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As promised, I'll be starting off a #RinWrites that will hopefully help you with your own writing/querying, and we're starting with how I write pitches and query letters, for those wondering how to even start!
(my way is not the only way to do this but let it serve as a guide!)
(my way is not the only way to do this but let it serve as a guide!)
So lot of writers don't even know what querying is, or that they're supposed to query to get an agent. There's a lot of misassumptions still that all you need to do is send your manuscript out without needing to do the legwork and if it's good, agents will snap it up. Nope!
To keep things short: querying is like your CV or resume that you email to agents, only the resume revolves around a brief summary of what your work is, and why you think the agent you're emailing is a good fit for it.
But before we query, we must first be able to pitch our book
But before we query, we must first be able to pitch our book
You may be familiar with a book pitch (aka elevator pitch) when you've seen the #DVPit hashtag - it's a book summary that can fit within a tweet that must be interesting enough to get agents' attention. If agents cannot get a clear idea of what your book is about it's a pass.
I write my book pitches BEFORE I write the books, personally - it helps me know what themes or major plot point I should be focusing early on.
A book pitch must have:
- how story begins
- main plot / concept
- any unique concepts
- the hook / plot twist
A book pitch must have:
- how story begins
- main plot / concept
- any unique concepts
- the hook / plot twist
Important: don't put the ending of your book or any major spoilers in your pitch!! A hook is different from an ending/spoiler - it's the most important part of the pitch & shows agents/publishers how your book differs from others! I'll give you guys examples using my own books --
Here is my pitch for The Bone Witch. (I get invited frequently to talk about writing in local panels here, so this is a part of the presentations that I usually give!)
This one is for THE GIRL FROM THE WELL. You'll note that while I didn't have to add the "unique concepts" part for The Bone Witch, as I felt the whole premise was unique on its own, I added one for TGFTW to note that the story doesn't fully take place in the US.
It's an even shorter pitch for WICKED AS YOU WISH!
As you see, I didn't even add how the story starts and just went straight into the story concept! Story concept + hook is the two most important things you'll need for a pitch; the rest just helps keep it interesting!
As you see, I didn't even add how the story starts and just went straight into the story concept! Story concept + hook is the two most important things you'll need for a pitch; the rest just helps keep it interesting!
For my writing style, knowing my pitch early on helps me write faster. Even if you start writing your book w/o a clear concept yet as to what it's about, keep writing chapters til you finally figure out your pitch idea, then finalize *that* so it can be your guide for the rest!
Once you know your pitch, you now have an idea as to what your query should be about. All you need to do is expand that pitch into 1-2 paragraphs, which means more details.
If you're writing the query BEFORE writing the book then yes, change it again if your book changes, too!
If you're writing the query BEFORE writing the book then yes, change it again if your book changes, too!
Again, you get to change whatever you want if that's what your book requires. Everything is a guideline that helps you figure that out quicker
Now, HERE is my query letter that I have actually sent to agents, for THE GIRL FROM THE WELL --
Now, HERE is my query letter that I have actually sent to agents, for THE GIRL FROM THE WELL --
I tried to put some explanations for each part that I write that you will need for your own query letter. At the start you'll need your title, obv (ignore this title, this was TGFTW's original one), your word count, and the genre.
You can also use an X meets Y comp if needed.
You can also use an X meets Y comp if needed.
And NOW we get to the part of the letter where we take our pitch from! As you can see, I didn't use my pitch word for word - focus on how it'll flow in the paragraph first!
Set the scene within your 1-2 sentences - a good first impression works!
Set the scene within your 1-2 sentences - a good first impression works!
"End the summary at the first choice plot structure" I just means you can use the first major conflict the character faces in the book as your hook for the query (Some agents may also ask for a query AND a synopsis w/ your book's ending, which is different from a query letter!!)
here's the rest of the query, and here's the hook that I made that you'll see corresponds to the pitch!
IMPORTANT!! At the end of your letter, remember to follow all agent guidelines as specified on their website! For this agent, they ask for the 1st 10 pages of my book to be attached with my email. Other agents may ask for different requirements, so research BEFORE emailing them!
And that's it! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me!
If you also want me to tackle anything else about writing / querying, leave your suggestions here and I can talk about it next time!
For the visually-impaired, I'll post a blog link later to make it easier to read!
If you also want me to tackle anything else about writing / querying, leave your suggestions here and I can talk about it next time!
For the visually-impaired, I'll post a blog link later to make it easier to read!
