Hiiiiii!
As some you know (because I got to meet you in person!), on Saturday I spent the day in my agenting role at the Chicago Writing Day Workshop downtown Chicago at the Congress Plaza Hotel. I mainly took pitches—30 people signed up to give me a 10-minute pitch (which if you do the math is 5 hours of listening to people pitch their projects—so cool and so invigorating and also so exhausting!). But I also taught a querying class! I hadn’t done any public speaking in many years, so I was a bit nervous about the prospect. Thankfully, about 30 seconds in, I was like ‘oh yeah, this is FUN!’
And it was.
I have to say, it was also really humbling to be the ‘expert’ behind the podium; the person people were lining up to meet and speak to after my talk. I’ve been struggling to come up with the right word, and ‘humbling’ is as close as I can get, but—trust me when I say there was a whole bundle of emotions. I’ve spent 10 years trying to get “in” to publishing. Now, here I am, 1 week away from my debut novel hitting shelves, and I’m also presenting to writers in my agenting role as the “expert.” It’s not imposter syndrome—it’s… gratitude. And a kind of, like, tenderness (if I can put it that way) for all these people who are in the same place I was in, looking at publishing from the outside and hoping against hope that one day they’ll get in.
I’m also acutely aware of the power dynamic between agents and authors, which I want to navigate SO carefully and respectfully, because at the end of the day we agents (though we are gatekeepers, and thus do hold some level of power) only have work because YOU the writers are writing. It’s a relationship that I feel lucky to get to have with my authors. That somehow also added a whole other layer of emotion to the day. Being in the position I am as an agent is just… a tremendous privilege.
(pic: me and some agent friends I finally got to meet IRL!!)
I don’t know, guys. I could blab on and on about all the feels that were felt by Yours Truly. But instead, let’s pivot! (haha see my smooth transition? ;)
For today, I want to share a slightly expanded version of the handout for my querying class and make it available more widely.
It’s nothing you haven’t seen before if you’re already in the query trenches and have spent any amount of time googling ‘how to write a query’ (total rite of passage). But Saturday’s conference was a reminder to me that these query letter building blocks AREN’T self evident. Or obvious. And there are a lot of people who have written a book and want to start getting it out there and don’t know the difference yet between a pitch and a synopsis—and though sometimes I feel that everything about publishing has been said somewhere on the internet before, it also can’t hurt to add one more resource.
So without further ado, here’s the expanded handout! In the future I may go into further detail about all the parts of the query letter—there’s so much to be said, truly! (And I have, like 15 pages of notes on this from my speech)—but for now, we’re keepin’ it simple.
Enjoy.
ANATOMY OF A QUERY LETTER
1. INTRODUCTION
It basically reads something like this:
Dear {AGENT NAME},
I’m seeking representation for my new book, and I thought you’d be a good fit/I was excited to query you because {OPTIONAL PERSONALIZATION}. {BOOK TITLE} is a {WORD COUNT + AGE GROUP + GENRE} that I describe as/would fit on the shelf next to/would appeal to readers of {2 COMP TITLES}.
The goal is simply to lay out what you’re sending quickly and clearly.
DO
Front-load any credentials that might make your query immediately more appealing. Are you a TikTok superstar? Previously published? Previously agented? Have we met at a conference, or did one of my authors refer you? Have 12 other agents already requested your full? I want to know all of these things right away. Otherwise, save personal details for the bio (which comes last).
Define your genre clearly (and try not to mash up more than 2).
Try to use recent comps – you’ll hear some people say that at least one should be a book published within the past 3-ish years. BUT also don’t worry too much—I pitched my book as “The Bachelor” meets The Stepford Wives, which breaks that rule. So… welp.
Choose your main genre (if your book is a genre mashup), and add maybe one more genre (i.e. speculative thriller is okay, but sci-fi thriller cozy romance is confusing). Try not to do more than 2. Use comps to define your book further!
DON’T
Comp to ultra famous books if you can avoid it, older titles (with exceptions!—but ideally you’re not using, ya know, The Lord of the Rings), or titles that haven’t sold decently.
Stress too much about personalization! It won’t make our break your query. In fact, when I’m going through queries, it makes zero difference to me whether you’ve researched me “in depth” or not. Just toss my name in there and get straight into the good stuff—your book! Not personalizing (unless there’s a really good reason to) will also save you TONS of time. Take it from someone who wasted days of her life reading WAY too much information about each agent I queried.
Use adjectives to describe your own writing or give yourself kudos (“this is a well-written story”/ “all my friends love it” / “this is the next bestseller!”). The best way to come across confident is to let your work speak for itself.
List a whole lot of genres or say your book defies genre.
OPTIONAL: Logline (1-sentence pitch describing the plot of your story).
Structure: WHEN {PROBLEM SITUATION}, {CHARACTER} MUST {DRIVING ACTION}.
The logline, if you choose to write one, can help snag an agent’s attention more quickly. Just make sure it’s very specific!! You don’t want to say, for example, something like, “A couple with marriage troubles moves to a new town, where they must overcome their differences if their marriage will survive.” That could describe WAY too many books. Be specific to your story.
Example: When a vegan chef finds that her freckle is a miniature tattooed map of the cosmos predicting the end of the world, she must devise a plan to save the human race–in twenty-four hours.
2. PITCH YOUR BOOK
This is arguably the most important part of the query letter. You’re basically writing a book jacket. Marketing copy. Something to entice the agent to read your pages. In fact, my biggest recommendation for learning how to do this well is to read book jacket after book jacket. You could even find a book jacket from a book in your genre and “map” your plot in the same way. We really can learn by imitating!
Here’s what we’re trying to get done:
-WHO is your main character, WHERE are they (setting/location/time period if applicable) and WHAT do they want?
-DEFINE THEIR PROBLEM. The antagonist is the agent preventing them from getting what they want (and can be internal or external; external would be Darth Vader, and internal would be something like your main character’s stage fright they have to overcome to have a successful performance in their school play). This is the central tension of your story and should be very specific.
-DEFINE THE STAKES. This is basically the “so what?” of the plot, i.e. “but what if they fail?” This can be structured as a choice-to-consequence. For example, “If {CHARACTER} can’t {SOLVE THIS PROBLEM}, {BAD CONSEQUENCE}. Will {CHARACTER} be able to {SUCCEED}, or will they {FAIL}?” Much like you’ll see in book jackets, your pitch should end like a cliffhanger.
Your pitch should be between 2 and 4 short paragraphs.
Let me put it another way just for fun—it should be structured like this:
who is this book about - WHO WHERE (character + context)
what does this person want – DESIRE / DILEMMA
what stands in their way and what are they going to do about that – ANTAGONIST / STAKES - and what happens if they fail
As an example, I’ll use the back cover copy of my debut novel Made for You, which (fun detail) I was involved in writing! (So the pitching skills you develop while querying can go on to serve you even after you get a book deal!) I’ll insert notes in parenthesis as to which elements we’re covering.
Synthetic woman Julia Walden (WHO) was designed for one reason: to compete on The Proposal (WHERE) and claim the heart of bachelor Josh LaSala (WHAT does she want). Her casting is controversial, but Julia seems to get her fairy-tale ending when Josh gets down on one knee.
Fast forward fifteen months, and Julia and Josh are married and raising their baby in small-town Indiana (WHERE). But with haters around every corner (ANTAGONIST), Julia's life is a far cry from the domestic bliss she imagined (WHAT she wants/DESIRE). Then her splintering world shatters: Josh goes missing, and she becomes the prime suspect in his murder (PROBLEM/DILEMMA/ANTAGONIST).
With no one left she can trust, Julia takes the investigation into her own hands. But the explosive truths she uncovers will drive her to her breaking point—and isn’t that where a person’s true nature is revealed? That is…if Julia truly is a person. (STAKES - will she break/is she a person?)
A really fun exercise I’ve done with my husband is to very quickly try to pitch a movie we just watched—or a classic like “Star Wars” or A Christmas Carol. Pitching is a skill very different from writing a book, and if you practice, you really can get quite good at it! So go forth and practice!
DO
Read book jackets for pitch inspiration, especially in your age group/genre
Keep it to 2-4 short paragraphs; try to entice the agent with the elements that make your book unique/stand out.
DON’T
Add anything extraneous to the central story and plot or add a lot of secondary character names. That adds confusion.
Get into themes (for fiction) or messaging—the pitch is about the story and the story alone.
Be vague about the problem/antagonist; like I was saying for the logline, this should be very specific to your story.
Forget to present the stakes in your story. When you're pitching the story, the stakes have to be crystal clear. Don't describe a sequence of events (the plot) without saying what the hero/heroine stands to lose. Is it the trust of all their loved ones? Their life? The hard-earned $5 the neighbor lady gave them? Stakes. It's all about stakes.
3. SHARE A BRIEF BIO
Your bio should be professional, with one or two personal details (if you want to share—this is optional, but it can add a point of connection for the agent and help “humanize” you). Keep it short and sweet!
Example from the query letter that got me an agent:
I'm an unpublished writer based in Chicago, looking for an agent who will be an advocate and a coach, pushing my work to be the best it can.
I’m pasting the first 2 chapters below, per your guidelines, and I hope you enjoy reading!
Thanks,
Jenna Satterthwaite
Mine was very bare bones—yours can too, or it doesn’t have to be! Think about including: publication credits, self-published books, profession, education, writing organizations you belong to, writing awards or mentorships, and if you want to include this level of personal information (you do not have to!), why you’re the right person to write this book.
If you’re writing non fiction and pitching a proposal, go into detail about your platform! In non fiction, platform is king.
After the bio, say thanks, and sign your name (with your social media links/website, if applicable)
DO
Mention any writing-related information that could be relevant (associations you belong to, prizes you’ve received, other publications, previous representation, any self-published work you have out there).
Include a small personal detail or quirk that will make the bio feel fun and personal. But only if you want! As you can see, I didn’t do that, and I got 2 offers of rep!
Share why you wrote the book IF there is a really compelling personal connection, or if you’d like to highlight why you are the right person to write this book. For example, maybe you share a minority representation with your protagonist and would like to highlight that; however, this is optional and you do not have to disclose that information if you’re not comfortable.
DON’T
Overshare about your inspiration for writing the book, or about your personal life. This is a professional letter!
4. SIGN OFF PROFESSIONALLY, AND SETTLE IN FOR THE WAIT!
This is the hardest part… the wait.
A bit of a side note here: I highly recommend you organize a system to keep track of what queries you have sent out: agent/agency/agency-specific rules/date sent/when to follow-up/date of final answer/final answer.
I’m personally an Excel spreadsheet nerd. I love love love spreadsheets—and thank heavens, because agenting requires a lot of them haha. Definitely use something like this for your querying journey, where you can log everything and keep a record. This will help you remember when to nudge or follow up, and when one agent’s rejection has “free you up” to query another agent at that agency—and so forth.
Hope this was helpful to some of my querying friends out there, and… by the time you see my next newsletter, I WILL BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!
As a reminder, if you’re in the Chicagoland area, I’d love to see you at my book launch at City Lit Books on July 2nd. Cupcakes, wine and freebie blue sunglasses will be provided!
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Thanks for an informative post! I know you have a ton on your plate, but on the subject of the agent and the tweet, she seemed to imply in her apology that her mistake was not asking other writers to write a book based on an idea she had lifted from someone else's query, but mentioning that the idea was something from a query she had been sent. Do you think this happens--an agent liking a concept but not the writing and then privately suggesting to other writers that they write someone else's book, only better?
Hi Jenna, thank you for sharing as always! I have a slightly weird question, if that's ok.
Given the recent discourse on twitter, which really opened a window into how many writers are struggling on their journeys, and how a cavalier, inconsiderate tweet from an agent can be blown up into something far more egregious than intended, I am wondering: how do agents sit with the fact that they have to reject hundreds of writers every month? Do they feel guilt (even though I don't think they should) about saying no to someone's dreams? Do they become numb after a while?
I'm lucky to be agented now, but during my querying days I definitely remember some days being harder than others, as well as crying over a full rejection or two. We are all responsible for managing our own mental health, but writing is such a personal, passionate thing that it is also kind of inevitable that an everyday part of an agent's job does contribute to people to have a bad day or to cry or to even give up on publishing altogether.
I know that you yourself have had a long journey as a writer and are very sensitive to this part of the process. I'm just curious how you and other agents think about this (and I wonder if this is the reason a lot of agents are CNR now, so that they don't have to directly turn someone down?).