Skip to content
Publishing Map

Traditional publishing · Submissions

How to write a query letter

A query letter is a short business letter that introduces the book and asks whether the agent wants to read it. Writer Beware describes a common shape: the book's facts, a short picture of the story or subject, relevant credentials, and a plain close. The Association of American Literary Agents does not publish a template. Follow the agency page you are writing to. This page does not include a sample letter attributed to a real person.

Open this guided answer Read the reference

Free · cited · no signup required

Saveable summary

The short answer

  1. Writer Beware's query article describes four parts: title, genre, and word count; a short picture of the book; credentials that relate to the book; and a polite close.[227]
  2. That article says a query should be no more than one page, a few hundred words. The Authors Guild article and the AALA Canon do not state a word count.[225][227][228]
  3. A comp title is a published book the agent would recognize. Writer Beware says to avoid claiming your book is just like that book.[227]
  4. Useful personalization is research on that agent, plus a real connection if you have one. Pets, unrelated life stories, and unpaid clips presented as credits are mistakes both sources flag.[227][228]
  5. The query is not the synopsis. Send a synopsis only when that agent's guidelines ask for it, as its own document.[227][228]

01

What sections belong in a query letter?

Writer Beware's article, posted 18 August 2010, describes four parts. First, name the title and genre, give the length in words rather than pages, and say the book is finished. Second, give a short, specific picture of the book. That article calls this a sound bite, not a plot synopsis. Third, give credentials that relate to this book, or say it is a first novel if that is true. Fourth, close politely. The Authors Guild article of 25 April 2017 describes the opening as two or three sentences with the title, a very short bio, and any real connection to the agent, then a one- or two-sentence pitch, then a line that says what you attached or pasted if the guidelines asked for anything.[225][227][228]

  • Those two descriptions do not match line for line. Use them as a checklist, then follow the agent's own order.
  • The AALA Canon mentions query letters as material a member may not charge a fee to read when deciding on representation. It does not list required paragraphs.
  • This page does not invent a sample. A made-up letter with a real person's name on it would not be that person's query.

02

How long should a query letter be?

Writer Beware says a good query is brief: no more than one page, and a few hundred words, not a page filled by shrinking the margins. The Authors Guild article does not state a word count. The AALA Canon does not state one either. If the agency page sets a length, that instruction controls.[225][227][228]

  • In the Writer Beware description, the length you report for the book is the manuscript's word count, not a page count.
  • A synopsis, a proposal, and sample chapters are extra documents. They are not a reason to exceed the length the agency allows for the letter.
  • No cited page states one required font, margin, or file type for every agent.

03

What is a comp title?

A comp, or comparison title, is a published book the agent would recognize, used to show where your book sits. Writer Beware says a quick comparison can work, and it tells writers not to announce that the book is just like a named book. It suggests language such as in the tradition of that book, or should appeal to readers of that book. The Authors Guild query section does not define comps. Neither page states how recent a comparison title must be, or how many to name.[227][228]

  • The cited pages do not say a film or a television series counts as a comp title.
  • A comparison is not a sales promise, and it is not proof that the agent represents that author.
  • If you name an author the agent represents, the Authors Guild treats that as a personal connection in the introduction, which is separate from a comparison title.

04

What personalization is useful in a query?

Writer Beware says to research the agent before you query, adjust the letter so it fits that agent's list, and send exactly what the guidelines ask for. The Authors Guild says a useful personal note is a real connection, including that you admire authors they represent. It also says the letter should stay simple. You are not trying to trick the agent.[4][227][228][241]

  • Personalization is not a life story. Both sources say to leave out unrelated personal details.
  • QueryTracker and Manuscript Wish List can show what an agent says they want. Confirm the current guidelines on the agency site before you send.
  • The agents and publishers directory lists those directories and the agent associations. A listing is not a recommendation.

05

What are common query-letter mistakes?

Writer Beware lists mistakes it describes as common: a letter that runs long, a full synopsis squeezed in instead of a short picture of the book, personal details that do not relate to the book, claims that friends or family loved it, unpaid local clips presented as professional credits, and an announcement that this manuscript is book one of a long series already written. The Authors Guild says to leave out pets, minor publications, awards you did not win, the personal struggles behind the book, and a performance of cleverness.[225][227][228]

  • Writer Beware says the writing credit that counts, in that article, is writing you were paid for, and that a degree or job belongs only when it relates to the book.
  • A fee in exchange for reading the query is a different problem from a weak letter. AALA members may not charge that reading fee.
  • The cited pages do not rank agents, and they do not say any wording produces an offer.

06

Where does the synopsis fit?

Writer Beware says the query is not a synopsis. The short picture of the book is meant to be more selective than a full plot summary. The Authors Guild says some agents want a synopsis with sample pages, some want the query only, and some want the full manuscript. Send a synopsis when that agent's guidelines ask for one, as its own document.[227][228]

  • Neither page states a required synopsis length. Neither page states whether the synopsis must reveal the ending.
  • A nonfiction proposal is also separate from the query. The Authors Guild says nonfiction querying starts from a proposal, a sample chapter, and an outline.
  • The literary-agent answer covers who needs a query, and what happens after an offer of representation.

Use the guided answer

Apply this to your book

The guide preserves your exact choice in the URL, so you can return to it or send it to someone else.

Open this guided answer