so you want to write a query
or, the basics of query writing
It’s been quite a while since my last post, where we unpacked a few ways to bolster a good query based on what I’ve been seeing in my inbox. But a colleague pointed out to me, Stuti, you don’t actually mention what a query is or how to write one. I didn’t at first intend to write a basics-of-querying post, but it’s played in the back of my mind since…especially since a quick search of my inbox indicates that I have read several thousands of queries this year. And as I anticipate many authors are going to be polishing up their manuscripts and getting ready to solicit agents over the holidays, I thought now would be a good time to talk about the nuts and bolts of a query.
—Caveat.
This applies to fiction specifically. I am not an expert on the nonfiction query, but here are some useful resources if that’s the genre you write.
Onward, now!
—What’s in a query?
If you’ve written a novel, revised it and polished it so you’re ready to share it with agents, it’s time for you to write a query. The query’s basic purpose is to introduce you and your book to an agent. Whether the agents you’re sending your book to are on a query manager website like, well, Query Manager, or you’re emailing them to submit, you’ll need to assemble this letter.
Some agents ask for an excerpt of your manuscript to accompany the query (I ask for first 10 or first 25, depending on if it’s children’s or adult fiction), so be sure to check specific requirements for everyone you send to. If the agent likes your query enough, they will write to you asking for the full manuscript and sometimes also a synopsis (I do).
I want to emphasize that you should always have your novel completed before you start querying, lest an agent respond too quickly asking for the full manuscript when you don’t have one.1
—How formal is a query?
This is a bit of a difficult question to answer, but one I wanted to raise because of what I see in my inbox. Publishing can be a relatively informal industry, so it’s okay to write a letter with a bit of personality. Plenty of people query me with jokes in their bios, for example. I don’t expect people to refer to me as “Ms. Telidevara,” and while I can’t speak for all agents, I think most of us are fine with first-name salutations.
At the same time, remember that this is your first introduction to someone you want to have a professional relationship with. If you’re nervous about making a joke or worried about what you should or shouldn’t say, don’t sweat it—just be polite and clear.
—The prep work.
Before you actually start drafting the query, take some time to brainstorm what stands out to you about your book (and perhaps even what your friends, critique partners, or beta readers are most drawn in by). Is it the unusual premise? Is it the sizzling romance? Is it the main character’s unforgettable journey? Different parts of the query will be better suited to highlighting those specific pieces. Once you know what you want to emphasize, you’ll be able to write a query letter that focuses on the most important things.
—The basic structure.
The order of these pieces can be flexible (more on that later) but here’s the most fundamental outline of a query:
a greeting
a rundown of the basics—title, genre, word count, comps
the pitch—what your book is about
who you are
thanks & signoff
In my opinion, you can swap 2 and 3 around—I’m not put off by a query that jumps straight into the story, and indeed have read many that capture my interest right away because of that. But there are other agents who would rather you put 2 right after the greeting, so that if they don’t represent the kind of book you’re querying them about, they know right away. Not a massive deal on the whole, as no one is going to auto-reject you for not knowing their preference.
—The greeting.
As previously mentioned, it’s generally okay to refer to an agent by their first name. I also get queries addressed to me by full name, which is fine; I get “Ms. Telidevara,” also fine. If you choose to do the latter, make sure you check what pronouns the agent uses so that you can address them properly. When querying women, I would urge you not to use “Mrs.” because you are always at risk of getting their marital status wrong.
Double- and triple-check your spelling! While it’s true that no one is auto-rejecting you for a typo, you always want to start off on the right foot, and the salutation is literally the beginning of your communication with this agent.
—The basics.
Here’s where you want a couple of sentences to sum up the top-level facts about your work.
What’s the title?
What’s the genre? Specific is good, so feel free to mention subgenres. Is it a dark fantasy? Is it Southern Gothic horror?
Any key elements, tropes or themes to emphasize? Maybe your book is inspired by specific folklore; maybe the main romance is sapphic; maybe it features a big trope like enemies or friends to lovers. Here’s where you can mention some of those elements you brainstormed in prep time.
What’s the word count? It’s okay to round off to the nearest hundred or thousand.
What are the comp titles? So much to say about infamous comp titles! Here are some resources for picking the right ones.
Bonus: why this agent? I’ve mentioned before that I think personalizing is useful, if you can do it. Here’s where you should bring up any specific reasons you’re querying this agent. For example, if their MSWL includes a comp title of yours. If you don’t have any specifics to mention, don’t reach for them—your pitch will speak for itself.
—The pitch.
This is the trickiest and the most exciting part of a query. Here’s where you tell an agent what your book is about, broadly, but you want to keep it focused on what makes the story immediately compelling, and you want to tie it to a character and their motivation.
So, focus on what your protagonist’s situation is, what they’re up against, and what they want. Why should the reader root for them? It can get a little tricky when you have multiple points of view, but I would recommend focusing on the best entry-point into the story, while still mentioning that there are multiple narrators so that the agent isn’t caught off-guard.
Read as many successful queries as you can (plenty of published authors have posted their queries online), as queries can look a bit different from jacket copy or retail description for published books.
—The bio.
This part is more straightforward—your bio is a first-person about me section a couple of lines long. Some authors mention their academic background and what they do for work, which is interesting though not necessary to mention. What is useful to know (i.e., mention this if you have it) is a background in entertainment or arts (e.g. you work in TV development, you’re a journalist, you have an MFA or a writing degree, you have a podcast) and/or a social media platform.
Again, to stress: if you don’t have this, you don’t need it to get an agent. I and countless other agents have worked with debut authors with no history of publication and no significant social media following. But if you do have this, it doesn’t hurt to bring up.
If you have a history of publication (anything from self-published novels to short fiction in magazines) that’s useful to mention too. If you have a large engaged online fandom audience and are okay with sharing that with agents, there’s an abundance of fanfic-turned-traditionally-published author examples to point to of late that might also catch an agent’s eye. But I leave that to your personal discretion—if your online life is a non-factor in your traditional publishing aspirations, you’re not obligated to reveal its details to agents. (This is where I will say that if you are querying me and you have a relevant fanfiction past or present, let me know—I am intrigued.)
Some authors also include social media handles, which is also not a necessity. If an agent wants to look you up, they can do so without you linking to your Twitter account. But if you want to mention, have at it.
Like I said before, resist the urge to self-deprecate here. You don’t have to apologize for lacking any of the above!
—The close.
Similar to the greeting, don’t overthink it! A polite “thank you for your consideration” gets the job done.
—Quick tips.
Some rapid-fire thoughts to cap things off:
You don’t need to tell the agent how many books you’ve drafted if you’re an unpublished author. Whether the manuscript you’re querying with is your first or your tenth, I just don’t think it tells us anything we particularly need to know.
If your book is the first in a planned series, you don’t need to mention the number of books you’ve envisioning or have already written. All of that can change when you sell your book eventually. “First in a series” is what you should use, or if the story can stand alone (i.e. most plot threads wrap up at the end), the phrase is “with series potential.”
Don’t put character names in all caps. That’s for synopses, not queries.
Read an agent’s preferences carefully, both in terms of their querying rules (should you include sample pages? Do they want file attachments or not?) and what they’re looking for. You might be able to add some personalization to a query just by doing a bit of online sleuthing.
Economy and precision of words is key—agents are often looking at dozens of queries at a time, so make sure every word in your pitch especially is considered and significant. Tinker with phrasing until you are hitting all the right notes and have excised as much unnecessary detail as you can. Remember: the purpose of this letter is for it to shout PLEASE READ ME NOW with every line.
For me personally, if I’ve requested a full of yours before, please mention it! I promise I won’t pass on a project just because I’ve passed on something by the same author before; it’s useful context for me to know.
A query, like your manuscript, takes time to get right. Don’t rush into sending it out! If you want some more specific tips on querying, check out my other post on queries here.
And if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Let me know in the comments.
Until next time, happy writing—
💌 Stuti
There is only one exception to this rule. If you are a previously represented author who’s switching agents, it’s okay to query with a partial, as the agent can read a longer sample of your writing in your older work.