guidelines will state which form the query should take. Especially if you want to get multiple agents interested in your work.
Sell a nonfiction article by writing a winning query letter. Mar 10, 2009 nonfiction query sample regular blog readers probably remember the queries i posted in january and if you missed them, check them out. What is a query letter how to write an agent query for. How to write a darn good query letter ny book editors. You have one page and 300 words or less to woo a literary agent into falling in love with your story and then requesting your manuscript. The query letter is so much of a sales piece that its quite possible to write one without having written a word of the manuscript.