Queried Queries

[ravenswept]

Huh. Queries.

Hmm.

Well, it's an aspect of the writing process I haven't really given any thought to, and I'm thinking I really ought to. It's just as much a part of writing a story as the first draft. Maybe more so; a draft can be fixed. A query is an early impression of yourself sent to agents, and you really don't get a second go at that.

Query Shark is awesome. I don't know how much I already knew to/not do, but this is definitely a big help. Seeing what people do (mainly wrong) first is definitely insightful into what is needed. And it helps that the Shark herself is blunt and sharp to a very funny degree.

I'm thinking about writing a query first, just to see if I can distil what I want down to the level I need it to be interesting to others. There are multiple times I've seen "Your query is confused, and that makes me believe that the novel itself is as well" which is something I'd like to avoid. If I can get it down to the bare minimum and still be about to communicate my story, I'm looking good.

Some things I've gathered about the process:

• Start with the character or the descriptive hook of the main plot of the story. Anything more is fluff. Anything less isn't getting the idea across.
  
  
• 250 words is what you should be aiming for. More than 300 and you're just confusing the matter. Less than 200 and it's too skeletal to be interesting.
  
  
• The only word(s) that should be all in caps is the TITLE. Names, places, whatever, are written normally.
  
  
• The title and word count should go at the end of the query. Use the first line to get to the point.
  
  
• A query is not a synopsis; don't explain the whole story, only what's compelling about it.
  
  
• Cut anything that doesn't have to do directly with the main character and/or the lead plot. Saying more proper names or tangetting about subplots will only muddle your query.
  
  
• Be funny if you can, but not if your work isn't slightly humerous itself (ie, levity in a query about a rape/trial thriller is a no)
  
  
• Contact information goes at the end of the letter.
  
  
• Don't suck up to the agent, they're pretty jaded at this point.
  
  
• Don't humble yourself with faux self-depreciation, it's not as funny as you think it is and only tells the agent you aren't totally behind your work.
  
  
• Don't oversell yourself with "potentials", you don't even have an agent yet.
  
  
• You cannot gurantee an audience if they take on your book, so don't say you can.
  
  
• If you must, include only actual writing credits to your name. Where you went to school, what your job is, how long you've been there doesn't mean two shits to them.
  
  
• Rhetorical questions are not how you want to start your query, right?
  
  
• "Show, don't tell" applies to query letters as much as it does to novels. They're both a form of writing.
  
  
• What other people think/thought of your novel doesn't matter, the agent isn't going to be contacting them.
  
  
• There is really only ONE rule that really matters when writing a query; it should be engaging/interesting enough on it's own to make the reader (hopefully an agent) interested in knowing more.

*edit* Please, feel free to add to the list in the comments! The more the better! With your help, soon I will rule the world be a better querier!*