Query Letter Template | #QueryChronicles
Welcome fellow writers! This post is going to be all about Query Letters. Over on my YouTube Channel I’m doing a series on my process querying my novel, THE PRIMORDIAL SON, to literary agents for representation. For those not familiar with the path to traditional publishing in most cases publishing houses will not accept unsolicited manuscripts. This means that before you can begin to get your manuscript in front of publishers you need to secure a literary agent who can champion your book. The process of submitting your manuscript to agents is called querying, because the solicitation letter is called a “query letter.”
The first two episodes were about The Plan (my process for querying), and The Tools (sharing the tools I used to compile a list of agents to query). The latest episode is a deep dive into Query Letters. While they don’t seem difficult to craft and write…surprise they can be if you don’t have something to work from. Some things to keep in mind, this is a cover letter for you and your book. You’re pitching this project to a possible future business partner and I think if you keep that in mind it will help you compose a letter that will set you apart from most.
The structure of my query letter is as follows, 1) introduce book (give the title, word count, genre) and a quick sentence about why you’re targeting this particular agent. Section 2) will be for your blurb. This should be a tight 1-3 paragraph setup of your story (introduce us to your character and their world, what problem are they facing/inciting incident, and give us the stakes), and then close with a brief biography paragraph. That is the skeleton of the query. I also add a brief paragraph giving comps (two comparable titles-books like yours published in the last three years) and any personal connection with the agent between the blurb and the biography.
My templates:
Dear (Agent Full Name),
I saw on #MSWL that you’re seeking YA Fantasy for representation by #OwnVoices authors. My book, THE PRIMORDIAL SON, features a gay protagonist and a diverse cast, is complete at 87,000 words, and has series potential.
Bryson is fabulous, his situation is tragic.
Just before his fifteenth birthday, Bryson Kendrick wakes from a recurring nightmare finally able to remember the gruesome details. Buried within that horrible dream is a trove of dark family secrets about magic he’ll inherit once he ascends, and the relatives that want to kill him for it.
One little glamour spell turns his world upside down when he accidentally exposes his covert coven to the dark practitioners pursuing him. Witch-hunters descend on the South city St. Louis neighborhood Bryson calls home, putting everyone he loves in danger.
To make matters worse, innocents are abducted by the malevolent coven searching for him. Left with no choice, Bryson has to embrace his newfound power in a race against time to save the innocent from the wicked, without revealing he’s the one they seek.
It’s an accessible fantasy that should appeal to fans of Infinity Son and The Fascinators. THE PRIMORDIAL SON is a love letter to my younger queer self and the book I wish existed when I was a teen.
I graduated magna cum laude from Webster University with an undergraduate degree in Business Marketing. I also finished both of my graduate degrees, MBA and MS in Finance, with honors. This knowledge coupled with my professional experience in communications will serve me well when marketing my published works in the future. I’m an active and current member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild. When not reading and writing, I can be found exploring my beloved St. Louis with my husband or bingeing our latest Netflix obsession.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
Barrett Laurie
314-XXX-XXXX
BarrettLaurie.com
Twitter: @barrett_laurie
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Dear (Agent Full Name),
I saw on Manuscript Wishlist that you’re seeking YA Fantasy novels for representation by #OwnVoices authors. I hope you will consider my YA Fantasy, THE PRIMORDIAL SON, which features a gay main character and a large, multicultural cast, is complete at 87,000 words, with series potential. It’s an accessible fantasy that should appeal to fans of Infinity Son and The Fascinators
In South city St. Louis, home to Bryson Kendrick, things are about to get witchy. On his upcoming birthday he’ll begin to inherit ancient family magic and the dark secrets that come with it. Before his fabulous fifteenth, Bryson is plagued by gruesome nightmares foretelling of danger he will face if discovered by dark practitioners.
Tragic circumstances and the consequences brought on by one little glamour spell soon turn Bryson’s world upside down. Putting everyone he loves in danger. He must embrace his power to defeat the enemy and avoid capture or his identity will be uncovered, ending in tragedy for not only himself, but the innocent who’ve been abducted.
THE PRIMORDIAL SON is a love letter to my younger queer self in the form of the book I wish existed when I was a teen.
I graduated from Webster University magna cum laude with an undergraduate degree in Business Marketing. I also finished both of my graduate degrees, MBA and MS in Finance, with honors. This knowledge and my professional experience will serve me well when marketing my published works in the future. I’m an active and current member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild. When not reading and writing, I can be found exploring my beloved home St. Louis with my husband or binging our latest Netflix obsession.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
Barrett Laurie
314-XXX-XXXX
BarrettLaurie.com
Twitter: @barrett_laurie
For more information be sure to check out the Query Letter video on my channel. Find me on Twitter, Instagram or YouTube if you have any additional questions or comments on Query Letters.
Stay healthy and well everyone, and keep querying!