When working on a query letter it can be great to look at those that worked. A simple letter that puts the story front and center is best. Lucky for us, author Amy Dixon was kind enough to share the query letter for her fun picture book, Marathon Mouse! Here’s her letter:
Dear Ms. Reynolds:
The mice of New York City dread the day of The New York City Marathon more than any other. All of them, that is, except for Preston, who lives underneath the starting line. He has always dreamed of becoming a marathon runner. This year, Preston is determined to train hard, dodge sneakers, and cross that finish line, showing his family that mice can do much more than just scurry.
Enclosed for your consideration is my picture book manuscript of 790 words titled Marathon Mouse. In the last two years, there has been a surge in marathon and half-marathon participation in the US. I believe this manuscript would be a welcome addition in a market that lacks picture books about running. There is a unique culture in the racing world that both parents who participate and kids who cheer on the sidelines know and love. I hope to have captured some of that uniqueness in this story.
I have been so impressed with Skyhorse Publishing’s dedication to producing great sports books, and am excited to see Sky Pony Press do the same in the kidlit arena. I am an active member of SCBWI and am grateful for the opportunity to have you consider my manuscript. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely, Amy Dixon
Amy’s first paragraph does a great job of explaining the heart of her story, introducing her character, and giving the flavor of the manuscript. The second paragraph shows that there’s an audience for the book. Amy’s personalization in the third paragraph is simple and polite. All in all a nice query letter that lead to a book sale. Three cheers for Marathon Mouse!
You can find Amy Dixon on her website http://www.amydixonbooks.com/
Sub It Club 
That first paragraph is an incredible pitch. Just, wow!
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Thanks for sharing this, Heather! And thanks to Amy for letting us see an example of a winning query letter.:)
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Very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing Amy and Heather!
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Thank you for sharing! How do you know who to address the letter to? You write Ms. Reynolds but the guidelines only say skyponysubmissions at skyhorsepublishing dot com.
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It sounds like you need to do some research Yvona. For example, if you put Skypony Press Editor into an internet search you’re going to find quite a bit of information. I would suggest you read up on each editor that you find and submit to the one that you think might best fit with your work. You might want to check out our Submissions 101 posts, especially the one on Personalizing Your Query Letter: https://subitclub.wordpress.com/2015/12/03/submissions-101-personalizing-your-query-letter/
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