|
|
Hooked! Query letters that piqued an agent's interest - Part 4 of 5
Published: March 10, 2009 | Of short query letters, Emmanuelle Alspaugh, of Judith Ehrlich Literary Management, says: "Agents read so much that I think a short succinct letter that provides all the information an agent needs and no more, no flourishes, so to speak, sends the message that the writer understands an agent's time is limited and has our needs in mind." When Alissa Johnson sent Alspaugh the pitch for her novel As Luck Would Have It, Johnson was an unpublished author. "That Alissa could deliver the required information in few words I think is brilliant," Alspaugh says. Luck was published in 2008, and Johnson's second novel, Tempting Fate, debuted in January 2009. |
 Alissa Johnson
Dear Ms. Alspaugh,
I invite you to read my completed 110,000-word historical romance entitled As Luck Would Have It.
Set in the Regency era, As Luck Would Have It is the story of Miss Sophie Everton, a young woman with an astounding amount of good luck, and a depressingly equal propensity for misfortune. After 12 years of travel, she has returned to England to discover her family nearly destitute, her cousin carousing with traitors, and the Prince Regent determined to engage her services as a spy. To make things right, she'll need a little help from the Duke of Rockeforte, and all the luck she can get.
I believe As Luck Would Have It will appeal to fans of Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn.
I was raised on various Air Force bases in the U.S. and Europe, earned my B.A. from St. Olaf College, and currently live in the Ozarks, where I am hard at work on the second book of this four-book series.
Per your submission guidelines, I have included sample pages of my work.
Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Alissa R. Johnson
|
 Emmanuelle Alspaugh
Alissa writes: I invite you to read my completed 110,000-word historical romance entitled As Luck Would Have It.
Hook: Short and sweet, this query letter told me everything I needed to know short of the author's actual storytelling ability. From the first line, I immediately knew the category and that the manuscript was an appropriate length.
Alissa writes: As Luck Would Have It is the story of Miss Sophie Everton, a young woman with an astounding amount of good luck, and a depressingly equal propensity for misfortune.
Hook: I loved that this very simple query letter described the protagonist in such an adorable way, with her two opposing characteristics of attracting both very good and very bad luck.
Alissa writes: Set in the Regency era, As Luck Would Have It is the story of Miss Sophie Everton, a young woman with an astounding amount of good luck, and a depressingly equal propensity for misfortune. After 12 years of travel, she has returned to England to discover her family nearly destitute, her cousin carousing with traitors, and the Prince Regent determined to engage her services as a spy. To make things right, she'll need a little help from the Duke of Rockeforte, and all the luck she can get.
Hook: The second paragraph delivered the hook. I liked the protagonist and was intrigued by the idea of a society lady coming back to her milieu after 12 years away. I wanted to know what was going to happen. This mini-synopsis also read like the back-cover copy of the novel, which also impressed me.
Alissa writes: I believe As Luck Would Have It will appeal to fans of Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn.
Hook: Comparisons are a great way to tell an agent or editor, in a nutshell, where the author might fit on the shelf.
Alissa writes: I was raised on various Air Force bases in the U.S. and Europe, earned my B.A. from St. Olaf College, and currently live in the Ozarks, where I am hard at work on the second book of this four-book series.
Hook: Finally, this paragraph gave me a sense of the author and her background, which actually seemed to fit that of the protagonist. It made me curious.
--Posted March 10, 2009
|
Marla Miller
Marla Miller shepherds writers through the publishing process with her Marketing the Muse workshops, which she teaches at several writer conferences throughout the country, and her Web site, www.marketingthemuse.com. Agents are invited to submit a query letter that resulted in representation to marketingthemuse@gmail.com. She is a published author and editor-in-chief of a lifestyle magazine for Newport Beach, Calif. A yenta of sorts, she's introduced many unpublished authors to their literary agents. To submit a query letter that resulted in agent representation, e-mail her at marketingthemuse@gmail.com. |
|
Free Newsletter
Get our free newsletter
|