When it comes to querying, there isn’t one perfect query formula that will always capture the hearts of agents and publishers alike. However, most agents and editors will want to see certain formulaic elements that appear in winning queries, like the ones listed in this article.
Since many queries are geared towards agents, we’ll use that term throughout the post, but these tips can be used for editors, as well.
Check out the formula below on how to capture an agent or publisher’s attention without creeping them out.
1. The Greeting
First impressions matter.
Include the name of the agent and spell their name correctly.
2. Comps
If there are any comparable titles in the market published within the last few years, use the THIS X THIS formula. For instance:
My Book Title is Pride & Prejudice meets Moby Dick, the perfect combo of history and whaling.
3. Manuscript Details
Include the genre, word count, and completion status.
Example #1: My Book Title is a picture book complete at 560 words.
Example #2: My Book Title is a completed Young Adult urban fantasy of 92,000 words.
Example #3: My Book Title is a 56,000-word narrative nonfiction book with three chapters complete. Full manuscript can be completed within 3-4 months.
4. Your Credentials
Under the pitch, include why YOU are the perfect person to write this story. Tell them about previous publications, social media numbers, and anything else that you would deem relevant for this particular story.
5. Simultaneous Submission
A simultaneous submission is when you send the same query to 1) other agents in different agencies and/or 2) agents within the same agency.
Be sure to check the agent’s submission guidelines to see if they accept simultaneous submissions. Many agencies do not want you to send the same query to more than one agent within their agency. You may see language like, “a no from one, is a no from all,” or “If the agent you query passes, they may refer you to another agent within their agency but at their discretion.”
Remember, the purpose of a query is to have an agent want to read your full manuscript or open your proposal. It’s a key element to help you reach the “I want to represent you,” phase.
Did you have a winning query? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.
No doubt, nothing stresses out writers more than having to pitch to agents and editors in person.
After all, in ten minutes, we have to boil down into mere sentences projects we’ve worked on for years. And if we lose their interest, we might miss an opportunity to jump over the slush pile.
So what do we do when we want to pitch our books at a conference?
First, take a deep breath. In this post, we’ll walk you through some tips on how to craft the perfect conference pitch.
Step One: Remember, They’re People, Too
Many of them have sat at the other end of the table. They’ve pitched to editors, agents, or industry professionals. We’ve all started somewhere, so approach this “pitch” like a conversation.
They simply want to hear about your project, what gets you excited about it, and how you think you can market it in the current industry.
Practice with a friend beforehand if you have to, or another conferee outside the pitch room.
Step Two: Nail the Elevator Pitch
Don’t spend the whole ten minutes telling them why Liam, a side character, has an arc that will disrupt the romantic tension between Himari and Kevin. We don’t have time for all of that.
Boil your pitch down to 25 words if you can, and leave them wanting more.
The less you say, the more questions they’ll ask:
Tell me more about the main character?
What are some books in your genre that are similar to this?
How does it end?
Etc.
Step Three: Don’t Do/Say the Following
“This is my first time pitching.” Act like you know what you’re doing. The more relaxed you are, the more you’ll set the agent or editor at ease.
Flirt. Please, just don’t. We can’t tell you how many men and women flirt with agents and editors at these conferences. Flatter, in this case, will get you nowhere.
Get upset if they don’t offer a contract. Most editors and agents don’t. They want to meet you at these one-on-one appointments to taste-test the idea and get to know you. You will likely not walk away with a book deal.
Belittle the agent or the publishing house. It sounds straight-forward, but we cannot tell you how many times people made age-ist, sexist, or any other “ist” comments at these events. Respect the agent and the editor and the hard work they’ve done to get to their position in the industry.
Step Four: You Can Bring Materials with You…
But many won’t want to take them.
We simply don’t have enough time to read three chapters in ten minutes. You can bring business cards, one-sheets, and chapter samples, but mostly likely, they’ll ask you to email them the information instead.
Step Five: Prepare Yourself for Any and All Questions
Just like when you prep for a job interview, you’ll want to be prepared for any questions they may ask you at a conference pitch session. Some of these may include:
Tell me about your platform?
Do you have any other projects?
Tell me why you wrote this project in particular?
Do a Google search on FAQs for conference pitches, and come in prepared.
Step Six: Watch for the Lean
If an editor or agent leans in, they’re interested.
If they lean back, you may want to pitch other projects. Don’t worry if you don’t have all of your projects finished. Most don’t have a strict deadline for when you can send the materials.
Step Seven: Follow-Up
Most agents and editors, if they feel like the project will fit them, will request you send it to their inbox. This doesn’t by any means guarantee a project. But, surprisingly, only a small selection of authors who get this invitation will actually submit.
Take the chance and actually submit the manuscript. At worst, they can send a no. And more likely, they’ll send more detailed feedback because they met you in person.
Say you’re pitching an agent or an editor, and you worked countless hours on perfecting that query.
Now you’ve got their attention, or you’re sitting face-to-face with them at a conference.
Then come the words, “Please send me your book proposal.”
Gulp. Hadn’t prepared for that. What now?
Don’t panic. A book proposal is basically a 10-50 page document that essentially tells the publisher why they should publish your project, and why you’re the best person to write it.
Now, don’t let that 10-50 number scare you. Your first three chapters (or children’s manuscript if you write PB or board books) will take up the majority of that space.
As for the rest of it? Here we go…
The Overview
Potentially the most important part of your proposal, aside from the marketing section, is the overview.
Particularly for nonfiction, you’ll want to answer some questions:
What is the problem your book will fix?
How will your book help readers?
Why are you the person to write this book?
Convince the publisher that your book is necessary and you’re on your way!
Manuscript Details
Summarize the basic information of your book in this section:
Genre
Word Count
Completion Date (As a general rule, novels and picture books should be complete.)
Target Audience
Understanding your target demographic is important.
Who is going to read your book? Who are you writing it for?
We like to include a specific target audience and then broaden it with a secondary audience, tertiary audience, and affinity groups or organizations.
Remember that sometimes you’re writing to one audience but marketing to another. In the case of children’s books, your target audience is little ones, but they aren’t the ones who make purchases.
The Marketing Section
The marketing section is vital.
Now, more than ever, publishers want to only take on qualified writers. This means you book speaking engagements regularly, have a decent social media following, have an ample email list, and plan to expand all of those every year.
Start off this section with a headshot and bio, highlighting aspects that work in your favor as to why you’re the person to write this book.
Share those platform numbers. Don’t worry if you don’t have 170K followers. Flaunt what you’ve got.
Some quick tips:
Quantify Everything: Show via numbers your current platform (“I have 30K followers across all my social media platforms), and the current growth you’ve experienced. Maybe you only have 200 email subscribers, but if you have an open rate of 70%, include that. Show how you plan to grow and how much you’ve grown already.
Don’t Say: “I don’t have platform,” or even worse: “I’ll do the writing and people will flock to my book. You’ll see.” No, they won’t. People buy who they know, good writing or not.
Be Creative: Maybe you don’t have a huge social media following, but maybe you regularly speak at schools or frequently are on staff at conferences. Mention what types of platform you do have.
Experience Can Count: Publishers would much rather take on an “#OWNvoices” book from an author with a little less platform than an author who is writing a book on a similar topic, but doesn’t have personal experience with that subject. If you have a personal connection with the text or characters, include it.
This section also includes your endorsement list.
Who do you know, relevant to your book topic, that will endorse and promote your book? If you can obtain an endorsement ahead of time, get it!
If your endorser agrees to share and promote your book on their social media following, TV show, radio show, podcast, or share with their email list, include that, too. #BorrowedPlatform
The Synopsis or the Chapter Breakdowns
For novelists: Basically in one to three pages, single-spaced, you’ll explain what happens in your book. Remember, “only the facts, ma’am.”
Don’t tell every side plot or character. Just stick with the essentials, put it in third person present (yes, even if you write in a different tense in the book), capitalize the character’s name when you introduce them (“DANNY BELTE arrives at Emmanuel Academy on Tuesday”), and please, please, please include the ending.
Yes, mystery writers, even you.
Publishers will want to know how it ends.
As for nonfiction writers, you’ll provide an outline for each of the chapters. You don’t have to go incredibly in-depth, but a simple formula is to share the subject matter and reader takeaways.
You don’t need to share all the details of every story or illustration you’ll be writing about. Just let the publisher know how the chapters will flow.
The Comparative Titles
The Comps section of a proposal…ay yi yi.
Yes, there are books out there on the market like yours. Please don’t say, “There’s nothing like it.”
And publishers will want to know what’s selling NOW that’s similar to your book.
Remember these fast and quick tips:
No Self-Published Titles: Unless they happen to be selling millions of copies, only use traditionally published books.
Published in the Last 10 Years (Five is Better): Yes, that means “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” can’t be comp. titles.
Be Realistic: Don’t put every single number one bestselling book in your genre just to make it sound like your book will sell, sell, sell. Put some B-list and C-list titles in there. Really do your research and ACTUALLY read the books in your genre. Don’t just look at an Amazon description and hope it’s similar.
Some places to look for comps are Amazon, bookstore shelves in your genre, and Goodreads.
The First Three Chapters
These are by far the most important part of any proposal. Make sure those first three chapters positively glow, especially that first page.
And by first three, we mean start with Chapter One, not the Prologue or Introduction.
Although publishers will want to know your platform and comp. titles, they care most about this. So have as many eyes on this as possible before you submit.
What makes games addictive and holds your attention through a 2-hour movie? Or a 400+ page book for that matter! This week we’re taking a deep look at the secret to good entertainment. Plus a quick review of Rise of Skywalker and what it can teach you about writing amazing fiction! Thumbnail graphics by Gerhard Janson and Scozzy from Pixabay.
Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Best Selling Author of The Tracy Crosswhite series, The Charles Jenkins Series and the David Sloane series.
His books have sold over 5 million copies in over 25 countries, and his novels My Sister’s Grave and The Eighth Sister have been optioned for television development. Robert and I discussed the ins and outs of writing crime thrillers and police procedurals. Here’s a look at our conversation.
Good libraries are essential to a strong community. In this episode, Britt Mooney and Steven Faletti recap and discuss the Gwinnett County Public Library Gala, Puttin’ on the Litz, an event to raise money for the local library. Then Steven shares Natara, ch. 11 of the sci fi story Singularity. Listen and vote!
Listen here:
In this episode:
Britt and Steven talk about the Gwinnett County Library.
They recap Puttin’ on the Litz, the Library Gala to raise money.
