A query is probably a single most important tool in getting your book read by agents and publishers.  So, it is really important to write a good one.  It is a very short letter, and every word you put in there has to be weighted very carefully.

A typical query letter consists of 1-3 paragraphs of the book description, a sentence to a paragraph of the author’s credentials, and, as an optional bonus, some personalized explanation of why your work is a good fit with the particular place you are querying. 

Before querying it is a very good idea to do some research and target your letter to the specific tastes of the place or person you are querying.  It is important to avoid an impression that you are sending out a mass mailing to whoever notices.  Personalizing is a great way to have your query stand out from the slush.

A query has to look professional.  It has to be properly formatted, and contain no typos, no misspelled names (especially the name of the person you are querying), and ideally no generic addresses (Dear Sir/Madam), unless the guidelines specify this.  It also has to follow the guidelines.  Some agents and publishers don’t specify, but others are very particular, and it is really important for your letter to show that you read the guidelines and are following them precisely.

The generally accepted query format is in a plain font, singe-spaced, with double spaces between paragraphs.  This works both for e-mail and snail mail queries.  There is a range of opinions on how long and how detailed a query should be, so this is another place where you need to follow guidelines.  If the length is not specified, a ballpark is 200-350 words. 

A query always has to state the genre and word count of the story. Some people do it upfront, others leave it for the third paragraph after the description of the story itself.  There is no right or wrong where to put it, but I have seen more and more people starting queries with the story itself and leave all the other details for later.

The centerpiece of the query is a description of your book.  This has to be done in 1-3 short paragraphs and be designed to hook a reader rather than tell the whole story.  It should be somewhat similar to the back cover blurb, but shorter.  It should state who is the character, where does the story take place, what is the main conflict, and what is the character planning to do about it, and it should end on a note that would prompt the reader to want to see the story.

A short description of your book is very hard to do well.  One important thing to do is to make sure it is very specific to your story, so that the agent could understand what is unique about your book compared to others in this genre.  At the same time, there shouldn’t be too many names of characters of places, especially unusual ones.  Leave only the absolutely essential – 1-2 names per query.

A special challenge concerns complicated plots with multiple point-of-view characters.  Many people are tempted to mention as many as possible, making the letter confusing.  The best way to avoid it is to identify one main plot line and focus on that.  Another way to handle multiple points of view is to identify two main protagonists and write a paragraph about each one.  This is often used in romance queries.  If you go this route, you should make sure it is clear how the two characters and plot lines connect into one story.

Good luck querying!

Some useful links:

• Querytest– a good site to ‘test-drive’ your polished query.  It also has a lot of great advice and resources in the FAQ section.
• Nathan Bransford’s blog — a source of many useful posts on querying and query letters
• Nathan Bransford’s “query formula” — a 'fill in the blanks' query format from a top literary agent
• Query Shark — a site where you can see query letters 'dissected' by a top professional, and enter a queue for  achance to get your own letter critiqued
• Jodi Meadows’s query project — similar to Query Shark, run by a former top agency slush reader
• Kristin Nelson’s blog — contains lots of useful advice
• Janet Reid’s blog — another good resource for aspiring authors
• Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror – home to many recently successful authors and a great place to find critique partners; it also holds regular query and synopses writing focus groups.

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