Query Letters

© Juliana Motzko

How to Write a Query Letter (at a Glance)  

A query letter is a letter geared toward literary agents or editors asking if they would like to see your manuscript. Query letters are your introduction and a TEASE of your book. Query letters need to be perfect, free of spelling and grammatical errors. They need to be concise and professional! Avoid gimmicks at all costs! 

If you're having difficulty writing one for your manuscript, a freelance editor or critique group can help. Below are additional resources to help get you on your way. Good luck!

How to Write a Query Letter - a Basic Breakdown

How to Write a Query Letter in 7 Simple Steps

My 6 Top Tips for Authors Querying Agents

In Closing: Resources We Love (great links to querying, synopsis-writing, more)

How to Write a Query Letter: Nonfiction and Memoir

20 Querying Tips from Roaring 20s Debuts

How's the Voice in Your Query Pitch?

Top Ten Query Tips

10 Things Not to Say in your Query - Advice from a Children's Publisher

Query Quiz: What Gets an Immediate Deletion v. Email Rejection

Querying a Complicated Book: Dissecting the Elephant

The Biggest Mistake Writers Make in Their Query Letters

Best of Ask the Agent: Kindly or Creepy? (on Personalization)

Don't Begin Query Letters with Empty Rhetorical Questions 

The "Voice of God" from Movie Trailers is Killing Your Query Letter

Bio Section

Query Letters That Worked

Good Websites

Sub It Club

How to Pitch Your Story

Pitch is Concept

The Art of Pitching: A Story in a Sentence


5 Tips on How to Write a Novel Synopsis

How to Write a Synopsis

How to Write a 1-Page Synopsis

The Importance of a Synopsis

3 Story Uses for a Synopsis

How to Write a Synposis

Anatomy of a Synopsis

The Hack's Guide to Writing a Synopsis

How to Write a Novel Synopsis