Tim Bete's award-winning parenting humor column, previously featured in the Christian Science Monitor
and more than a dozen parenting magazines
Where I Livetm
Anatomy of a query letter
by Tim Bete
I learned how to write a query letter from book marketing guru, Steve O'Keefe. He is a 20-year book publishing veteran and author of the Complete Guide to Internet Publicity. Since 1994, Steve has launched online marketing campaigns for more than 1,000 books and dozens of publishers. His advice helped me sell my first book. Below is the query letter I used to pitch agents.
I've admired Bruce Cameron since I first met him in a writers' group and heard him speak at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. He's a talented writer and an excellent speaker. Because you were so successful selling 8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter to Workman Publishing, I wonder if you would consider representing my writing to publishers? My style and audience is similar in many ways to Bruce's.
My book, How I determined the sex of our baby and other minor miracles will be based on my award-winning parenting humor column, which often appears in the Christian Science Monitor. Unlike major miracles (e.g., parting the Red Sea, multiplying loaves and fish), minor miracles are everyday occurrences that are even more astonishing. Chapters might include "My kids slept through the night -- it's a miracle," "Miracle in the air: How to change a diaper at 30,000 feet," and "My wife is a miracle -- or at least an unsolved mystery." I write clean, family-oriented humor, with a soft, non-preachy slant.
In addition to having appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, my humor column has also been featured in the The Record (Bergen County, NJ) and Atlanta Parent magazine, as well as dozens of Web sites. I am also a commentator on Dayton-area WYSO public radio, where I read my columns twice each month. My writing will appear in From the Heart: Stories of Love and Friendship (winter 2003, Coastal Village Press) and The Craft of the Modern Writer: insights from authors, writing professors, and editors (fall 2004, Oxford University Press). I am the former editor of Early Childhood News magazine and have written ad copy for IBM, World Book and General Mills as well as articles on marketing for Public Relations Tactics and PR News. I am currently the national marketing manager for the University of Dayton and also the co-director of the university's Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop -- a national conference for humor writers.
Jody, I really hope you will consider representing me. I need a literary agent who understands my market. I have enclosed an SASE for your convenient reply. Would you like to see a complete book proposal? Is there someone else at your agency you would prefer I deal with? If you are not interested in representing me, could you recommend an agent who might be right for this material? I appreciate your consideration.
With thanks,
Timothy P. Bete
Opening paragraph: Always address the letter to a specific person. Show the agent that you know whom he or she is and what he or she has sold in the past. When an agent sees that you've done your homework, he or she is much more likely to read the rest of the query letter. Often you can find the names of agents in the acknowledgment sections of books. Jeff Herman's book, Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, is also a great source, since it lists examples of books sold by specific agents. The free Publishers Lunch newsletter is also a great source for finding the latest literary deals.
Second paragraph:Briefly describe the concept of your book. Remember, the goal isn't to tell the agent everything, it's to get him or her to request a full proposal and sample chapters. Don't over sell by providing too much information.
Third paragraph: Sell your qualifications. Why should YOU write this book? Provide enough detail so that the agent views you as a credible professional. Information about how you can help promote and sell the book, once published, is also good to include. For example, if you do a lot of public speaking and could sell books at events, say so.
Closing paragraph: Don't ask for a "yes" or "no" response. Ask open-ended questions that encourage the agent to help you find the person you're looking for. This query letter resulted in several rejections. But, it also resulted in several agents requesting a proposal and sample chapters. Several agents who declined to represent me, asked if they could share the proposal with another agent , who they thought might be interested.
You can use a similar letter to pitch your book directly to an editor at a publishing house. Add the sentence, "If you prefer to be pitched by an agent, please let me know and I'll have my agent contact you."
This is a bluff, really. You don't have an agent. But you could get one in a heartbeat if an editor said, "yes, have your agent contact me." Steve O'Keefe says, "No editor interested in the pitch would prefer to be contacted by an agent. But the sentence let's them know you're no dummy about the process."
Did I get an agent to represent me using this query letter?
No. But, I did get thoughtful responses and advice that helped me rework my proposal and sell my book directly to a publisher. The feedback I received included:
* Humor is difficult to sell to publishers. Many editors won't even consider it. There's a limited market.
* Being a good -- or even great -- writer isn't enough. Convincing an agent/editor that you can help promote and sell the book is key.
* I needed a stronger hook so my book wouldn't be viewed as "just another parenting humor" book. My concept didn't stand out.
After pondering the feedback, I decided to change the title of the book to Five loaves, two fish -- what, no tartar sauce! (Minor miracles in the life of a faith-filled father) and pitch it directly to Christian publishers. My book concept already had a large "faith element," and I decided that making it more explicit would help. My book concept would stand out better in a smaller niche. I also realized that, if my book sold well, it would be much easier to approach agents in the future.
I purchased a copy of the Christian Writers' Market Guide, which is similar to Jeff Herman's book. I sent query letters to six publishers. My query letter for publishers was very similar to the one I used for agents.
Three publishers requested a proposal and sample chapters. Two offered contracts.
