Query breakdown

- Opening line : This is something that I find is often debated about. A lot of writers say you should start with an introduction, telling them who you are, word count, the genre and why you think your novel would be a good fit for them. On the other hand a lot of agents say you should start with a hook. If it doesn’t grab their attention within the first few sentences they’ll pass. I am inclined to agree with the agents. Start with a hook and get their attention right away!

- Summary: Probably the hardest and most dreaded part of a query… the synopsis. Yes, they are asking you to condense your wonderful 77k book into 130 words… Ugh. But it’s doable! Simply expand on your hook! Let the agent know why they should be invested in your character, what challenges are they facing? Now there is some debate as to whether you should reveal the ending of your book in the query letter. Most seem to agree that you should leave that for the synopsis (since a lot of agents ask for a synopsis as well as your query). Keep your query straight forward and leave them begging for more! Still want to reveal the end of your book? That’s fine, you won’t get docked points for doing so and some agents do like to see that you’ve got your book nicely wrapped up. If you’re still unsure you can always do some research on the agents you plan on submitting to (You do have a list don’t you?). A lot will have it stated on their websites.

- Bio: Here is the section where you can mention the genre, word count and a little bit about yourself. You should have this information in here somewhere.

- Appreciation: We’re almost done! The stress is almost over! Keep this part short. I’ve heard of agents rejecting books because of people rambling on in this section. Your query should represent your work and so it should represent the fact that you can edit out the unnecessary details. So keep it short and sweet, thank them and send it before you can talk yourself out of it!