Querying literary agents
What Is a Query Letter and What Goes In It?
It’s totally normal to feel stuck or unsure when facing the query letter—this is a crucial step that can feel overwhelming. You want to put your best foot forward, but it’s not always clear what that means or how to make your letter stand out without overdoing it.
Direct answer
A query letter is a one-page letter that introduces your novel to a literary agent with the goal of sparking their interest to request your manuscript. It’s a professional, concise pitch that includes a brief summary of your story, a hook that grabs attention, and relevant author credentials or publishing history if you have any. This letter is your first impression and should be clear and engaging without being overly long or complex.
Typically, a query letter includes four main parts: a personalized greeting to the agent, a compelling hook or logline that sets up your story’s premise, a succinct synopsis that outlines the core conflict and stakes without revealing the ending, and a brief author bio that highlights your writing background or relevant experience. Keep the tone professional yet personable, and avoid spoilers or plot summaries that are too detailed.
Many writers struggle with how much to reveal and how to balance enthusiasm with professionalism. Focus on clarity and brevity—agents read hundreds of queries. Make sure your letter answers the question: Why should this agent be interested in this book and you? Tailoring your query to each agent’s preferences and showing you’ve researched them goes a long way. If you find yourself stuck, working with a book coach can help clarify your story’s core and craft a query that feels honest and effective.
What this looks like in practice
Early draft stage
You have a rough draft but no clear way to pitch your story.
You feel lost trying to distill your novel into a few sentences and don’t know where to start.
After working through your story’s core elements, you can write a focused hook and summary that captures your novel’s essence.
Revision stage
You’re revising your manuscript and want to prepare a query letter alongside.
You write a generic query letter that doesn’t highlight your novel’s unique strengths.
You create a tailored letter that reflects your story’s key conflicts and your author voice, making it more appealing to agents.
Before querying or publishing
You’re ready to send your query but doubt your letter’s effectiveness.
You worry your query is too long, too vague, or fails to engage agents.
You refine your letter with clear, concise language and a strong hook, increasing your confidence to submit widely.
How Story Salon helps
At Story Salon, we help writers shape their core story and craft query letters that clearly and compellingly represent their novel, boosting confidence and readiness to submit.