Dear Literary Agent...
Got off my ass and sent an official Query Letter to the Literary Agency I want to be get picked up by. I came to the realization that I was dragging my feet about it, mostly out of a fear of rejection. And, well, that kind of thing isn't going to get me anywhere. So I told myself that I was going to be rejected, to get over it, and to write the best damn Query Letter anyway and send it to them.
A Query Letter is basically a writer's cold-call to a prospective Agency (or Publisher, for that matter). You don't really send your manuscript around without being asked, and a Query Letter is the tool you use to get an Agent's attention and get them interested in seeing more of your work.
It's not uncommon for a writer to be turned down by a dozen (or more!) Agencies or Publishers before they get picked up. Just part of the game. This is true no matter who you are, from nobody to Hemingway. I suspect that I'm not the only writer who finds solace in reading about how all of the great writers were rejected ten or twenty times before someone noticed how great they were. And, truth is, this first Agency looks to be near my ideal, and most certainly added to my being nervous about it.
So I wanted to get the rejection from *them* out of the way. That way, when I get picked up somewhere down the line, I won't look back and go, "gee, I really wish I had taken a shot at X. I wonder where things would be if I had gone after them the first time around..."
Here's my letter, for posterity's sake.
May 1, 2009
Dear XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX,
I am seeking representation for my urban fantasy novel, Kingdom of Ashes, a complete work of 131,500 words. This is the first of a collection of books I wish to write in this setting, an expansion of the role playing game line I have produced through my small press company, Other Court Games.
I wrote Kingdom of Ashes because I have a fascination with urban fantasy. I wanted to merge the otherworldliness and enchantment common in this genre with street grit and grounded occultism. I also wanted to truly test my characters, and to explore the meaning of their lives and the choices they make in this fantastic, yet familiar setting.
Cory is afraid that he has turned into a monster. He has fallen into the world of the supernatural and is now an outlaw, running from a far-reaching secret society called the Order. Cory's true nature is unknown to him, but he is dangerously powerful, and something haunts his dreams. Terry is a potent mage living undercover among the mundanes, and is Cory's roommate and closest friend. Terry takes Cory under his wing and introduces Cory to the occult underground, where they continuously dodge the Order's Orwellian controls, potent magics, and mystically-enhanced death squads.
Cory faces those he once called family, who reveal themselves as members of the tyrannical Order. They offer him membership among the elite, but Cory refuses to give them Terry's life in place of his own. Cory learns about magic conspiracies, trains to be an anarchist insurgent, and meets many new faces along the way. He grapples with his unsettling true nature, comes to grips with the imprisoned dragon that is connected to his mind, and learns the truth about how his parents were betrayed. In the concluding battle, Cory embraces his identity as a revolutionary leader and endures the horrors of war. Cory acknowledges that in many ways, he is a monster among men, but resolves to honor his friendships the best that he can.
I have been writing non-professionally for ten years. I formed Other Court Games in 2007 and produced the game Factions at War, which shares the Kingdom of Ashes setting. I currently sell Kingdom of Ashes, along with other products, via www.othercourt.com and at gaming conventions.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Adam Riemenschneider
A Query Letter is basically a writer's cold-call to a prospective Agency (or Publisher, for that matter). You don't really send your manuscript around without being asked, and a Query Letter is the tool you use to get an Agent's attention and get them interested in seeing more of your work.
It's not uncommon for a writer to be turned down by a dozen (or more!) Agencies or Publishers before they get picked up. Just part of the game. This is true no matter who you are, from nobody to Hemingway. I suspect that I'm not the only writer who finds solace in reading about how all of the great writers were rejected ten or twenty times before someone noticed how great they were. And, truth is, this first Agency looks to be near my ideal, and most certainly added to my being nervous about it.
So I wanted to get the rejection from *them* out of the way. That way, when I get picked up somewhere down the line, I won't look back and go, "gee, I really wish I had taken a shot at X. I wonder where things would be if I had gone after them the first time around..."
Here's my letter, for posterity's sake.
May 1, 2009
Dear XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX,
I am seeking representation for my urban fantasy novel, Kingdom of Ashes, a complete work of 131,500 words. This is the first of a collection of books I wish to write in this setting, an expansion of the role playing game line I have produced through my small press company, Other Court Games.
I wrote Kingdom of Ashes because I have a fascination with urban fantasy. I wanted to merge the otherworldliness and enchantment common in this genre with street grit and grounded occultism. I also wanted to truly test my characters, and to explore the meaning of their lives and the choices they make in this fantastic, yet familiar setting.
Cory is afraid that he has turned into a monster. He has fallen into the world of the supernatural and is now an outlaw, running from a far-reaching secret society called the Order. Cory's true nature is unknown to him, but he is dangerously powerful, and something haunts his dreams. Terry is a potent mage living undercover among the mundanes, and is Cory's roommate and closest friend. Terry takes Cory under his wing and introduces Cory to the occult underground, where they continuously dodge the Order's Orwellian controls, potent magics, and mystically-enhanced death squads.
Cory faces those he once called family, who reveal themselves as members of the tyrannical Order. They offer him membership among the elite, but Cory refuses to give them Terry's life in place of his own. Cory learns about magic conspiracies, trains to be an anarchist insurgent, and meets many new faces along the way. He grapples with his unsettling true nature, comes to grips with the imprisoned dragon that is connected to his mind, and learns the truth about how his parents were betrayed. In the concluding battle, Cory embraces his identity as a revolutionary leader and endures the horrors of war. Cory acknowledges that in many ways, he is a monster among men, but resolves to honor his friendships the best that he can.
I have been writing non-professionally for ten years. I formed Other Court Games in 2007 and produced the game Factions at War, which shares the Kingdom of Ashes setting. I currently sell Kingdom of Ashes, along with other products, via www.othercourt.com and at gaming conventions.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Adam Riemenschneider