First of all, let me start off by saying I am in no way an expert on query letters. The one that landed me an agent went through roughly thirty rewrites. Yes, you read that right. Not three. Thirty. Some writers believe the query letter takes more time and effort than the entire manuscript itself. Some days, I’m inclined to agree with them. It sounds rough, I know, but as long as you’re not afraid to get your elbows dirty and your ego bruised more than once, you’re already on the right track.
The summary paragraphs for every query letter (except non-fiction) should have three parts: character, conflict, and stakes — in that order. Continue reading