Query me, query you

Thanks to those of you who emailed saying they’d like to have their queries flagellated on the blog. I’m going to leap into the void now and ask you to send your queries. BUT! There are some rules.

1. Your query letter should be of a length that would ideally fit on one A4 page if it were printed – it’s up to you whether you want to double space it or not …

2. Tips on writing query letters can be found here:
http://misssnark.blogspot.com/search/label/query%20letters
And here:
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/query.htm
Also here:
http://www.jennybent.com/letter/index.html

3. I’ll only review the first ten I receive – if, in fact, I receive that many.

4. I won’t be publishing any identifying characteristics, like your name and address. But do presume that everything else in the query letter will be published.

5. The query letter isn’t a submission to me as an agent – it’s for the purposes of this exercise only. But if I really like your letter, who knows …

6. I will be an offering an OPINION on what I think works and doesn’t work in the letter – I won’t necessarily be giving tips on how to rewrite your letter. I’ll mainly be trying to show you what sort of mental processes I go through when reading query letters. NB: these processes may include me repeating the name ‘George Clooney’ over and over if that’s what I’m actually thinking about.

7. The closing date is Friday 22 May at 5 p.m. AEST.


If you’re a published writer and feel like submitting the query letter that got you an agent and/or publisher, please do send it in.

And finally … Please email your query letters to call [dot] sydney [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line QUERY LETTER.