Query Letter Template

What a query letter has to do

A query letter asks an agent to read your book, and it has about a page to do it. Agents read a great many of them, so the letter has to be easy to scan and sound like the book it describes. Keep it to about 300 to 400 words, in four short parts: a line on why you are writing to this agent, a paragraph that hooks, a paragraph that shows the stakes, and a few lines about the book and about you. Check each agent's submission guidelines first, because some ask for pages, a synopsis or a particular subject line.

The hook and the story paragraph

The hook paragraph names a protagonist, what they want, the event that disturbs their life and the choice in front of them. Two or three sentences is enough. Use a specific name, a specific place and one concrete detail, and leave out backstory, worldbuilding and the names of minor characters.

The story paragraph raises the stakes. What does the protagonist stand to lose, who or what stands in their way, and what does each attempt cost? Write it in the present tense and in the voice of the book, so that a comic novel sounds funny and a thriller sounds tense. Ask a question at the end only if the story really turns on it. Unless the agent asks for a full synopsis, the letter does not need to give the ending away.

Book details and comparable titles

State the title, the genre, the word count and the fact that the manuscript is complete. Agents use the word count to judge whether a book fits its genre: much more than 100,000 words for a debut, or much less than 70,000, is a warning sign for most commercial fiction. Round it to the nearest thousand.

Comparable titles show where your book sits on the shelf. Choose two or three books published in the last five years, in your genre, that were successful but not so famous that comparing yourself to them sounds like boasting. The examples on this page use invented titles, so replace them with real books you have read.

Your bio and the close

The bio is short. Give only what is relevant: what you do, any publications or prizes, and a reason you are the person to write this book. If you have no credits, say nothing about it and let the pitch carry the letter. Close with a line on what you are attaching, say that the full manuscript is available, and thank the agent. Then check the spelling of the agent's name once more.