I’ve gotten this question a lot of times, so I thought I would write a short post summarizing my best query tips and tricks. Some people love querying and I was definitely not one of those people! However, there is an art to writing a query letter and that's what I wanted to dive into today.
One of the most common pieces of advice is that the query structure can be summarized by the Book, the Hook, and the Cook.
Basically, what's the pitch for the book, why would someone pick it up, and who are you?
The most important parts of a query letter are definitely the Book and the Hook, which I'm going to focus on today. These paragraphs should be concise and streamlined. What's the core of your plot and your character's arc? That's what you want to nail in these initial paragraphs.
Here's an example from my query for the first book in my trilogy, THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT:
Kunal decided seven years ago that obedience was easier than resistance at the Red Fortress. Instead, he became a model soldier like his uncle, the General, and helped solidify the new King’s brutal regime over the matrilineal nation of Jansa. But when a moment of weakness for a pretty face results in the death of his uncle, guilt and duty bind him to a life he had started to question.
I focused on these elements:
Who is the MC and what's unique about them or their position?
Kunal decided seven years ago that obedience was easier than resistance at the Red Fortress. Instead, he became a model soldier like his uncle, the General, and helped solidify the new King’s brutal regime over the matrilineal nation of Jansa.
What change is occurring that pushes off the story?
But when a moment of weakness for a pretty face results in the death of his uncle...
What's the hook?
...guilt and duty bind him to a life he had started to question.
I use the same elements for the rest of my query. Since THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT is a dual POV, I structured my query around both POVs. Let's look at Esha's paragraph.
Esha hates the soldiers of the Blood Fort. Determined to avenge the family they stole from her, she became the ruthless Viper, a spy for the Dharkan rebels intent on toppling the false King. When her mission puts her in the path of one of the very soldiers she hates, she expects to fight for her life. Instead, his unexpected kindness leads to the success of her mission: killing the General.
Who is the MC and what's unique about them or their position?
Esha Amoun hates the soldiers of the Blood Fort. Determined to avenge the family they stole from her, she became the ruthless Viper, a spy for the Dharkan rebels intent on toppling the false King.
What change is occurring that pushes off the story?
When her mission puts her in the path of one of the very soldiers she hates, she expects to fight for her life.
What's the hook?
Instead, his unexpected kindness leads to the success of her mission: killing the General.
Answering these 3 questions in the beginning of your query will really help ensure that your "the Book" pitch is compelling and concise--two things agents will be looking for.
The last paragraph of your query should be focused on the Hook. What big question is going to propel the story forward? What is the major conflict in your book? What choice will the main character have to potentially make? Essentially, what's the Hook that will make agents, and readers, want to pick up this book?
Kunal sets off to catch the Viper, determined to get justice for his uncle, and a dangerous cat and mouse game begins. As Kunal chases Esha through desert towns and lush jungles, his beliefs and choices are thrown into question. Kunal has to decide what matters more—loyalty to his uncle and his comrades, or to a girl who’s shown him the truth of the world, and who may have captured his heart.
While my query for TTAM is by no means perfect (even now there are things I would change!), it showcases the structure that I think makes queries successful. Keep in mind, I got to this query after a LOT of drafts and having trusted friends read over it and give me their edits. My first queries for previous books were not like this!!
It's definitely a process, so just keep truckin'!
And if you're curious, here's my full query for THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT:
Kunal decided seven years ago that obedience was easier than resistance at the Red Fortress. Instead, he became a model soldier like his uncle, the General, and helped solidify the new King’s brutal regime over the matrilineal nation of Jansa. But when a moment of weakness for a pretty face results in the death of his uncle, guilt and duty bind him to a life he had started to question.
Esha hates the soldiers of the Blood Fort. Determined to avenge the family they stole from her, she became the ruthless Viper, a spy for the Dharkan rebels intent on toppling the false King. When her mission puts her in the path of one of the very soldiers she hates, she expects to fight for her life. Instead, his unexpected kindness leads to the success of her mission: killing the General.
Kunal sets off to catch the Viper, determined to get justice for his uncle, and a dangerous cat and mouse game begins. As Kunal chases Esha through desert towns and lush jungles, his beliefs and choices are thrown into question. Kunal has to decide what matters more—loyalty to his uncle and his comrades, or to a girl who’s shown him the truth of the world, and who may have captured his heart.
THE BLOOD FORT, complete at 95,000 words, will appeal to fans of THE WINNER’S CURSE and AN EMBER IN THE ASHES. It is standalone novel with series potential.
