Query on Queries

How time flies online when one is healing in the real world! For me it hasn't been going quite as quickly. I had planned to be back much sooner from a break for surgery but, as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."


Now, with my surgeon's approval, I'm back online long enough to be able to come back here to discuss writing again. Not that I wasn't discussing or doing any writing before. I did major revisions to two children's books and a short story, all of which I would like to submit in the near future. I've chosen the places I'd like to submit to. What's holding me back, you ask? Query letters.


Ahhh! I see by the glazed over look in your eyes that you understand! I had less trouble deciding which manuscript to submit first than I'm having drafting and revising my one page, four paragraph query letter.


It's very important to have an impeccable query letter. This is your introduction to the agent, editor, publisher...whoever you are sending your work to. Before they even look at your work, they'll look at your query letter. This letter represents you and your work; it's your stand in. You have only as long as it takes this person to read the page to convince them that they want, no need to read your submission. The query letter is your only tool. How are you going to make it shine?


You could imagine you're sending your work on an interview. How do you dress for an interview? Do you go with a button missing on your shirt? Of course not! So are you going to leave that typo in the second paragraph? Are you sure that sentence says what you want it to say?

There are a lot of sites with good information on how to write a great query letter. Some of my favorites are Critique Circle, Nathan Bransford's blog, Query Shark (make sure you read the comments, too) and Absolute Write. One of the most important things about writing a query letter, though, is asking someone who knows about query letters to read it and offer suggestions on how to improve it. There's always room for improvement when you write the first draft.

Keep at it until you think it's finally worthy to represent you and your work, then send it in. Don't worry over it too long, though, or it becomes an excuse that keeps you from sending out your work. Once you've sent the query, it's out of your hands and the waiting begins. But you've done it; you've crossed the line. You've gone from, "I wish I was a writer," to, "I'm doing something to make my dream a reality." Congratulations!