Beginning the Query by Deborah Lytton: January Theme

Happy New Year! I love beginning a new year because anything is possible. This year, I am hoping you sell your manuscript to the editor of your dreams. If you don't have an agent, you will have to write a stand out query to either an agent or an editor. When I first met my incredible agent, Stacey Glick, it was through a query letter. The letter piqued her interest and eleven and a half years later, we are still a team.


I began my query by quoting the opening of my manuscript. The first sentence you write in your book is the most important one, and you have probably spent a lot of time making it perfect, so why not use it? Your voice is in those words of fiction, and it is as unique as you are. In my query, I used the first three sentences of my manuscript because they fit together to establish the main character and her point of view. After that, I introduced the character briefly and gave a one paragraph synopsis of the plot. My third paragraph shared a little bit about me. Then I closed by letting the agent know I would be happy to send the manuscript if she would like to read more. It was a one page letter which was concise but jam-packed with personality because I used the fiction to sell itself. Do you have any tips for writing good query letters? What works for you?


Happy Writing!