Introduction. Some agents say to dive right into the book. Some want the genre and word count up front. Do your research and switch the parts around according to the agent's tastes. But generally, I like to start my query with the title (in all caps) and word count with a lead into my hook.
I am pleased to submit for your consideration my young adult urban fantasy, THE MIRROR. In this 95,000-word tale of magic, mystery and romance, sixteen-year-old Annie Jenkins must control the magic to balance the realm. It's too bad her unknown abilities are hidden beneath her inhalant addiction.
Or if I’ve been able to find an interview and the agent has said something that matches my novel, I start like this:
I recently read an interview (given to Joanne on the Whole Latte Life blog) where you said you were looking for young adult novels with a great voice. Because of this, I believe you would be interested in my YA dystopian novel, CONTROL ISSUES.
This tells the agent: 1. I know what you want because I've done my research, and 2. I have what you want.
If you don’t like either one of those, simply start with the hook:
In a world where Thinkers brainwash the population and Rules are not meant to be broken, fifteen-year-old Violet Schoenfeld does a hell of a job shattering them to pieces.
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From the Query to The Call
Non-FictionFROM THE QUERY TO THE CALL outlines what a query letter -- or cover copy -- is, why every author needs to master the art of describing their book in just a few words, and how to successfully navigate the querying process. Authors looking to query pu...
