Back To Basics: The Hook & Query Letter
Never send a generic query letter. I tend to think of query letters like cover letters that I would send out with my resume, they need to be tailored to a specific company and in the case of agents to a specific agent. Always address it to a specific person, double check the spelling of their name, and address them properly, for example Ms. Smith. Mr. Jones. Your query letter is a business letter, remember that.
The body of your query letter should start with a solid hook. Now what exactly comprises a hook? Well, it’s going to vary person to person but the goal is to introduce your character, add in some suspense, and make the reader want more.
My hook is the following:
Aiden was recently suspended from school. He’s been having strange dreams he doesn’t understand and after his 14th birthday he will never look at a major appliance the same way again.
This tells you who the character is, how old he is, something about his personality and/or past, and leaves you wondering what exactly happens to change his views about major appliances. At least, I do hope that you are curious about that.
The next paragraph should clearly state why you are contacting them, what you want them to represent or publish, including title, genre, and word count and then a few sentence summary of your plot.
Example: I am seeking representation for my 50,000 word young adult fantasy novel entitled Pelegra and the Son of Merek where…
Be sure and include the central conflict of the store. My central conflict is this:
Aiden’s decision to be a leader or a modern day superhero will affect an entire world, the question is which one.
The next paragraph, you may want to explain why you are contacting this particular person. For example, we met at the Willamette Writer’s conference or author xxx recommended that I submit to you, or even, your agency bio says you specialize in… Now is also a good place to state where your book fits into the current market. Does it share themes with other books? What audience do you see it reaching.
The last paragraph should be any credentials and/or platform that you have.
Always be sure and thank the agent , for example:
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope to hear from you at your convenience.
End with sincerely, do four returns, type your name, do two more returns, and then type the word Enclosed: followed by a colon and what you have enclosed—if you have not enclosed anything and you are just sending a query letter by itself then ignore the enclosed part.
I hope that helps you and for an in depth look at query letters and submission etiquette try the How to Sell Your Novel Toolkit by Elizabeth Lyon.