The Query Letter That Got Me My Agent

Querying tips from someone who spent many years in the trenches

So, you wrote a book and you want to get it traditionally published. You’re ready to dive into the world of querying. First off, congratulations for finishing your book that is HUGE. So many people never make it that far, remember to celebrate those wins!

I spent a total of three years in the querying trenches with countless versions of my query letters, and three separate books. Until I got my wonderful agent, and then my book deal (*gasp*). And boy did I learn a lot. Sometimes I look back on that very first letter I sent and I full body cringe at how awful it was (my deepest apologies to the agents that had to read that one).

There are many ways to approach a query letter, despite what people might say, I don’t think there is a one size fits all. But, there are components and format that are expected, and will make sure you give your book its best chance. So, let’s get into it!

*Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert. Do not take this advice as gospel. I’m just sharing what worked for me*

MY LETTER

*There is a fifth paragraph where I shared a bit about myself, and then a sign off

THE COMPONENTS

Let’s break it down.

The first paragraph has the basic information: the book’s title, the genre, the age group, the word count and the comps. Comps are comparative titles that show agents what the market for your book might look like. These can have similar vibes, tones, styles, settings, or tropes to your story. You should pick titles that are relatively new (the standard is published within the last 5 years) and usually nothing too big. You want it to be the best fit for your story, not the biggest name you can find. It’s also usually good to stick to books for these because they’re mean to illustrate where your book will fit in the market, so a movie or a song doesn’t really do that.

The next three paragraphs are where we get into the pitch. This is a high-level overview of your story. You want to set up the main character(s), their ages (or at least roughly what stage of life they’re in), the stakes, the motivation, and a bit about your world. It’s important to make sure your stakes are clear. Why do we care about this character? why does their story matter? You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) include spoilers, this isn’t a full synopsis. Think of it as a slightly more detailed version of what you would read on the back of a book.

The final paragraph (I’ve omitted it because it had personal info) often has a little bit about you, if you’ve published anything before, or anything else relevant. In mine I talked about my education and my job, I mentioned another book I was currently querying and that this would be my first published work.

Then to finish, I usually like to include a sign off like “Thank you for your consideration”

And that’s that!

TIPS AND TRICKS

• Have others read your letter, including non writer friends to make sure your pitch makes sense. The r/PubTips group on Reddit does query critiques as well (though be prepared to be absolutely torn apart lol it was brutal).

• I found it useful to keep my whole query package in google docs so it was easy to copy and paste into the query manager forms.

  • This package included my letter, a one-page synopsis, the elevator pitch, “similar titles”, “intended audience”, and a short bio. I also put my first three chapters in for ease of access.

• If you can afford it, spring for the Querytracker membership, it allows you to search for agents by genre, and you can see their timelines so you can assess where you are in their pile (though if you’re me you may develop an unhealthy addiction to refreshing those timelines so maybe learn from my mistakes there).

• Get involved in author spaces on social media or reddit. There are a lot of red flag agencies out there that will try to take advantage of you and your best resource to spotting them is community.

  • Writer Beware is a good resource to search up agents.

  • Whisper networks can also be your friend. Writers hear things and there are lots of discord groups for querying writers that will know about agents or agencies to avoid.

• Lastly, and this is a hard one, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. My third book is what got me my agent, and I know many people who got one on their fourth or fifth or sixth. It’s really hard not to pin all your hopes on your first book baby, but trust me you will fall in love with your next book too, maybe even more. So don’t give up hope and don’t stop trying!

My debut The Arcane Archives will be out early 2027 with Gollancz and Doubleday CA!