While I was at Life the Universe and Everything this year I took some great notes on a panel about queries. I hope the info can be of interest.
– Requested information: is what you put in the subject of an email in response to an agent asking for a synopsis of chapters.
– Query is what you put in the subject of an email. We do the query.
– Don’t wear can tell your book is completed.
– If an agent/publisher, ask for your book respond within 24 hours.
– Have a synopsis rate to go before has to be asked for.
– Query shark is a website that can help keep track of agents and queries.
– Queries us on yourself.
– Researcher agents and the small presses and publishers.
– Get PDF file: from the query to the call.
– Thank an agent/publisher for asking for your material.
– If you don’t address your query by specific name or know what you looking for your wasted your time.
– Go to conferences and pitch to agents.
– There are three parts to a query: 1. The snippet about the book and word count, 2. Is about the main plot that is not included the subplots. Gives chief plot, protagonist, antagonist and does not in the subplots. Do not give away the ending. 3. The third paragraph is a brief bio was in your credentials. If you haven’t published and maybe share your social networking success. If you have a lot of followers in your social media indicated.
– Draft different pitches that can be used, and scenarios.
– Establish a brand online.
– Look at the book you love to read and written acknowledgment page to find the editor. That it may be for you want to submit to
– Your queries need to grab them. The first 15 seconds
– agent query.com
– Include a synopsis in the first chapter at the bottom of the email. Never do attachments.
– Agents/publishers want to know that you know how to sell yourself.
– Don’t start you query with the question. Tell your friend a brief synopsis of your story and had the repeated back to you to see what they found to be important or memorable.
– Economy of phrasing is key.
– You only as famous and popular as people think you are use more evocative words that have punch.
– Match mood of your query to the mood of the book.
– Focus on every single sentence. Have each word count and serve multi-purposes.
– Get a professional proofreader editor for your manuscript.
– The query will need to motivate the reader to think I want to read this book.
– Read comments in query shark
– on books that have a series state “standalone with series potential”.
– Characters, conflict and the choices they have, to make an resulting consequences to the plot. Character, conflict, consequences, consistency. Limit your query to force it on each of these topics, and then expand
– Query should be under 250 words
– to establish writing credentials, and a contest.
– Show that you have successful blog in your bio
– publishers marketplace offers first five days free. Gives of subscriber a chance to copy and paste the list and then unsubscribe
– literary rambles: gives a list of specific agents and create links and articles to that agency doing about them. It gives you a chance to know and mass personalities of you to the agent.
– Before accepting an agents offer talk to the clients of that agent. Don’t be afraid to join an agents blog and comment with them
Have suggestions to add to the list, please add them in the comment section of this blog. Thanks
