Amanda Woody shared this sample query letter to the Twitter #writingcommunity on Jan. 8, 2019.
Dear Ms. __, Start w 1-2 sentence personalization. Ex: I noticed on MSWL/an interview with M4L that you enjoy “soft-spoken boys” and “friends-turned-lovers,” so I think you’d be a great fit for my MG Fantasy: ____!
Here’s my 1-2 sentence PitMad-like hook that’ll drop your jaw. Ex: When MC discovers __, he must __, before __ happens.
Mine: 12-yr-old Noah assumes he’ll be a mute forever—until a snow princess named December gives him 30 days to speak, or she’ll turn him to crystal.
This is extending my pitch. This is my MC, and why he’s compelling. This is his problem. This is what he’s going to do about it. This is what might happen if he doesn’t succeed. This part should be ~ 150-200 words.
Hint: don’t say “their world is turned upside down”
BOOK TITLE stands at ___ words, and contains…(insert compelling qualities. EX: POC characters, sword-wielding lesbians, a flawed but lovable female protag, dual POV, etc.) This should be one sentence with a few elements, which bleeds into the bio.
Here are my credentials, including Twitter/Wattpad/etc. follower counts and published works! Wait, I don’t have those. Instead, I’ll say I’m debut, an English major, and work as a restaurant manager in Michigan!
Thank you for evaluating my 250-350-worded single-spaced query with double-spaced sample pages! (Don’t actually say this though, lol. Thank you for your time is fine.)
Sincerely, Author Who Just Nailed That Query
Your query should be between 3-4 paragraphs. Intro+hook, plot synopsis, bio. If anyone has questions, I’ll gladly answer them to the best of my ability. I hope this helps at least a little, #writingcommunity! –
Amanda Woody
© 2019, Michael Shawn Sommermeyer. All rights reserved.
