Query

What I learned from the query process

June 15, 2010

It’s kind of a shame each of us only has to land a literary agent once. Okay, not that much of a shame. Who wants to go through that again? But now that I’m done querying, I feel far more prepared to do it again. And since hopefully there will be no next time, I’ll […]

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Example of a query that worked

June 9, 2010

I love practical advice. What do I love even more? Practical advice with examples. So today I’m sharing the query I sent to literary agents with the hopes that it will help you create your own pitch letter. I’m no expert on this, and my query isn’t perfect. But it’s the result of a lot […]

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Querying your memoir: manuscript or proposal?

May 3, 2010

So you’re writing a memoir. Should you complete your manuscript before approaching agents? Or query with only a proposal? I’ve touched on this topic here and here and here, but it comes up so often in the memoir-writing community — and there’s so little advice available online — that it’s time I addressed it outright. […]

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Writers' Roundup: March 19

March 19, 2010

Great convo in the comments of Monday’s post on building community around your blog. It’s worth checking out if you haven’t yet. Some great links out there this week: From GalleyCat, a podcast with literary critic Laura Miller on the evolution of the book review. Interesting conversation at literary agent Elana Roth’s blog about whether […]

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When to query?

May 15, 2009

Maybe I’m going about this all backwards. During an Editor Unleashed live chat on Wednesday, literary agent Jessica Faust not only critiqued my query, she also made me reconsider my writing and publishing plan. I was under the impression that an agent and publisher would consider my book based on a quality proposal and sample […]

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Literary agent critiques my query

May 14, 2009

During an Editor Unleashed forum on Wednesday, literary agent Jessica Faust critiqued my query (the same query I shared with you in a previous post). Her critique is very specific and quite helpful, which is why I’m sharing it here in full: Never start out with “hoping I’m the right agent” it gives the impression […]

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Query tip

May 10, 2009

I love this query tip from Michael Larsen‘s How to Write a Book Proposal. For snail-mail queries, he suggests sending a self-addressed, stamped postcard that reads: Please send the proposal __ Sorry, we can’t help __ Plus the name of the agent, for the writer’s benefit. “No matter how busy they are, agents and editors […]

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The all-important query

May 6, 2009

A query is a pitch to a literary agent, asking him or her to look at your book proposal and hopefully represent your work. There are lots of resources on the Web that explain how to write the perfect query letter. The one-page letter should give a summary of the book’s plot and theme, as […]

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