Thursday, November 14, 2024

Offical queery letter guide

 

4 elements of every query letter

I recommend your query include these elements, in no particular order (except the closing):


Finding a lit agent/quarrying websites

QueryTracker,https://querytracker.net/agents/

https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/

LITERARY AGENTS - SFWA

 AgentQuery, https://www.agentquery.com/


Poets&Writers, https://www.pw.org/literary_agents


Get a Literary Agent. (new agntes incase I get turned down by all big ones:)

https://literary-agents.com/new-literary-agents/

First Qurry: Dan Conaway | Member | Publishers Marketplace

Lust of lit agents im gonna quarry too one by one




I consider personalization or customization of the query optional. More on that later. 

Some agents and publishers require that you mention comparable or competitive titles. You can learn how to research your comps in this post.

In its entirety, the query shouldn’t run more than 1 page, single spaced, if printed, or somewhere around 200 to 450 words. 

LGBT-focused lit agents https://literary-agents.com/list-of-literary-agents/gay-literary-agents/

https://literary-agents.com/list-of-literary-agents/gay-literary-agents/

LIT AGENT WISHLIST:

  • Joshua A. Bilmes. Add to shortlist. ...

  • Jennifer DeChiara. Add to shortlist. ...

  • Dan Conaway. Add to shortlist. ...

  • Ellen Geiger. Add to shortlist. ...

  • Julie Barer. Add to shortlist. ...

  • Lauren Spieller. Add to shortlist. ...

  • Danielle Egan-Miller. Add to shortlist. ...

  • Sydelle Kramer. Add to shortlist.


  • Pamela Ahearn: A literary agent at The Ahearn Agency

  • Jessica Alvarez: A literary agent at BookEnds Literary Agency

  • Malaga Baldi: A literary agent at Malaga Baldi Literary Agency

  • Agnes Birnbaum: A literary agent at Bleecker Street Associates

  • Steven Chudney: A literary agent at The Chudney Agency

Lit agent backup websites if quarry tracker and p arket place dont work well To find a literary agent, you can check out:

  • Writers Market: A hardcopy book or online resource

  • Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents: A helpful resource

  • AgentQuery: An online source for cross-checking information

  • Query Tracker: An online source for cross-checking information 


To get an agent, you can pitch your book to them in the form of an email or covering letter. 

I recommend brevity, especially if you lack confidence. Brevity gets you in less trouble. The more you try to explain, the more you’ll squeeze the life out of your story. So: Get in, get out.

QUrry agent wishlist

How to Write a Query Letter That Gets Manuscript Requests | Jane Friedman

FIRST PERSON I WANNA QURRY KEEPING TRACK

Dan Conaway

Writers House

21 West 26th Street

New York, NY 10010

E-Mail:

conawaysubmissions@writershouse.com

Website:

www.writershouse.com/

AALA Member: 

Yes (Visit Site)

Query Methods

Accepts queries via...

 Postal Mail

 E-Mail

Did this agent skip your query?

Find out here.

Find this agent at...

Google     Yahoo     Bing

Publisher's Marketplace

Google Books

Association of American Literary Agents

Manuscript Wish List




Offcial Lying Flatt, Qurry Letter.

https://www.querylettergenerator.com/generator


  1. Catgagory: Fiction 

  2. Genres: Comedy, yA, music memoir, historical fiction, LGBT, romance, 

  3. Word count: 221557

  4. Tittle: Lying Flatt: Book one Glory Days


Lying Flatt: Hook -Narrtive Summury 

in a world of rock n roll memoirs, that claim to be “real” “the dirt” what really happened all those wild years on he road that the public is just dying 


Sevral qurry Letters for sevrlal agents: how to rewrite your letter next

The Secret to Getting an Agent's Attention

https://www.tiffanyhawk.com/blog/how-to-write-an-awesome-personalized-query-letter


Personalize your opening. Your first few lines are where you can immediately show them you’re querying them for a reason and that your book is right for their list.

Appeal to an agent’s taste in your opening

Obviously, you already know not to waste an agent’s time, or yours, by pitching a romance novel to someone whose list is dominated by political thrillers or literary essay collections.  

But there’s a lot more to it than that. 

You want them to quickly see that you’ve written in a genre they represent, as well as a subgenre they regularly sell, and that the book is similar to other books on their list in tone or topic or style. You can determine that by researching agents’ sales histories, Manuscript Wish Lists, interviews etc.  

Demonstrate that your book is a great read

I know it’s exceptionally hard to boil your book down to a paragraph or two, but it’s crucial to get this right.  

There are two primary ways to do this.  

  • Using only the most essential details, make it clear that you have a compelling protagonist, and make his or her story arc clear.

  • Be specific not generic

Besides cut-and-paste jobs blasted out indiscriminately all over New York, the second most common mistake I see authors make with their queries is that they focus on themes at the expense of story, saying things like “this is a story of love and loss” or “guilt and redemption.” Or they try to sell the book with subjective claims like “page-turning” or “thought-provoking.”

The problem? None of that says anything. It’s all so generic that it could apply to practically every other book on their shelves and in their inbox. 

The secret is to get specific about how your book is special. When in doubt, ask yourself if there’s any chance the agent could mistake it for another book. If so, you’re doomed. Your story should sound like nothing else. 

Which book would you rather read? 

“A provocative and assured novel of morality and miracles, science and sacrifice set in the Amazon rainforest. It delivers an enthrallingly innovative tale of aspiration, exploration, and attachment. It is a gripping adventure story and a profound look at the difficult choices we make in the name of discovery and love.” 

Now, we’d all love it if a reviewer spoke so highly of our books, but as a sales pitch – a query or back cover copy – it tells us nothing. Besides a hint of adventure in an Amazon setting, that could describe any number of books. That summary is nothing but themes and subjective claims.  

Let’s try this again with the same book.  

“Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a pharmaceutical company, is sent to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have all but disappeared in the Amazon while working on what is destined to be an extremely valuable new drug. Nothing about the assignment is easy: not only does no one know where Dr. Swenson is, but the last person who was sent to find her, Marina's research partner Anders Eckman, died before he could complete his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey into the jungle in hopes of finding Dr. Swenson as well as answers to troubling questions about her friend's death, the state of her company's future, and her own past.”

Both descriptions are fair, and in fact the first description is what Amazon actually uses for Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder, but they can only get away with that because of her fame. The second one, which you’ll find on Patchett’s own website, is far more engaging because it brings to life a specific character with a specific problem in a unique situation. 

What does it take for agents to see you as a professional author?

Don’t worry. I’m not suggesting you need to already have a bestselling book or an MFA from a prestigious school or a column in the New York Times (thought those sure won’t hurt!). What I mean is that you’ll show them that you’ve done your homework. You’ll be pitching something that’s like what they already represent or something new they’ve asked for. You’ll be polite. You’ll use a standard format to make their job easier. You’ll follow any submission guidelines they might have. 

A Tried and True Query Letter Template

Describing your entire novel in a one page query letter may feel impossible (it does to me!). Thankfully there’s a standard but effective formula you can follow, spicing it up with your own style.

First, I'll introduce the query letter formula, and then I'll show you exactly how to rock each section.

Section one should do two things. It should demonstrate that you’re a savvy professional pitching this particular literary agent for a reason. (I’ll tell you howto personalize your opening below.) Next, it should quickly introduce your book.

Section two should tell the agent about the story and leave them wanting more.

Optionally, you can compare your novel to other similar books. (More on how to find those books below.)

Section three of your query should introduce you and your background. (Don’t worry if you’ve never published anything before. There are plenty of other things to say.)

Section 1:  Your Query’s Opening

This is the place to show an agent that you know who they are, that you targeted them for a reason, and that you’re not blindly sending this same query to a thousand agents you found online, most of whom are not a fit. 

The goal here is not to kiss up or stroke the agent’s ego. It’s to show that you know who they are and what they like and that you have a reason for querying them specifically.  

Next, quickly introduce your novel with title, word count, and genre.

This can be extremely simple. For example, “I’m hoping you will consider my 83,000-word historical novel, [Insert Your Title Here].” 


Section 2: The Story

This is the really hard part. You’ll want to summarize your book in one or maybe two paragraphs. This means leaving out A LOT! You need to be specific enough that they understand who and what the book is about, but the goal is not to give them a CliffsNotes rundown of the entire plot. It’s to get them to read more.

In other words, the job of a query letter is to paint your book into a pretty little box that they can instantly understand BUT at the same time make it seem special and like nothing else they’ve read before. 

If that sounds challenging, start by filling in these blanks:

MAIN CHARACTER, a ______________, desperately wants to _____________, but _____________ is getting in the way. To reach his/her goal, character tries _____________ but that plan fails because of _____________.  

Once you have the bird’s eye view of your story, add in some specific details about the characters, their location, and the lurking danger. Avoid being generic. Help them see how your character’s situation is unique.

Section 3: Your Bio

If you have any writing credentials, this is the place to mention them. Definitely include your publications or awards or your MFA. If you’ve been selected for a prestigious conference or residency, include that.

Section 4: The Closing

End with a short, polite closing. Something as basic as, “Thank you for your time and consideration” is perfectly professional. If their submission instructions ask for additional materials like the synopsis or opening chapters, mention those attachments here.


In the end 

I know it’s daunting, but your book is worth it! I can’t make this process fun, but I can try to make it a little easier and a lot more effective.

What do you think? Are you going to personalize your queries? Do you feel ready? Let me know your thoughts and concerns in the comments.



https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/dconaway/


As well as some of your other queer books such as Pronoun Trouble, and other Rock N roll Memoirs such as Bruce. The subjects covered in my book are ever topical, about fatphobia, coming of age as a queer person in a small town, painfull iconclation, fame, and how being yourself weather on stage or at home, was and is neccairy, and brave and this story is a testament to that. Lester Flatt as a young,sharp tounged, screwed up, frontman, an unreliable, pathgical liar and overly earnest aspiring rock star in the rough, unforgiving 1980s, my book delves into some unique corners of those subculture, like jersey cheesy one hit wonder hair metal, NYC punks, taking tours through iconic stubcture tenpoles, like CBGBS, Trash and Vaudile, the limelight, the importanc of archiving queer music history. Lester’s voice is likeble, funny, shocking, morally conifcting and a uniquely brash, a silly teenage force of nature that your readers, from young queers to gen x, to die hard rock readers, are all bound to be along for the ride.

Official query letter draft 2



Dear Dan Conway,


I am submitting LYING FLATT: BOOK ONE, GLORY DAYS, i'm impressed by Writershouse publishing’s because I am massive fan of Oscar Wilde, hes my favorite person /subject and you have a book on him called the Wildes, when I read it I knew it was something special, along with your other unconventional, challenging and interesting queer books, along with a Lesbians Guide to Catholic school. Like if your looking for a gay satire of 80s rock n roll, coming of age fake memoir inspired by jack black all things punk, hair metal and abusrd but sweet, if your looking for more uncocvnetail queer books, then Lying Flatt might be up your ally.


Because im sure you’ve heard…Being gay is the most rock n roll thing there is!


Lester Flatt is a 17-year-old Aspring Rock God, gay, pathgocal lair, whos very inscure anoying but passonite, absurd loud, young, overconifdent, and painfully relatble, and easy to root for. Lester Flatt just wants To be a rock god, rock n roll icon in the late 80s, and era that just doesnt want guys like him onstage. But hes still been trying for years, and has a new hope with his new band -just like his idol, Flea., but when Starting his new band: Bad Decions. But what does he do, when he realizes his popular hair metal rival who he hates is actully secretly gay as well, and he deveops a massive crush on, as he reminds him of his rock gods on his wall. Mack Lasher After growing jelous during his bands mild local sucess, that his brother and bandmates all have girlfirends and becuase hes gay he cant have a boyfriend or have tons of sex drugs and rock n roll, scoicties anti gay anti rock n roll crusuade, causing Lester to feel robbed and ripped off, unfiiled in his role as frontman espciall afetr his brother Kevin strst dating Riot Girl punk, Roxy, and genrally is alot happier and gets his shit togetehr as a person overcome with roamntic jelousy, and creative frustation that the band is a sellout to sell local shows and isnt being rock n roll to his vsion enough, his tide turns when as a birthday gift kevin gives him the lovelist a list of all closted gay boys at their Consertive small town high school, causing Lester to go on an undercover, very proud hookup spree in the boys bathroom, the frist of thease Hookups being with Rubin Smith, who is a much more popalr band then him evryone in his band espcially Trent hates, so its very conifciting for him, Falling in love, genuine love with Ruin afetr hooking up a feew more times, and having his band be more radical (some might even say queer) dispite the local rock trends being very straight, male dispite the big hair, he has to choose between his band and love and for a while he thinks he can have both, but as his deep seated ababndoment issues, lifetime of abuse and bullying comes to guide him to put evrthing into his band, but starting to feel like he'll never be loved by his band, by Rubin due to rumors he keeps hearing about Rubin being a bad person not just their rival, Lester goes very far to belive Rubin and him can be togeher clinging to this love at the expeense of his bands sucess and his band having any chance of winning the battle of the bands in Trenton.. Now, Mack Lasher Hes conifclted between Rubins love-keeping it a secret disput what Trent warns, and comming into his own as a punk rocker trying to set himself against the boring, junk hair metal of the day witch he hates, --in this process he also becomes obessed with having, a rock n roll alter ego espcially as his self hatred, and doubt of his future as evrthing seems to ride on his sucess as a rocker, even his ablity to not be kicked out of his house by his awful cirtsian parrents, so as things keep going wrong dispite all his hard work, Lester esstinally falls in love with the idea of becoming somone else, not just on stage like an alter ego, but beoming the alter ego all together, as he starts to spend more time with Roxy and her punk freinds valaidiating his punk impuses, he for the frist time goes to the east village and does everthing a good budding punk in the 80s should do, shop at trash and vaudvile for Leather jackets, attend a live show at CGBGS and hitchike with a nazi punk only to be dropped off on saint Marx ave, Lester gains a new level of conidfrence pretnding to be Mack Lasher, his rock n roll ater ego, and already famous, so random east village post punks and queers his frist time in his life among the treue gay comunity, or rather the true rock n roll comunity he’s always dreamed of being in, on his own terms, would esstinally lie his way to fame and infamay in the next two books, starting here…


As Mack Lasher now that lester has estbalihed his relatship with Rubin witch he now belives is a fullblown relalsthip, he has a secret van hookup after one of Rubins big shows with half the school there, now with Trents warnings of Rubin, crewing him over in a past battle of the bands ringing in his ears, he discovers a new side to himself, that he is not just hooking up with Rubin to feel like more of a rock star, but is actully in love with him, so he hangs  erthing on tehri relatshiship, proving he can be loved. Mack Lasher’s peroana built on lies, is put to the test when Absuse from his parrents, school bullies, widespread rejection and mocking of his past and current bands from Camlot record store regaulrs starts to ceatch up to him, convincing him he needs to stop being himelf if he wants to get anywhere, and of course Rubin and his band., and when and he get Rubin to love him, can he win the battele of the bands and win enough money and a record deal to have their band suceed aftter dozens of faluires and actully live his rock n roll dream just like Flea, can Lester with kevins sopport, but no one elses, actully matain any conidfence or will his festering self hatred and inagquiecey isseus win and will he fully commit to being Mack Lasher and kill his old self embracing a life of lies once and for all., he/him has to Win Rubin over, and become the rock god he was alwyas born to be and change rock n roll forver dude. or He will let his self hatred consume him, and decicie to lie about being a rock god instead of conqtuing the trisidisonal road to become one himself, killing himself in the prcess.


Lying Flatt, Lesters parody rock n roll emmeoir comes in at , 221557, Words. LYING FLATT: BOOK ONE, GLORY DAYS. is a YA (Lgbt, adult fiction)] set in Ewing Township new jearsy (1980s). It will appeal to readers of Ziggy Stardust and me. and Lords of Chaos. LYING FLATT: BOOK ONE, GLORY DAYS. has potential for a sequel witch ive already had planned since 2022. The story will be following Mack Lasher's story as he/him continues to Yes its the first book in a trilogy.


I am submitting LYING FLATT: BOOK ONE, GLORY DAYS, to you because I am submitting to you becuase I am an amture expert on Oscar Wilde, hes my favroite person /subject and you have a book on him called the Wildes, when I read it I knew it was somthing speical, along with your other unconvential, challging and intresting queer books, If your looking for a gay satire of 80s rock n roll, comming of age fake memoir inspired by jack black all things punk, hair metal and abusrd but sweet, if your looking for more uncocvnetail queer books, then Lying Flatt might be up your ally.


I have alot of experience writing books ive been doing it since eletenemary school. I have a Creative Writing BA. Published in the Writopia Ellips (Published twice in ccny city collge Prometahn lit magzine) . Im a longtime Vetran of Writopia Lab, NYC and writers rock workshops. Im a trans gay guy, no musical skill but huge fan of rock n roll jack black and his roles in school of rock, and tenatious D inspired me to wirte this book, in 2021 ive been writing it for four years straight, I thought jck balck as hismelf should playa gay charchter at some point in his career (not counting Saving Silverman) there needs to be more gay stories about flawed, fat, reldidicous unserious charters who belive in a dream and take up sapce in industries that dont want them, the pepole that paved the way and were forgotton, kids now, the ones who are imperfect, proud freaks being told they need to change in order to have a good life for their tallents and love and life to be welcomed and celbrated well this story is for kids like i was, all the outcats in consertive school, who have no queer comcunity and just need somthing to convince them themselevs is worth being, and evryone is better off with them arround becuase somtimes you need to hear it, you cant do all the self love so much harder then many give credit for in a world that spends all its time hating you, all the time yourself, and if not somone in theri life a story-to get them through when I had no one art got me through got me to belive life, MY life, all our lives, was worth fighting for..


Thank you for your consideration.


Yours sincerely,


Elijah Brahmi (Writing as Buddy Devine)



Draft 3 query letter - export to a pdf on simple “letterhead” and paste the text into the body of the email, too


Dear Dan Conaway.


I am delighted to introduce myself and propose my queer satirical novel set in the 1980s underground rock scene of New Jersey, Lying Flatt: Book One, Glory Days. I would be honored to collaborate with you at Writer’s House because I particularly admire your work on Peter Ames Carlin’s biographies of R.E.M. and Bruce Springsteen as well as Louis Bayard’s The Wildes. Like my main character, the tragic rocker Lester Flatt, I am enamored of Oscar Wilde. My book is (to borrow your phrase) voice-y, suspenseful, and it keeps its tongue firmly in cheek.


The subjects covered in my book are ever topical, its about fatphobia, coming of age as a queer person in a small town, painful iconclation, self hatred, fame, and how being yourself weather on stage or at home, was and is neccairy, and brave and this story is a testament to that. Lester Flatt as a young,sharp tounged,undigonsed auatsic screwed up, frontman, an unreliable, pathgical liar and overly earnest aspiring rock star in the rough, unforgiving 1980s.  My book delves into some unique corners of those subcultures, like jersey cheesy one hit wonder hair metal, NYC punks, taking tours through iconic underground landmarks, like CBGBS, Trash and Vaudile, the limelight, the importanc of archiving queer music history. Lester’s voice is likeble, funny, shocking, morally conifcting and a uniquely brash, a silly teenage force of nature that your readers, from young queer or disabled to gen x, to die hard rock readers, are all bound to be along for the ride.


Because I’m sure you’ve heard…Being gay is the most rock ‘n’ roll thing there is!


Lying Flatt is about the Seventeen-year-old Lester Flatt is on a mission to become a rock god in the late '80s, but he faces a world that doesn't always welcome someone like him on stage. Struggling with his identity as a gay aspiring musician, Lester navigates the challenges of jealousy, love, and self-acceptance while fronting his new band, Bad Decisions. As he grapples with his feelings for his hair metal rival, Rubin Smith, who surprisingly shares his secret, Lester embarks on an emotional journey of romance, rivalry, and Rock n Roll. Caught between the allure of fame and the need for genuine connection, he experiences a tumultuous relationship with Rubin Smith, a popular musician whose band rivals his own. As Lester’s bandmates find happiness in their relationships, he feels increasingly isolated and pressured to conform to societal expectations. With the support of his brother Kevin and the punk scene of New York City, Lester begins to explore his identity further, crafting an alter ego, Mack Lasher, that embodies his wildest rock ‘n’ roll dreams. But as the Battle of the Bands approaches, Lester must confront his insecurities, past trauma, and the lies he’s been telling himself. With the weight of his aspirations and the fear of rejection looming large, he must decide whether to embrace his authentic self or continue living a façade. Will Lester rise to the challenge, prove his worth, and find love with Rubin, or will his self-doubt and external pressures extinguish his dreams of rock stardom forever? Lying Flatt is a poignant tale of self-discovery, love, a loveletter to rock n roll in all its shades, tying it clearly to modern readers taste for music, adventure and sensory in this quest for acceptance in a world that often feels unforgiving.


Lying Flatt, Lesters parody rock n roll memoir comes in at , 221557, Words. LYING FLATT: BOOK ONE, GLORY DAYS. is a New adult fiction (Lgbt, adult fiction)] set in Ewing Township new jearsy (1980s). It will appeal to readers of Ziggy Stardust and me. and Lords of Chaos. LYING FLATT: BOOK ONE, GLORY DAYS. has potential for a sequel witch ive already had planned since 2022. The story will be following Mack Lasher's story as he/him continues to Yes its the first book in a trilogy.


Although my book is focused on the music world, I have no musical talent myself. I am trans male student at SUNY New Paltz, doing cartoons for the school newspaper, and working towards a BA in Creative Writing. I have had short pieces published in the CCNY Promethean literary magazine and in the Writopia Ellipsis. I’ve been writing Lying Flatt for four years straight. This story is for kids like I was in high school, all the outcasts in consertive school, who have no queer comcunity and just need somthing to convince them themselevs is worth being, and evryone is better off with them arround becuase somtimes you need to hear it, you cant do all the self love so much harder then many give credit for in a world that spends all its time hating you, all the time yourself, and if not somone in theri life a story-to get them through when I had no one art got me through got me to belive life, MY life, all our lives, was worth fighting for..


Thank you for your consideration.


Yours sincerely,


Elijah Brahmi (aka Buddy Devine)
By Elijah Brahmi at

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1# Writing Self Asssement

one of my first lying flatt notes from glenhaven library