Haven't you always wondered if up is really down? Does love always have to hurt? Do you want to see my manuscript? I think I've made my point, but I will blather on a bit anyway: DON'T OPEN YOUR QUERY WITH A QUESTION. YOU WILL NOT GET THE ANSWER YOU'RE EXPECTING. An agent/editor skims through... Continue Reading →
Today we have a query letter for the amazing picture book, Otto Grows Down, by one of the members of the club, author Michael Sussman. Otto Grows Down is a fun story with a great hook. It was published by Sterling Publishing in 2009. Let's take a look at Michael's letter that lead to the... Continue Reading →
As Heather posted a few weeks ago, not all agent/editors answer queries. But even the ones who state they do, often drop the ball. I sympathize. They are BUSY, OVERWHELMED PEOPLE WITH OVERFLOWING INBOXES. Stuff can get lost, shunted into a pipeline to look at closer when there's more time and then FALL INTO THE... Continue Reading →
How do you sneak your social media info into your query? Hey. You peeked. Look in your email settings and find the signature option. Once you've filled out this area, your signature will appear at the bottom of every email you send. Some things you might put in your signature: a tagline your website your... Continue Reading →
Who doesn't like talking about themselves? Well, actually, most writers. Because we're shy, retiring introverts. In the main. But if you don't toot your own horn, who's going to? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g592I-p-dc The trick is to toot cleverly, and at just the right tone and volume to get an agent or editor's attention. The first fact in... Continue Reading →
As something a bit different today, I'm posting the query letter that sold a non-fiction article sent on spec to a magazine. This particular article was for adult writers, but I think the principles of writing such a query letter are the same: Start with a big hook Show why you are the one especially... Continue Reading →
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