What is a Query or Covering Letter?

A query or covering letter [1] is your entry point to the traditional publishing world. In most cases, publishing houses do not accept unsolicited manuscripts or, at least, any manuscripts not endorsed and represented by an agent, especially so for the Big Five publishers.

The query letter is a one-page note asking a literary agent if they’re interested in representing your book ‒ and getting them excited about it. Securing an agent for your manuscript is the first step in your publishing journey if you’re going along the traditional publishing route. Agents may receive hundreds of queries a month, and they might only sign four or five authors per year. This means your query letter is a significant document.

The Challenge

A query letter is about making a good impression and generating interest. The goal is to sell your story, and then yourself. The challenge is to condense the essence of your entire book into approximately 300 to 400 words at most. Keep the letter short and to the point.  It’s recommended that you write no more than a page.

The Format

There’s no standard format that all authors use for their letters. However, a query is a business document and as such should look like a formal one-page business letter.

Set the margins to 2.54 cm (one inch) an all sides. Block format the text, left-justify and use double-space between paragraphs.

Don’t handwrite the query letter. Type it on white paper using a black, 12-point standard font, like Times New Roman, Arial or Courier, nothing unusual, exotic or flouncy.

Format with your address, email and telephone number at the top of the page, right justified. Next, type the agent or publisher’s address, this time left justified.

Add the date below that on a separate line.

Use a personalised greeting where you acknowledge the agent by name.

The Structure

Keep the body of your query letter from three to five paragraphs.

Paragraph One: 

Start with the reason why you’ve written the letter: it’s topic and purpose. Mention your book’s title (in italics or in quotation marks), genre, word count and target audience. The word count is an essential piece of information. Provide a very brief one-sentence summary of the book and why you wrote it.

This paragraph is your opportunity to hook the literary agent and make them pay attention. Your hook should show them how your book is different from the thousands of others in your genre. If you’ve published before, you may want to mention that upfront.

Share any connection you have with the agent or add a referral from an established author or a publishing insider. Personalise the letter to the agent by referencing their existing clients or quoting something the agent has written or said in public.

Paragraphs Two and Three: 

Now that you’ve hooked the agent, it’s time to summarise your story. Provide a somewhat longer introduction to the book. (Do not include too many details here; they belong in the synopsis. [2]) You may need more than one paragraph for this. Explain what your book is about and why a reader will feel compelled to read it.

The ‘what’ element is about information: discuss your settings, your premise, your main characters (no more than three or four) and outline the plot. Show the conflict of the story as much as possible.

The ‘why’ element is about the emotional themes, tensions and atmosphere in the story. Agents want to see the connections between characters, their relationships, etc. Don’t give away the entire plot, though. Leave the agent wanting more and eager to learn about the outcome.

Paragraph Four: 

Add your biographic information, but make sure it’s relevant to writing. Briefly indicate why you are uniquely qualified to write the book and what separates you from other authors; it’s especially important if you’ve written non-fiction.

Mention any critical recognition or awards you’ve received for your previous work. Refer to your writing credentials (e.g. education, courses and conferences) and related writing experience, i.e. your writing history. Detail the names of authors with whom you may have studied. This is a good tactic to use if you don’t have many publishing credits.

If you are writing a series, you should say so. Agents will like the fact that you recognise the series potential of your work and that you are committed to taking the steps needed to develop it.

Paragraph Five:

Write the closing statements. Tell the agent why you have chosen to send the query letter to them. Mention what drew you to them and why you think you would be a good fit as one of their clients. Be as specific as possible.

Indicate that you have understood the submission guidelines and, if you like, list what you have attached in the submission package (given you’re doing so by email). Thank the agent for their time and consideration. Sign off with a simple closing, such as Sincerely, Cordially, Warmly, etc.

What you should do when writing a Query Letter

Use short paragraphs and short sentences, when possible. Make it easy for the agent to read your letter by writing clearly and concisely.

Your query letter should be written in a similar tone to your narrative. Write it so that it embodies the spirit of your book.

Make sure that your hook and summary make up around half of your query letter.

Your query letter must be error-free and written in a focused, professional and realistic style. Show the agent that you can write well.

You can list possible readers demographics, e.g. “Readers of Stephen King and Dean Koontz will be drawn to my story.”

Research agents so you can personalise your query. Show the agent that you put in the time and have targeted them in your search for the right agent for your book. 

Try to indicate why you’re pitching your book to that specific agent. Whether the agent represents other authors you love or the same genre as your book, it helps if your book is a good fit with their area of interest.

Follow submission guidelines. Be careful about reading agents’ individual guidelines; they vary. Their specific requirements will always be spelt out for you at their websites.

Address each specific agent by name if possible. Using a “to whom it may concern” address is unprofessional and careless.

Above all, before you even write a query letter, it’s essential to have a completed and polished manuscript or a non-fiction book proposal with 30 to 50 polished sample pages.

Mention that your book has been reviewed by a professional editor and copy editor. Agents love that; it makes you appear more serious about your writing and it adds more weight to your query letter.

What you should not do when writing a Query Letter

Don’t go beyond one page; it’s presumptuous and unprofessional.

Don’t oversell your book or sound arrogant; it’s rude and agents don’t appreciate the attitude.

Don’t self-deprecate or be overly modest, either. If you don’t believe in you book, why should the agent?

Don’t forget to include your SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope), unless you’re emailing your query and expecting an email response

Don’t turn your bio into a memoir. Only discuss information that is directly relevant to the novel you’re pitching.

Final Thoughts

Aside from the near constant rejection writers face (persevere!), crafting the perfect query letter is one of the hardest parts of trying to get published. Writing it might feel even more daunting than authoring your novel, but it doesn’t need to be. Use guidelines in this post to get your query letter noticed by a busy literary agent and get closer to achieving your publishing goals.

Please review the services I offer to learn more about how I can help you prepare your manuscript and query letter. Contact me at email: renellj@proofperfect.co.nz or M: +64 29 1230 158.

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 [1] In New Zealand, Australia and the UK, authors, publishers and literary agents tend to use the term ‘covering letter’, whereas in the USA and Canada, its commonly referred to as a ‘query letter’. It is the same thing.

[2] The synopsis is a separate document that forms part of your submission package. It is a short summary of your story in its entirety (including the ending and any twists) that follows the same broad structure as your novel. It is usually about 500 to 800 words in length.