If you’re looking to get published, you need to understand the nuances of query letters. The query letter forms the foundation of your pitch to the agent or publisher, informing them of who you are and your work.
The query letter is crucial to the success of a publisher picking you up and working with you. So, it pays to know what they’re looking for when they read it, and, more importantly, the mistakes to avoid when sending it.
The agent or publisher receives hundreds of query letters from aspiring authors each month, and yours needs to stand out from the pack. By knowing what to avoid when drafting your query letter, you up the odds of the agent or publisher taking you seriously and asking you for an interview.
Take the following to mind when writing your query letter and avoid the painful sting of rejection.
Mistake #1 – Incorrect Format and Appearance
Your query letter has weak formatting like “ALL CAPS,” esoteric or colored fonts, or quotes in your signature. Your letter might also lose its formatting after you email it to the recipient. To avoid this mistake, send a friend a copy of your email before submitting it to the publisher.
Mistake #2 – Bad Blurbs
The biggest errors with blurbs include overusing characters and secondary characters when the emotional hook should be the main character. Also, using thematic instead or plot-driven descriptions. Don’t try and tell the entire story in the blurb, use it to tease the agent or publisher into reading the rest of the query letter.
Mistake #3 – Failing to Lead with the Facts
Skip rhetorical questions, agents and publishers find them annoying. It’s more effective to use facts or the reader feels you’re trying to manipulate them by creating sensation. Leading with the facts gets to the point, without wasting the reader’s time.
Mistake #4 – Using the Wrong POV, Tense, and Pronouns
It’s common for writers to change the point-of-view in their query letter as they progress. They’ll start writing in the first person and finish in the third person. This mistake shows amateur use of POV in their writing, giving a bad first impression of their work. Master the use of pronouns and watch the tenses you use throughout the query letter. It’s common for writers to start in the present tense and finish in the past, showing weak formal writing skills.
Mistake #5 – Mentioning Self-published books or Prior Manuscripts
You might be proud of your previous two unpublished works, but the agent or publisher doesn’t care. Mentioning them causes the publisher or agent to wonder why no-one picked up your work before, and why they should be the first to take a chance on you. Or they might think you’ll want them to take on your past projects, when they don’t see any value in them.
Mistake #6 – Don’t Grovel
Professionals want to deal with confident and competent people, not desperate authors. Don’t mention your lack of experience or how you’ve tried to get the industry to see the value in your work to no avail. Resist the urge to be humble, confidence sells.
Mistake #7 – TL;DR
Your bio should convey the interesting aspects of your personality, but avoid adding too much information. You don’t need to share your life story. Include relevant information, and leave the rest. If your novel is about the Afghan war, it’s fine to include your military background. The publisher and agent don’t want to know you missed a college scholarship because you got a knee injury in high school, landing you in the service.
Mistake #8 – Insincere Flattery
Flattery will get you nowhere. Telling the agent you admire their firm is generic and irrelevant. They know they’re good, and they don’t need you to remind them. Unless the compliment is relevant, leave it out.
Mistake #9 – Including Cover Art
Including cover art shows you don’t know how the industry works. Publishers have design teams that take care of that for you. It also indicates you want more creative control and may cause problems for them in the publishing process.
Mistake #10 – Including Copyright Symbols
The industry standard is to avoid using copyright symbols in your work. You’re handing the rights over to the publisher when you sign with them. Once again, this shows you want creative control.
Pro Tip – Avoid Using these Common Phrases in Your Query Letter
“This is my first manuscript ever.”
You might think this statement showcases you talent and confidence. In reality, it shows you’re an amateur with no industry knowledge.
“I’ve been a writer all my life.”
If you’re telling the agent you were born to be a writer, you’re telling them you’re a newbie with big dreams. They’ll hesitate to sign anyone that overestimates their capabilities. The reality is every author is a born writer, and everyone in their inbox dreams of landing that big book deal.
“I’m confident all ages and audiences will love this book.”
This statement shows the agent you haven’t researched your audience and it has no targeted appeal to a specific demographic. Essentially, you’re telling them no one will find your work appealing.
“My book will make a great movie.”
Every author dreams of their book landing them a movie deal, but few ever reach this lofty goal. Your query letter must focus on representing and selling your work to the agent or publisher, not what you think they can do with it. Let the agent or publisher decide if the manuscript is screen worthy or deserves merchandising opportunities.
“This will be a book Oprah will want in her book club.”
That’s a blanket statement with no supporting evidence. Have you personally spoken to Oprah’s team? Do you have a guarantee of that directly from the mouth of Oprah herself? Don’t make assumptions you can’t back up with evidence.
“My family and friends love my writing.”
Everybody’s support group loves their work. They don’t want to crush your dreams by telling you your book needs improvement. Using these statements shows you don’t have confidence in your abilities. The agent or publisher doesn’t care if your dad likes your work – unless they’re a renowned literary critic.
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