Whether  writers need to master the art of writing effective query letters if they are trying to hook a literary agent or editor at a book publishing company.

The purpose of your query letter is to convince an editor or agent that they want to invest in you and your writing. In that sense, a query letter is the first impression you make. If prepared correctly, hopefully it will blossom into a much longer professional relationship.

Breaking into traditional book publishing can be tough work. After you write and revise the book, there’s finding an agent or an independent publisher, which involves time spent researching instead of what you really want to be doing—writing. 

After all the blood, sweat, and tears that go into query letters,
it’s time to make your pitch in 300 words or less.

The Pitch – paragraph 1: The pitch (or hook) is a concise statement that sums up the essential nature of your book. Try you best to sum it up in a few sentences. Give your audience a reason they should get excited about it. Don’t forget to include your book’s category (or genre) and word count.

Paragraph #2: Now that you’ve hooked the agent, it’s time to summarize your story. Discuss your main characters, what happens, and what choice they must make now. But don’t give away the entire plot. Leave the agent wanting more by structuring this paragraph in a cliffhanger.

About You is about you: Why are you the perfect person to write this book? Do you have personal or professional experience that lines up with the subject of your book? Maybe you have good sales in the genre. Or an incredible author platform from one or more social media.

Avoid stretching the truth to make yourself seem more important. If all you have is an amazing book it is best to mention that, This is my debut novel. Leave it at that. If your pitch is on point, your manuscript will  do the talking when they request more pages.

Your query letter stands between you and your traditional publishing dreams. In essence, a query letter is a marketing page that talks up your book, without overselling it. You must walk a very fine line between selling your manuscript without coming across like the parent who knows his kid is the best player on the bench.

Writing a great query letter requires a great hook, a strong voice, and a clear premise. The first sentence should immediately catch the reader’s attention, while the subsequent text should leave the reader wanting to dive further into the pages of the manuscript.