The Query

When I first started this process, the query letter made me a nervous wreck.  The whole process was scary.  In the beginning, just having the nerve to pick up pen and paper to write was not easy.  Then, came the big reveal to people in my life that I was indeed trying my hand at writing.  All along the way were stumbling blocks or big steps but I was finally able to begin querying agents.  

If you go on any agent site or author blog, you'll see post after post about the query.  Aside from the synopsis, it is probably the most difficult thing to master.  How to actually pitch your work to others in only one short letter.  I struggled, read samples, struggled some more.  My first query, simply put, sucked.  Can you say bori-i-ing?  It was like a letter to a business.  Too formal and no emotion.  I reworked it trying to insert some of my personality and voice and lo and behold I got some requests for pages.

Probably the best site out there for querying is Query Shark.  You get to see sample after sample after sample.  Not only do you see the samples but you hear what an agent thinks about them and see the process of making one better.  If you haven't already, check this site out.  It's, to say the least, eye opening.

I think I have the art of querying down.  I think;-/  As I've already said in previous posts, I'm not yet published but the query doesn't get you published.  If it works, it gets you requests for more pages.  It's your job and the job of your writing then to get you an agent and advance further.  The query gets your foot in the door.

It's your first impression and worth the hard work.  Make it a good one.