A query letter is a brief, compelling pitch sent to literary agents to seek their representation for a completed fictional novel.
This article is for writers are who are new to the writing process and would like to learn more about writing queries. We’re going to cover the basic elements that will help you communicate the key information agents are looking for.
Before we dig in, we want to be clear that there are no firm rules here.
There’s a lot of different ways to write a good query letter. You can break the mold and still succeed. The only real constant is the goal — to capture an agent’s attention and have them so excited they want to go straight to your opening pages.
Let’s get started!
The 6 parts of a query:
While you don’t have to include these key details in this exact order, the sample query we’ve included in this post does follow the list above because we know it works. Click here to jump down and get a look at the full query.
1. The Personalized Open
Open your query the way you would a formal business letter, and explain why you’ve chosen to query that specific agent or agency.
If the agent has posted a wish list online (e.g., on Manuscript Wishlist, MS Wishlist, or on their agency or personal webpage), and you feel your story is a good fit for their list, you can weave that into your personalized open.
Here’s an example:
The goal is to communicate why you chose to query this specific agent. It’s a bit like applying for a job. You need to do some homework before you send the cover letter. Aim for a personable tone, without being over-familiar. If an agent regularly posts about their dog on Instagram, don’t mention that in your query, even if your dog has the same name.
2. The Blurb
This is an engaging summary of your story, communicating who the main character is, what they want, what’s standing in their way, and the stakes. The Blurb is the heart of the query — it’s how you hook the agent.
Some people like to open their query with this section because they want to dive right into the story, and that’s fine.
Here’s an example:
There are many approaches for writing the blurb. We’re going to share two tried-and true options.
For a single point-of-view (POV) story:
- Introduce the main characters
- Increase tension
- Name or raise stakes
- End on a cliffhanger (an impossible choice for the character), if you can
Keep this tight with no repeated words, and try to limit the blurb to only two characters (the protagonist and antagonist, or the protagonist and the love interest). Aim to be under 150 words. If that’s impossible, don’t worry about it. There’s no firm rule. But, as is true in all forms of writing, the more succinct the better.
For dual POV romances, or stories with a significant romantic subplot:
- Introduce the main character (usually whoever has the POV in Chapter 1). Explain who they are at the start of the story and how the inciting incident affects them.
- Introduce the love interest, who they are, and then pick up from the events from the first paragraph and continue to escalate the plot.
- Explain who the characters are together, what challenges they face, and end on a hook that drives the reader to read your opening pages.
If you’ve written a story with multiple points of view, try to focus on two or three main characters and frame the query around them. You can mention that you’ve written a multi POV story elsewhere in the query (in the Housekeeping or Closing sections) and also in your synopsis.
3. Comps
Comps (comparison titles) are creative works that are similar to your story in some key way, like the setting, tone, themes, audience, or BIPOC or LGBTQ2S+ representation. And they come in two flavours: Market and Mood.
Market Comps are recent books (published in the last 3 years) in your genre and age category. This type of comp is essential in your query.
Mood Comps are movies, TV shows, and music, anything in pop culture that will immediately bring an image, sensation, tone, or feel to mind. This type of comp is optional.
You might be tempted to skip this section altogether, because finding comps is hard, especially if you are new to the genre you are writing. But Comps are critical.
They help with:
- Market Positioning (Market Comp): They offer agents an immediate sense of where your book fits within the market. By comparing your work to others, you’re showing there’s an audience for your book.
- Credibility and Understanding (Market Comp): Comps effectively show that you understand your genre and audience. It shows the agent that you’ve done your homework and are serious about your writing and its marketability.
- Expectation Setting (Market and Mood Comps): These set expectations regarding the content and potential of your novel. Well-chosen comps can convey your book’s potential success.
- Tone and Style (Market and Mood Comps): Comps can quickly convey the tone and style of your writing. For instance, mentioning that your work is a blend of two distinct authors’ styles can intrigue an agent by promising something that is both familiar and brand new, which agent really want.
In your query letter, you’re going to need to comp at least one recent book (published within the last 3 years) that is in the same genre and age category as your novel. Comping two books is ideal; three is fine too.
Here’s an example:
How do I know if a book or TV show is a good comp?
Good comps share a key element with your story. That can be the setting, tone, the theme, audience, and BIPOC or LGBTQ2S+ representation.
So if you wrote a queer cowgirl romance, you can comp any western romance, even if the romantic couple isn’t queer. You can comp a story that has a similar small-town setting or tone (serious, funny, light-hearted). You can comp a literary novel that highlighted the same themes that you hit in your novel. You can even use a country song that inspired the work, but make sure that isn’t your only comp, because you need at least one good Market Comp too.
Do not comp million-dollar, genre-changing success stories like Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. Misleading or overly ambitious comparisons can do more harm than good.
You want to be in the Goldilocks zone — find books that have done reasonably well, but not too well. Clearly defining “reasonably well” is a bit tricky, because a huge success in a niche area will have the same number of reviews on Amazon and GoodReads as a complete flop in a mainstream popular fiction genre.
For example, if you are writing a middle grade fantasy with witches, and you know you can’t comp Harry Potter (because it isn’t recent and it was an enormous success), take a look at other stories like The Trials of Morrigan Crow. Check out the number of reviews on both GoodReads and Amazon to get a sense of what makes a good comp, and, when in doubt, talk to your writing friends, or writers on social media like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
How do I find comps?
Here are a few suggestions:
- Read, read, read! You don’t have to go to the library or buy books. You can read the book blurbs on Amazon and the opening pages to get a sense of what is current in the market. If you find a book that you think is a perfect comp, read the whole book so you have a sense of the voice, perspective, pace, flow, themes, key turning points, how reflective the characters are.
- Talk to a librarian. You can call them or email them. They are friendly, knowledgeable, and they know what’s recent, what’s classic or genre defining, and which novels were absolutely game changing.
- Search Amazon. Search for books on Amazon and then scroll down and check out the “Customers who viewed this item also viewed” section.
- Search GoodReads. Read through blurbs and reviews and check out the “Readers also enjoyed” section.
- Try apps like LikeWise. (And tell us if you like it, because we haven’t tried that one yet.)
- Talk to your beta readers and critique partners. Chat with people who know about your book and ask if it reminds them of anything else they’ve read.
- Pay someone to research for you. If all else fails, there are authors out there who offer services to help you find comps. We haven’t used any ourselves, so we can’t recommend a specific service, but if you have a service you love, we’d love to hear about it! Please email us, by signing up for our newsletter (link at the bottom) and replying to that message.
If you’re new to writing and you find this overwhelming, we get it. Writing queries is hard, and most writers think finding comps is the worst part of the entire process.
But all you need is one!
You can do it!
We know you can, because if you’re ready to query, then you’ve already done something incredibly challenging that most people only dream of doing — you’ve written a whole novel!
Give your book its best shot and find a good Market Comp for your query.
4. Housekeeping
The housekeeping part of the query includes the word count, genre, and age category.
- Word count is the total number of words in your novel.
- Genre is the category of literature defined by its content, style, or form. Genre matters because it affects reader expectations. Examples of fiction genres are romance, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and thriller.
- Age category is the age range of the audience for the book. The standard age categories in publishing are Adult, New Adult, Young Adult, Middle Grade (including upper, mid, and lower), Chapter Books (including Early Readers), and Picture Books.
Here’s an example:
Word Count
This is really important to publishers, editors, and agents because the higher the word count, the higher the cost. But if the word count is too low, readers feel cheated and don’t want to buy the book.
So once again we are seeking the goldilocks zone, and that magic number changes depending on the genre and age category for your book.
Check out the BookEnds Agency’s Word Count Guidelines post for suggested word count ranges by genre.
Genre
Genres are fairly self-explanatory, unless you’re writing cross-genre. Agents like cross-genre books because they appeal to a broader audience, which could mean more sales, but you still need to be clear about where your book will be shelved in a bookstore and how your book will be marketed. Comps help with this.
Age Category
Your query needs to specify the age category for your book.
1. Adult (18 years and up) — these books are intended for an adult audience, featuring complex themes, mature content, and a depth of character and plot development that reflects experiences and challenges relevant to adult life. Your protagonists do not need to be adult age for your book to be in the adult age category.
2. New Adult (typically 18 to 30 years) — these books bridge the gap between Young Adult and Adult genres, focusing on the experiences and challenges of early adulthood, such as leaving home, going to college, developing sexuality, and navigating the adult world. Some agents and publishers do not list this as a category on their forms because it’s relatively new and it can be hard to market. If you run into that problem and your protagonist is 17-18, you can pitch your book as young adult (YA), and if they are older you can pitch it as adult.
3. Young Adult (typically 12 to 18 years) — these books are geared towards teenagers, exploring themes of identity, romance, friendship, and challenges of the transition from childhood to adulthood, often with a coming-of-age narrative. YA books often deal with gritty and challenging topics. Protagonists are generally 1-2 years older than the readership.
4. Middle Grade books cater to children who are developing their reading skills and preferences, featuring a wide range of genres and themes suitable for this age group, including friendship, adventure, and family. Protagonists are generally 1-2 years older than the readership.
They are divided into 3 sub-categories:
- Upper Middle Grade (typically 11-13 years): These books deal with more complex themes and narratives but still maintain appropriateness for younger readers.
- Mid Middle Grade (typically 9-11 years): Targets the core of the middle grade audience, balancing adventure and complexity with accessibility.
- Lower Middle Grade (typically 8-10 years): Best suited for the youngest in the range, featuring simpler stories that are easy to understand and often infused with humor and fun.
5. Chapter Books and Early Reader (5 to 9 years): These are for children who have graduated from picture books and are ready for longer stories divided into chapters but still benefit from some illustrations. They cover a wide variety of genres and are designed to be read independently by young readers. Early readers tend to be for 5 to 7 year olds and feature large text, simple sentences, and illustrations that help convey the story to build confidence in reading.
7. Picture Books (0 to 6 years): These are intended for younger children, combining visual art with storytelling. The illustrations are as important as the text, working together to tell the story. These include board books and cover a broad range of themes suitable for very young readers and are often read to children by adults or older children.
5. The Bio
The bio introduces you as a writer and provides relevant background information. Keep it short — just 2-3 sentences, if you can, focusing on details that are relevant to your writing and the story you are querying. The goal is to demonstrate that you are credible and serious about your writing career.
Here’s an example:
You can include your professional background, your personal connection to the story, and share how you’re connected to the writing community.
Professional Background
- Writing Credentials: Mention any previous publications, awards, or recognitions you’ve received related to writing. If you’ve been published in journals, magazines, or have had work featured in anthologies, include that here.
- Relevant Experience: If you have experience or expertise in the field related to your book’s topic, highlight this. For example, if you’re writing a medical thriller and have a background in medicine, that’s worth mentioning.
- Writing Education: Include any formal education or training in writing, such as degrees, certificates, workshops, or conferences you’ve attended, especially if they’re well-known or prestigious.
Personal Connection
- Personal Story: If there’s a personal story or experience that directly relates to the themes or story in your book, briefly share it. This helps agents see the personal passion or connection behind your work.
- Why You Wrote This Book: Briefly mention why you decided to write this book or why you’re the right person to tell this story. This is particularly relevant if your book deals with unique or niche subjects.
Community Engagement
- Writing Groups or Associations: Membership in writing groups, literary societies, or professional associations can demonstrate your commitment to the craft and your engagement with the writing community.
- Social Media and Platform: If you have an established presence on social media or a platform that relates to your writing or book topic, include it. This is especially relevant for non-fiction writers.
And here’s what you should never include:
- The story of your life.
- That you’ve been writing since you were a child.
- What your friend, neighbor, or family member thinks of your book.
- Unrelated university degrees (if you have a PhD in Criminology and you wrote a romcom about a baker, don’t mention your doctorate).
- Information that is too personal — if you wouldn’t put it in a job cover letter, don’t put it in your query letter.
- Information about your pets, hobbies, home life, or volunteering (unless that’s relevant to your story).
What to say if this is your first book and you feel you don’t have any relevant experience:
- Personal Connection to the Subject: Mention if your book has a particular theme or subject matter that you’re passionate about or have a unique perspective on.
- Relevant Skills or Interests: Highlight relevant skills, hobbies, or interests that relate to your book or the process of writing it.
- Writing-Related Activities: Mention writing-related activities, even if they’re not professional, including writing courses, workshops, and online writing groups.
- The Story Behind the Book: If there’s an interesting story behind why or how you wrote the book, consider including a concise version of it. This can add a personal touch that makes your query stand out.
Remember to keep it short. Choose one or two points that are most relevant or interesting. Focus on why you are the right person to write this book or how your perspective adds value.
An example:
Although I am a debut author, my deep passion for [subject/theme of the book] stems from [personal connection/experience]. This book is a culmination of [relevant interest, skill, experience], and I've devoted much time to researching and bringing these stories to life. My commitment to writing extends to [writing-related activities], where I've honed my craft and connected with a community of fellow writers.6. The Close
Wrap up your query in a professional way while inviting a response from the agent.
Here’s an example:
Some suggestions on what to include:
- Thank the Agent: Start by thanking the agent for their time and consideration. Acknowledging their busy schedule shows respect and professionalism.
- Manuscript Availability: It’s important to state that your manuscript is complete and available upon request.
- Open for Discussion: Express your willingness to answer any further questions they might have or to discuss your manuscript in more detail. This shows you’re open and ready to engage in the process. If you’ve had past interactions, you can express your hope for future discussions or mention looking forward to the possibility of working together.
- Professional Closing: End with a professional closing, such as “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” or “Warm regards,” followed by your name. If you haven’t already included it earlier, you may also include your contact information below your name.
Keep the closing professional, concise, and positive.
Free Download – The Full Query
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