Monday, February 8
Friday, February 5
Puzzling Queries - Part I
I won't be surprised if this blog post preaches to the choir - it likely will. I needed to get all of these things off my mind so that, in the second part of this series, I can dig a little deeper and start to examine why some of the better queries are rejected. Some issues can be fixed, others can't.
For now, here is my take on what queries should contain and how to avoid some of the more common mistakes that I see as an intern for a literary agent.Puzzling QueriesPart IAuthors send query letters to literary agents or to editors at small publishing houses. The purpose of the query letter is to convey information about a book and its author in order to garner enough interest for the person reading to request the manuscript. Any agency or book offer is later made based on the quality of the writing and any communication the publishing officials have with the author.A query letter contains a few basic elements—a hook, a book summary, a bio, and a list of credentials. This ‘template’ can often be manipulated based on the author’s experience with query letters; sometimes, the manuscript is written in a manner that isn’t easily explained with the standard hook or book summary (it may need to be elongated, for example)—regardless, those who stick with what is traditionally required have the best chance of success.While putting together the following ‘article,’ I wrote and revised pieces to a query letter for WHERE THE DOVES, my literary YA that I wish to query this year.Hook: This is typically a one- or two-sentence overarching summary of the book that must capture the spirit, theme, and/or plot of the novel. Some of the best hooks are short, but they can be longer. It is best to focus on the main characters and plot triggers. One suggestion is to focus on the first fifty pages—what happens to get the story rolling? If the answer to that question doesn’t exist in one’s first fifty pages, it may be likely that the novel began in the incorrect spot.I chose to write a longer hook:When 17-year-old artist Anna Sokolowska learns the Communist regime in Poland may implement martial law, she chooses to escape to East Berlin—unwilling to let the government stifle her artistic voice, eager to use her anti-Communist paintings as a tool for change.Book Summary: This expands upon the hook in a paragraph format. It should not repeat the content of the hook and should introduce the query reader to the critical components of the story. The summary requires a very careful balance between specific details and vagueness—questions relating to the world, to family members, to friends, to enemies, etc., should be trimmed to include only what is essential to get the agent to a) read the enclosed pages and/or b) to request the manuscript. It should create new questions instead of answering those posed in the hook.
There is also debate about making comparisons to books. What happens in 90% of cases is that the writer hasn’t read the books and is basing the comparison based off a back copy and a skimming of the first few pages. To truly compare books well, the writer must read extensively in the genre and know the nuances of book types. If you’re comfortable enough making a comparison, go ahead and do so, but don’t extrapolate—even to a degree—something that isn’t there.
Here is the content of my book summary:
The one thing that she fails to consider before leaving is that her abused mother and young brother need her more than she thinks they do.
Over the following twelve months Anna struggles against governmental corruption that has spread beyond Polish borders as she searches for an art gallery in which to showcase her set of genius anti-Communist-themed paintings. In the end, Anna must decide how she wishes to balance the harsh reality of poverty in the 1980’s with a passion for art, the Polish Solidarity movement, and her family.
WHERE THE DOVES FLY is a literary YA at approximately 76,000 words.
Bio & Credentials: These two components of the query letter are closely interrelated as it is rare for a novelist to have any personal background that would add interest to representing the novel, so instead writers will often list solely their credentials, if anything. This part of the query needs to be as efficient as the rest—no unnecessary information, and a pure listing of publications and awards (of a high caliber). Writers should avoid explaining things such as “This is my first novel, but I’ve been writing for years, and my family tells me that the like my stories.” That’s unprofessional—this is much like a resume.
What I listed in my bio:
My articles and short stories have been featured in New Moon, Teen Ink, Alive, multiple e-zines, and two Creative Communications anthologies. Last year I received a YoungArts 2010 Merit Award (top 5%) and interned with [editor; redacted], and now I intern with [agent; redacted]. In addition to writing and interning, I am a full-time student.
Additional Information: Additional information that could be relevant to the query letter includes a referral, meeting at a conference, or personalization. A previous entry of mine explained why I don’t think personalization really adds anything; some agents like to feel that the personalization is redundant, whereas others might like to see it—in the end, however, it’s about the story and the writing. These pieces of information should all be quick and business-like, not fluffy or cheesy.
These common mistakes can easily be avoided:
- Grammar mistakes: They won’t be the reason for an immediate rejection, but they will have that “bad taste in the mouth” effect for the agent.
- Addressing the agent incorrectly: Make sure that all of the technical information in the body of the query is specific to the agent you’re mailing.
- Inefficient writing: Your query must be as efficient as possible. If it’s long and rambling, it’s also likely that your manuscript will be of a similar nature. Work on perfecting both pieces of writing.
- Plot summary: The book summary shouldn’t summarize the entire plot—beginning to end. That’s the purpose of a synopsis. The purpose of the query, as aforementioned, is to raise questions that will be answered either in a synopsis or in the manuscript.
- Naïve credentials: Saying that your writing has been posted on Authonomy.com, for example, isn’t a credential—what’s worthy is if you’ve been published by publications that have an official submission process, offer cash prizes or other awards, etc. They also should be published in a professional magazine or e-zine. Also, saying that you “semi-finaled” in a competition that isn’t very large isn’t also worth much, according to some agents.
- Inability to identify within a genre: A list of multiple genres, such as “a romantic suspense with paranormal and thriller elements,” is a put-off because no book can be classified in romantic, suspense, paranormal, and thriller categories in a bookstore (I know that all of those sections don’t necessarily exist—just saying). Pick one, maybe two. The agent can always change it later if s/he disagrees.
Covering the wrong information:
As with plot, the query letter should not be a character study or a report on the historical setting for the novel. All of these things need to be well balanced to convey the right information—and just enough of it. I read too many queries that start in the wrong places and try to set up way too many things that degrade the value of the story in itself. It is that core story, very often external of the setting or the world (or at least not heavily dependent on its explanation), that is forgotten in the dump.
*
Email | Twitter | Facebook
I "Finished."
Don't be too excited.
I definitely am not finished with WHERE THE DOVES FLY.
I am, however, finished with WHERE THE DOVES FLY's finish. (Remember, I blogged about how I was stuck with the middle and decided to cut to the end. It worked!)
Here is the novel's last line, in first draft form:
Sometime soon, the four of us will return to the city of the doves, and the last twelve months, a cycle of seconds ticking by, can mark our own solidarity.I like it, surprisingly.
Now, I need to go and fill in the middle. Some ideas have been brewing, so I sure hope it won't be hard.
Email | Twitter | Facebook
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
