What goes into a query letter?
I've included a sample query letter that I've sent out,
and which garnered an agent contract immediately. You'll see that this query letter is:
• Short;
• To the point.
I could have spent a lot longer composing this letter --- I could have included a better
hook, and included the book's blurb. At the time I sent it out, I didn't have time to revise. I'm including this plain-vanilla, so-so query letter here for a
reason. That is --- and I've found this to be true in 25 years of writing --- it's important that
you SHOW UP. In other words, while you might want each piece of writing you send out
to be perfect, or at least brilliant, sometimes you don't have the time. At those times, send it
out anyway.
Get into the habit of treating your work with a certain amount of aplomb. That is,
even thought it's not perfect, and you could make it better if you had the time and energy,
90 per cent of the time what matters is that you send out your work. If you're a closet
perfectionist, as I am, this will be hard for you at first.
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XXX
XXX
[DATE]
Dear XX
My name is [ Author's Name ]. I'm seeking representation for my book: Copywriting
Success Secrets.
The book is aimed at writers who would like to make money by copywriting (writing
for business). As a copywriter, writers write the words that sell: everyday words. The
words on ads, leaflets, brochures, press releases, product instructions and labels,
newsletters, direct mail, and on Web sites.
I've been selling the material as an ebook and as an e-course on my Web site
(http://www.mywebsite.com/ ) for several months. It has been well received, and now I'd
like to take the material and use it as the basis for a book.
Although there are several popular books on copywriting, none approach the material
in a step-by-step fashion. My book's constructed so that at the end of seven days and seven
lessons, the reader has built a viable freelance copywriting business.
My credentials for writing the book: I've been both a successful copywriter and writer
for over 25 years. I've included a brief bio below.
Please let me know if you'd like to see a proposal for the book.
Sincerely
[ Author's Name ]
Bio:
Australian author and journalist [ Author's Name ] writes about business, technology,
women's issues, and creativity. Her books include: LifeTime: Better Time Management in
21 Days, Home Sweet Office: Your Home Office, Improve Your Memory in 21 Days, and
Making the Internet Work for Your Business. Her feature articles have appeared in The
Australian Women's Weekly, Woman's Day, New Idea, Vogue, and numerous other print
and online magazines.
~~[ Author's Name ] partial list of credits~~
A professional writer for 25 years, her credits include:
* Feature articles for mass market women's magazines in Australia and the US,
including The Australian Women's Weekly, Woman's Day, New Idea and Vogue;
* Feature articles for computer magazines;
* Content work for Web sites and Internet newsletters, including the Internet Business
Forum (http://XXXX.com/)
* Business books for major publishers, including many books in Prentice Hall's
WorkWise series (translated into several Asian and European languages);
* A series of romance novels for Macdonald Futura UK.
At her Digital-e --- Info to Go Web site (http://www.mywebsite.com/), [ Author's
Name ] publishers three popular ezines: Creative Small Biz and Your EveryDay Write,
which are free to subscribers, and Freelance Copy Write, which has paying subscribers.
She also teaches online writing courses.
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