Do's And Don't Of A Perfect Query Letter

  Like writing a short story, or a novel there are rules but is not a science. Writing is an art

Do - Let it know what your story is about and what your character wants and what is on the line if he is denied. Make the reader care about what happens.

Do - create a personal letterhead.

Don't - cover it in Hello Kitty graphics or fancy colored fonts.

Do - Use new, good quality WHITE paper, laser printed if possible. Always send a newly written letter on clean paper. (for snail mail)

Don't - Send recycled or colored paper. It does not attract attention. Don't be tempted to send a photocopy either - not even a good quality one.

Do - Include a list of publishing credits. Include any relevant achievements that have something to do with your story - e.g. – If you are a nurse and your story is set in a hospital, then include this.

Don't - brag, lie or inflate your publishing history if you don't have any Credits yet. Keep it simple and professional. Even the big name authors started somewhere. (KISS= Keep It Simple Stupid)

Do - Research. Address your query to the right person.Be sure to spell the names correctly and take the time to learn what type of work He or she prefers to represent. Find out the gender of your query's recipient. Sometimes names can be misleading, so be careful you aren't sending a
 female a letter headed with a masculine greeting. (e.g. Dear Mr. Smith)

Do - Query one Agent/Editor per E-mail.

Don't - Send mass queries.

Do - Query widely not to be confused as wildly.

Don't - send in a general "Dear Editor," or "Dear Sir/Madam," This is worse than not checking on the agent/editor's gender.

Do - Include your full contact details. If you write using a pseudonym, then Specify this. The check will still be made out to you, not your pen name.

Don't - try to fool the editor into believing your pseudonym is your real name. You can't cash a check in someone else's name.

Do – VERY briefly describe your work. See if you can keep it to less than Twenty-Five words. No more than a paragraph.

Do - Keep your letter to 250 words max. Editors are busy people. They will want to know what you are offering as quickly as possible.

Do - Let your writing speak for itself.

Don't - gush about how much your family, friends or local critique group Loved your story. And regardless of how much people might encourage, you are NOT the next Stephen King/Danielle Steele/Tom Clancy. And even if you think you are, the agent, assistant, editor "DO NOT" want to know.

Do - Read your Query letter out loud. If it sounds off, fix it. It needs to sound like a conversation with flow and purpose.

Do - Include a SASE for the reply. Be sure the postage amount is correct.
(for snail mail, of course)

Don't - Send a SASE E-mail.

Writing the perfect query letter is no easy task, but nothing worth doing is easy.
Review, Edit, Review.

Good Luck!