Ten Tips to writing a better Query Letter.

TEN QUERY LETTER TIPS

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/10+Query+Letter+Tips.aspx

TEN QUERY LETTER TIPS by CHUCK SAMBUCHINO

1. If you write across categories (let’s say you write both picture books and adult fantasy), look for an agent who handles everything you write. She might just be your perfect fit.


2. Mass mailing (or e-mailing) agents without considering each one’s specialties is a waste of time and postage. Not every agent listed here will be a good fit for you. In fact, the fewer true matches you find, the more you’ve done your research. Agents love when you query them individually and provide a reason, such as, “Because you represented such-and-such book, I think you’d be a great agent for my work.”


3. Make sure your work is edited, revised and polished. Rewriting is a crucial step to bettering your work, so be sure to have trusted peers give you an honest critique, or consider seeking a professional freelance editor to evaluate it. And never query an agent for a novel until the work is complete.


4. Single-space your query letter, and keep it to one page. Double-space your manuscript and synopsis.


5. If you lack a good opening for your query letter, just give the facts. A simple yet effective opening line would be, “I am seeking literary representation for my 75,000-word completed thriller, titled Dead Cat Bounce.” In one sentence, you can tell the agent the length, genre, whether it’s complete and the title. After that, follow with the pitch and a little biographical information.


6. Follow submission directions to a T. If an agent requests “no attachments,” your query will likely be deleted should it arrive with an attachment. If they say “query first,” do just that. If they reply to your query and ask for an exclusive read of your manuscript for four weeks, make sure you give them that exclusive look.


7. If you have an automatic spam filter, turn it off. If you’re lucky enough to garner a reply from an agent interested in your work, the last thing they want to deal with is a spam filter requiring them to prove their existence.


8. Remember that publishing is a business and there’s much to learn. If you’ve finished a novel, make sure you know how to construct a good synopsis. If you’re pitching nonfiction, you’ll likely be asked to submit a full proposal detailing the book and how you intend to sell it. If you don’t know everything that goes into a book proposal, now’s the time to learn.


9. Realize that listings are an excellent start, but there’s still work to be done. Research the agent’s website to confirm that he is indeed still seeking “electronic queries for romance novels,” etc. Also, remember the frustratingly sad reality that the publishing industry is constantly in flux. Agents quit; they switch agencies; they suddenly stop representing fiction and move completely to nonfiction. The best way to deal with this is to cast a wide net.


10. Be persistent. Every famous author has a story about how many agents rejected their work before they made a connection. Work hard, work smart and don’t give up.

Reproduced from "Guide to Literary Agents" link http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/10+Query+Letter+Tips.aspx

Interview with a Vamp on Fire.

Interview with a Vamp on fire.












So, you couldn’t resist the title huh? Terrific. I’m pleased you are here. In my previous posting I lightly touched on the beginnings of the creative process.I don’t care if it’s a book/short story/poem/letter to your accountant. It is a creation. I aim to continue the series of documents in a lighthearted way, learning by numbers is not the way I do it.

Back to the title…Interview with a vamp on fire. Let’s suppose that you have a character in your mind, and that character is a VAMP. For starters please assume we are talking about a beautiful actress from the 1950’s and not one of Anne Rice’s wonderful creations.

The world was a different place, Marilyn’s last name was Monroe not Manson. These were the days of the “Vamps”

The stunningly beautiful, sexy and often blonde actresses that graced the big screen. Vamps indeed. In todays parlence girlfriend these woman where HOT…industrial strength to die for “hot”… and then some.

Okay…for the sake of the exercise lets introduce our HOT lady. How? Ahh huh…now we are talking.

I have a process, when I can see a character in my mind, I interview them on paper. As follows,

“Welcome to my mind, may I ask your name?

“Ah thanks so much for inviting me…mumble mumble. My name is Linda Sue Dixon.”

“Hmm LSD interesting name. Tell our readers, LSD, where are you from”

“From? Mmm, with a name like LSD I had best be from the South of the USA, and I had better be from the 60’s not the fifties.”

“Oh, that’s great..well thought out. May I ask your age, LSD.”

“Lets keep it in the 20’s ball park, you know how much I need to look young and beautiful.”

“Why is that? Do you think you will remain unloved if you aren’t young and beautiful?”

“Of course. It’s what’s expected after all.”

“Why give them what’s expected LSD. Dare to be different.”

“That’s scary. I mean…why take the chance? Doesn’t this generic brand work?”

“Not any more. I mean do you want to be a huge success, for 15 minutes. And then crash burn just as fast?

“Well no. But what do I do, I am what I am”

“Wrong LSD…you are what I make you.”

“Okay..I get the drift…what else?”

“Are you an only child?”

“Is that important? Let’s say no…I’m one of seven.”

“Seven? Okay, good, assuming they weren’t all vertically challenged and into singing hi ho hi ho it’s off to work we go.”

“Is this a fairytale?”

“I haven’t decided yet. So are you the youngest? Middle child, first born…what?”

“Um, the youngest.”

“Oh that’s good, gives us some scope for character development issues. So what was your home life like”

“Hey this is fun, Um..not so bad, daddy liked to drink a little, and momma was a flirt.”

“How little did daddy drink?”

“Well most every night. But we didn’t get to see it.”

“Why is that?



“Well…he wouldn’t come on home till way past our bedtimes”

“Was your momma at home?”

“Sometimes. Mostly we took care of ourselves at night.”

“Did that seem odd to you.”

“Odd? Oh I see where your going with this…um—odd, No I guess not? It was normal behavior in our little town”

“Good, good..small town girl. I like that. Did you go to school?”



“Yes. It was a tiny little place built in the back of the churchyard.”

“Did you and the family attend church?”

“Momma would sometimes take us.”

“What about your Pa?”

“He was way to busy.”

“What did he do for work?”

“He was the sheriff.”

“Whoo, I like that, that’s good.”

“Was your Pa good to you and the other six children.”

“Mostly.”

“Why mostly? What did he do that wasn’t so good”

“Oh nothing…he left when I was around 10 years old.”

“How did that make you feel?”

“Unloved.”

“Why”

“I always wondered is all, what if I had been a pretty little girl, someone to be proud of, would he have stayed?

“Bingo! Now we are seeing why you like being a Vamp. No abandonment issues if your beautifull huh?”

~~~~

Okay lets have a look at what has been created, so far.

We have a young woman around 20 years of age, a beautifull, southern girl with a name that resounds of the 60’s

Linda Sue Dixon. Small town girl, she’s the youngest of seven children. The parents were not perfect, daddy was the town sheriff he drank every night to forget about his wife being the town tramp.

LSD attended school and church with her siblings and her mother.

Her father left for good when LSD was around age 10. She grew up with the mistaken idea that she was an ugly child. And felt that if she’d been beautiful, daddy may have loved her more and stayed.

It’s only a short distance to see how she has grown up to do anything and everything to remain beautiful and in her mind worthy of loving.

This process works for me, and for a great many other writers.

You have talked to your character, questioned she/he in a relaxed way.

This has given you a clearer picture of who she/he is. Of the demons and other things that cause her to do the things she does.

This process opens the way for all the other characters you have yet to create.

If you were to interview LSD’s daddy, what would he reveal?

What of her mother? Do they have any contact?

“What occurred to have LSD now considered a HOT actress?”

“What will it take to have the Vamp crash burn in fire.”

I would like you to do something for me. CREATE your own Interview…with a character of your own invention.

In less than 1000 words, do as I have done.

Set the character. Sit he/she/it down…get comfortable and find out more about them. Then do a brief synopsis of what you have learned.

It should prove interesting. At best you will have created a character you want to write about. At worst you will have learned how to conduct an interview with your own creations.

Win, win situation.

Please enter your interview below. Feedback is something we all like. I will respond to all the people that do the exercise.

Have some fun with the writing process. Do it the “Write” way.

Soooz.



Interview with a Vamp on Fire.