Agent Query Letters

What does my Agent Query Letter Review service involve?

If you are an author looking to secure a traditional publishing contract, then you’re probably aware of how difficult it is to get Agent Query Letters right. You might have worked out by now that querying agents is hard. It takes perseverance and a thick hide. And you also need to be in it for the long game.

I don’t pretend to have the fast track on what agents are looking for. I don’t have intimate contacts on the inside, and I can’t guarantee a surefire way to secure an agent or a publishing deal. However, I do have a wealth of information gathered over the years as I’ve guided authors towards traditional publishing, and I do offer an Agent Query Letter review service.

Once you have drafted a letter to send to literary agents, just send it over to me, and I will come back to you with a review. The idea is that you will end up with a single-page query letter that you can adapt to suit multiple applications.

You will also receive a five-page booklet tailored specifically to you, outlining when to contact agents, how to target the right agents, and what not to include in your letter.

MY AGENT QUERY LETTER REVIEW SERVICE STARTS AT £60.

If you have considered approaching agents, and have decided to self-publish instead, then I cannot recommend the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) highly enough. They offer loads of support, and detail the tricks and trips involved with self-publishing. I am a partner member of ALLi, and if you join as a result of clicking this link, I will earn a few pennies. However, even if you DON’T join, I’d really recommend checking out their free resources. Their podcast in particular is really good.

Tip 1 – Address Your Agent Query Letters Correctly

  • Always address the letter to a specific person.
  • Never address it to Dear Agent.
  • Never address it to Dear Sir/Madam/To Whom it May Concern.
  • It’s OK to use an honorific (Mr/Mrs/Ms etc.) if you are confident of the recipient’s gender expression.
  • It’s OK to use an agent’s first name, if they have publicised it.
  • (And always make sure you spell their name correctly.)

Tip 2 – Target the Right Agents

  • Make sure you target your submission to an agent specialising in YOUR genre.
  • Look at other books, similar to yours, and google the agents who represent them.
  • Shortlist (or longlist!) your agents then research their submission requirements carefully.
  • Look at each agent’s website and prioritise the specific individuals with a connection of any kind to your book (a degree in French, when your book is set in France (for example)).
  • Have you met an agent? Or made meaningful contact with them on social media? Heard them on a podcast or seen them on a webinar? Mention it. (But don’t make it up – they will know!)

Tip 3 – Tailor Your Submission

  • Once you have a target agent, CHECK THEIR SUBMISSION CRITERIA.
  • Many of them detail their exact requirements on their websites.
  • Check they are open to submissions.
  • Check whether they want your letter as an email attachment, or pasted into the body of an email.
  • Some have submission forms on their websites. Use them!
  • Check whether they want you to include a synopsis. Some do, some will ask you for one if they are interested.
  • If they ask for a synopsis, check their required word count.
  • Tailor your submission to meet all their requirements.

Tip 4 – Genre Specifics

  • Have you mentioned your book’s genre? Which bookshelf you can see your book sitting on? (There can be only one!)
  • Have you mentioned novels similar to yours? Novels that you see your book sitting beside? Some genres are HUGE, and this will help an agent narrow things down.

Tip 5 – Word Count

  • Have you mentioned your book’s word count?
  • Have you checked that your word count sits comfortably within your genre’s expected parameters?
  • (How long a novel should be varies, depending on who you speak to. Anything under 50,000 is probably a novella. Maybe think carefully before submitting anything over 120,000. The average novel is (according to @prowritingaid) 90,000 words long, but every genre has different parameters.)

Tip 6 – How Long are Your Agent Query Letters?

  • Your letter should never be more than one page long. Aim for between 300 and 500 words.
  • Some agents request that your letter be pasted into the body of an email. Format it properly.
  • Don’t include fancy pictures (the agent will ignore them).
  • Don’t use unexpected fonts or distracting font colours.
Agent Query Letters