The query letter
Dear ________:
Escaping Eden is a Depression-era, coming-of-age story set in dust-bowl Nebraska, told by award-winning author, [Blank], 83, who was there. He shares his memoir of life on his grandmother's farm in the 1930s; the gritty, daily stench and grind of a poor widow’s farm; the awe and power of the seasons. He survives because of his dog, Waggles.
From his smothering mother who expects young Grant to fill his dead father's shoes, to the brutal older boys who force him to confront the violent yet sensual nature of farm life, we are carried through a gripping tale that is equal parts terror, lush period detail, pathos and hilarity. In the end, we learn what it means to be a young man shaped by a desperate time. Readers in recession-age America can relate, gain inspiration.
Escaping Eden, 56,000 words, contrasts sharply with other Depression memoirs.
It reads more like
Angela’s Ashes than
Little Heathens. The Depression is realistically portrayed: foreclosure phobia, blizzards, tornadoes, handmade tombstones, the madness of poverty.
In the last four years, 59 of my short stories, creative-nonfiction pieces, poems, articles, and chapters of
Escaping Eden have appeared in 41 literary journals, including [several magazines]. I’m a professional speaker; my videos on writing have been seen 26,575 times on YouTube.
I’m contacting you because your varied experiences at [Blank], [Blank] and now agent at [Blank] are impressive. It would be an honor to work with you on this book.
The first 14 pages of the manuscript are pasted below. May I send you the rest of the completed book? I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[Name withheld]