Main Focus Of Literary Agent’s Query Letter Is To Grab Your Reader’s Attention
A query letter is a compelling, concise statement of the overall idea or the central them of your written article, story or book. It also has a brief description of your targeted readers, and the benefits that the readers will gain from reading it. A query letter should be a convincing description of why your work is unique or better than other similar works written on the subject and why you are the most qualified person to write it. A query letter enables editors and agents to ascertain four main things about you as a writer:
- That your concept is really compelling
- Your platform is such that it will attract a marketable audience
- You have the credentials to write the piece of work that you are proposing to write
- That your writing is effective
There are five basic elements in a good query letter:
- The hook
- The pitch
- Supportive elements
- Your credentials
- The close
The hook
The hook or lead paragraph is the most important which ensures that interest of the reader is piqued.
The pitch
This is the second paragraph and it summarizes your written work in no more than 50 to 70 words. The pitch should contain three elements – the uniqueness of your book in relation to the competition, benefit gained by readers, and your credibility as an author.
Supportive elements
This comprises the body of your query letter and talks about three elements of the pitch:
- Is your write up a first or only one of its kind? Are you offering a broader, more controversial, more interesting, or more comprehensive approach to the subject?
- How well does the written work address the needs, wants, or desires of your readers and what problems does it resolve?
- What are the knowledgeable, emotional or intellectual strengths that you add to the topic that others have not done?
- Your credentials
This paragraph is an expansion of the supportive elements and should be written in the third person. Highlight your relevant experience, media and public speaking appearances. The length of this portion should be around 75 words.
The close
Close with an upbeat self confident tone. Offers thanks for the editor’s or agent’s time and consideration and mention that you have a complete proposal ready to send upon request.
Once you have sent a query letter, you have to wait for the editor’s or agent’s response and on acceptance send the proposal in case of a book or the written work in case of articles and stories.