When you get to the point of wanting to submit your work for publication, you need to create documents like a query letter, a cover letter, a synopsis, and a proposal. So, what are they and how do you do it?
Just remember, always be professional. An email query or cover letter should be just as professional as a snail mail one. These are business letters to prospective employers and should be treated as such.
How do you know if you can email documents rather than send them through the mail? By reading the guidelines the agency or publishing house provides on their website, in a writer’s market guide, or if an agent or editor invites you to do so. Never send email documents without invitation. They will just be deleted.
1. The Query Letter
A query letter is a one-page document introducing you and the story/article/book you have written. It’s a sales pitch.
What agents and editors don’t want to see in a query letter:
-More than one page!
-The wrong name or misspelling of their name.
-Your life story.
-That your mom loves your book.
-A list of books you like and why.
-Your opinion of how great of a writer you think you are.
-How this is your first try writing and it was so easy.
-That you are the next J. K. Rowling.
-They also don’t want to hear that God gave you this story, that it’s his will that it get published, and they’ll be sorry if they turn you down!
What they do want to see:
-One page!
-Their name, spelled correctly, and their job title.
-A professional spell-checked document.
-Your one-sentence hook or tag line.
-A mini one-paragraph synopsis of your project.
-The length of the book.
-That is story is complete. (If it’s fiction, don’t bother sending a query if your book is not finished! You are not ready to sell your story until it’s complete!)
-A small paragraph about you and your credentials.
-A reminder if they met you and asked you to submit. (Agents and editors meet a lot of people. You can’t expect them to remember every name.)
-A SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) if you are mailing this query letter and want to know their answer.
Basically, try to stick to this format: A paragraph or two for the hook and book synopsis, a paragraph for the information about yourself, and a closing paragraph. Tomorrow I will post an examples of a query letter. Until then!
Bravo! 🙂
Thanks, Jake!