One of the very first things you'll learn about as a literary intern is the query letter. It's your first opportunity as an intern to prove that you can separate the rare gems from the glorified sandpaper.
Once I decided that I was officially going to make the leap from education to publishing, before I ever even started looking for internships or hunting for entry level jobs, I started to do research. What do literary agents do? How do writers get in touch with agents? How are they chosen, or not chosen for that matter? And one of the first bits of information I found was about the infamous query letter.
In many ways, a query is much like a cover letter. The cover letter can often make or break your chance for a job interview, and the same holds true for the query letter. If an author can't hook the query reader in with that letter, be it digital or hardcopy, you have likely lost the battle before it had begun.
Much like my post on resume`s had emphasized, a query should also be tailored to the reader. And who is that reader? Well, many authors new to the game are not too happy (or even REALLY pissed) when they learn that the person reading their painstakingly penned query is none other than a lowly intern like myself, or perhaps an agent's rookie assistant. We get piles of unsolicited hardcopies of queries, and we sit at a little table in a quiet room [if we're fortunate to have that much room to claim as our own] and read letter after letter. Or, we face the ever-glowing computer screen, and scroll through countless emails containing "the next big thing" in compelling literature. As you can imagine, the letters start to sound very redundant rather quickly. In fact, it is estimated that roughly 5% of all queries will ever make it into the hands of someone who can do something of value with it, and even less- maybe 1%- will ever be given serious thought.
So, if you are new to publishing, how do you tell a quality query from a crumby one? Well, when I started out I grabbed a few books. One of the most helpful was the 21st annual edition of the 2012 Guide to Literary Agents. It was a great 101 course of literary agents, who they are, what they do etc. Inside, I found several great articles that gave me the backstory on queries. In fact, I credit the article "Crafting a Query How to Write a Great Letter" by Kara Gebhart Uhl, for helping me to land my first opportunity. Basically, it highlighted what a query was: "A query is a short, professional way of introducing yourself to an agent." (Uhl 40) Kara then pointed out the 3 main parts of the query, and even some tips and tricks for separating the good from the bad. Without this background, I'm not sure I would have passed my first potential literary intern test.
Before being offered my internship, I first had an interview with all the basic questions and inquiries: Tell me about yourself. What makes you want to get into publishing? What do you like to read? Do you have any questions for me? Etc. etc. After I passed the personal information portion of the interview, I was immediately asked to read and respond to six different query letters and complete them within 45 minutes. Thanks to the article mentioned above, I was able to express not only opinions of the letters, whether or not they were professionals, the credibility of the authors, whether or not I'd like to see more or reject it immediately. Once the agents looked over my responses, they were satisfied and believed I was up to the task of interning. And now, here I am, wading through various queries. Reject, reject, reje-hmmm, this might be interesting...reject, reject, reject, reject, WTF is this?, reject, reject. Well, you get the idea.
So, to all potential interns or other rookies to the publishing game, if you want to make a good first impression, do your HOMEWORK! (Darn it, there's that teacher voice again.) Take the extra step to bring some background knowledge with you to the table, it will give you an edge over the other hopeful candidates, and give you a little publishing street cred.
SIDE NOTE: Authors, if you want your book published you need to do your homework too.
A query is your first impression, so make it an incredible one. It is SO rare that I even get to see a half-descent query, so it leads me to believe that many writers simply don't know what it is or how important it is. Listen, it may be an entry level nobody reading your inquiry at first, but the bottom line is WE ARE READING IT! Not the CEO of Super Awesome Literary Agency, or that guy who shows up at your front door with million-dollar checks and balloons for no apparent reason. So, your letter needs to be concise, professional, and an incredibly interesting read. Much like a newbie intern should spend some time reading query letters to get a feel for them, you should spend even more time drowning yourself in queries. Look at what is out there, and how you could sell your idea 100x better. Get others, preferably professional writers, to look it over before you send anything out.
Also, research the agencies as well. Each agent has an individual set of preferences. Know them, and cater to them. If you want your book picked up, it has to be marketed to the right agent. Lastly, if you are not already an accomplished professional writer, don't pretend to be one- but start acting like one. Join professional writing organizations. Submit to credible writing contests that will get you some notoriety. Share your writing (or at least concepts and characters) with other professional writers to get some industry feedback- lots of feedback. That's how you can start to pick up on the holes or flaws in your writing, and can improve a piece before you send it out with both fingers crossed. One last note, sadly I must tell you that paper letters are dead to most industry professionals. If you are still mailing out envelopes full of queries and partial manuscripts, they are likely to be viewed as amateur, and dumped into the trash bin. So, send an email, just be sure your email address isn't #1potsmokerJackass37@hotmail.com, okay.
One last bit of advice, check the small details. Don't send a query to David Smith, CEO when it's Daniel Smith, CEO. You'd be amazed at how often these kinds of things happen. Get in the habit of individualizing letters so your letter intended for Super Awesome Literary Agency, doesn't begin with a greeting to The Wrong One agency instead.
While I'm sure there are plenty of other hints and tips I could send your way, I fear my post is already far too long. So, if you have any further questions, feel free to drop a comment or send me a question.
That's all for now.
~Michelle In Turn
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