Thinking you’ll need to find a literary agent at some time in the near, or distant, future? There’s no time like the present to start researching the query process.
Sure, a one-page letter seems insignificant in relation to the 300+ pages of your book, but don’t be deceived. Writing a successful query letter takes a great deal of thought and, most likely, several revisions before it will be ready to send off to agents.
Check out the following 15 websites and articles to help you better understand the query process, and write the best query letter possible:
- Query Shark, Janet Reid picks apart your query letters
- The Public Query Slushpile, Have your query critiqued by fellow writers
- Successful Queries, A compilation of winning queries, Guide to Literary Agents
- How to Write a Query, Agent Query
- What You Need Before You Query, Janet Reid, Literary Agent
- What’s NOT a Query Letter, Janet Reid, Literary Agent
- Query Letter Mad Lib, Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent
- How (and Whether) to List Your Publishing Credits, Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent
- What Should You Write in the Bio Paragraph of a Query Letter, Guide to Literary Agents
- Top Ten Query Mistakes, Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
- 10 Query Letter No-Nos, Writer’s Digest
- Basics of a Solid 3-Paragraph Query, Writer’s Digest
- How to Write a Successful Query, Writing-World.com
- Winning Query Letters, Charlotte Dillon
- The Query Letter in 3 Parts, Editor Unleashed
Have you come across any other great resources?
What’s the best advice you’ve found about how to write a successful query letter?