Pitching errorsNow, to specifics: how to compose your letter. A relaxed but busi-
nesslike approach is probably best. Lots of advice is printed on
achieving winning effects, but I find that the most memorable
queries are simple and straightforward. They tell me the following:
- What the writer wants
- What is being offered
- Information helpful in selling the work
- Something (but not much) about the writer
One of the most effective query letters I ever received began sim-
ply, "I am looking for an agent." Sound obvious? Dull? Perhaps, but
it is supremely businesslike and that is a plus.
The tough part is making your manuscript sound appealing in just
a few lines. That is difficult; therefore many authors do not limit them-
selves to a few lines. They spend many paragraphs—sometimes many
pages—describing their novels. I receive query letters of this type
often. Without preamble, such letters usually launch into long sum-
maries. Afraid 1 will not listen, these authors insist upon shouting.
I had a similar experience during some of my appointments at
the PNWC. Nervous writers rushed to cram their entire plot into
fifteen minutes. Usually I had to stop them and get the answers to
the only questions 1 really needed answered:
- Where is your story set?
- Who is your hero or heroine?
- What is the main problem they must overcome?
- Where do you think this novel fits in the marketplace?
When one reads twenty query letters every working day one
comes to appreciate brevity. Encapsulating one's intentions can
also be a useful exercise for an author. Many novelists have told me
that they gained new insight into their stories when they were
forced to write summaries; some were inspired to revise.
I admit that summarizing is not easy; even so, it is a skill that can
be learned. It is not impossible. After all, we summarize plays, TV
shows, and books for our friends all the time. Doing so for the pur-
pose of a query letter is not much different.