Critique My Query

E-mail Article to a FriendPrint ArticleBookmark and Share

Dramani, a sci-fi novel

An evaluation of a query letter for a book

By Marla Miller
Published: March 5, 2012
Marla Miller
Marla Miller
The query letter

Dear ________:

I am currently seeking representation for Dramani, my popular fiction novel of 76,000 words aimed at the general market.

Twenty-five years ago a space ship crashed into the Mojave Desert. The only survivors of that crash were the 70 young children of a human-like alien species who were soon identified as Dramani. Although their existence was kept secret by a rich oil tycoon who knew public knowledge would threaten the safety and happiness of his beloved alien children, it was only a matter of time before the Dramani children grew up and became aware of their non-human attributes. This happens to Sarah Winters on her 25th birthday when she communicates telepathically with Darren McAvoy, another Dramani unaware of his origin. Stunned by their newfound ability, and by Darren’s ocean-blue eyes, Sarah starts a quest for truth that leads her to a fight for her identity, the lives of those she loves, and the survival of her species. 

Fast-paced, suspenseful and sprinkled with romance, Dramani demonstrates that knowing the facts of your origin is not as important as what you choose to do with them, and that humanity is a universal concept.

I will be happy to provide a full manuscript upon your request. Thank you for your time and patience. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
 
Sincerely,

[Name withheld]

The critique


Want Marla to critique your book query?

Send your query letter to marketingthemuse@gmail.com. Be sure to use the subject line "The Writer Query Letter Critique." Queries for nonfiction and fiction (all genres) are welcome, and critiques are free.

Marla Miller, a writer herself, teaches Marketing the Muse Workshops at the Southern California Writers' Conference and the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Her Quick Query Critique video segments are available at marlamiller.com.

User Comments
Only registered members of WriterMag.com are allowed to comment on this article. Registration is FREE and only takes a couple minutes.

Register Today!
 
MARLA MILLER from CALIFORNIA said:
Lillian
You made my day, thank you! Yep, it's not too scary at all and remember, before you write the 'right' query for your project, you will rewrite many times----it's just the process.
I look forward to reading yours when you're ready!
Best
Marla
www.marlamiller.com
5 stars
LILLIAN ZOLLER from OHIO said:
Ms. Miller's evaluation was an eye-opener for me. I am getting ready to writer a query letter for my novel, and her comments hit the mark for me.
I might send in my query letter, now that I've seen it's not such a painful process.

Thank you Writer Magazine for offering aspiring writers this opportunity.
Free Newsletter
Get our free newsletter