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My Query

I wanted to list my query here, and see what you think. I have a few versions of the letter depending on the requirements of the agent. Here is one such letter:

Thank you for taking time to consider me for representation. I've read your guest-blog post today, and after reading your information and client list at Publisher's Marketplace, I wanted to contact you regarding my first novel THE UNIQUE DESTRUCTION OF AN ORDINARY SOUL (contemporary fantasy; approximately 130,000 words). If I may, a brief synopsis:

Evander is an average young man looking for love and adventure in Baltimore. One lightning-wrought night he finds adventure and so much more when he meets the woman of his dreams, and quickly becomes an honest-to-god, blood-sucking vampire, as our protagonist puts it. And when a master vampire goes too far in persuading the new vampire to live under his House, Evander quickly begins to lose loved ones in a battle that eventually consumes the entire city, while the world heads on a course for nuclear destruction.

I'm currently an undergraduate student working towards a degree in English. Again, thank you for your time [mr. agent]. I hope to hear from you soon.

Respectfully

It's certainly not perfect, but I figured this is short and sweet, and hopefully will get them to read the synopsis or partial.

Comments

  1. Annie WickingNovember 27, 2008 at 5:04 PM

    Elton, I don't mean to put you off but I have been asked by a publisher who has shown an interest in my novel to reduce my word count down to 85 to 95k

    Now I know your book stand at 130K but my first draft stood at 129k and I was told by an agent that a publisher wouldn't touch a first time novelist's book with such a high word count so I reduce it to 111k thinking this would be much better, but now I have been asked to cut it again.

    Now it stand at 95k. You may find that the high word count is putting agents and publishers off,
    just a thought...

    best wishes,
    Annie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Elton A.R. AlwineNovember 27, 2008 at 11:27 PM

    Really? I am considering this, Annie - and good luck by the way! - but I really don't understand it. I'm sure from a publisher's POV is makes perfect sense; but for me, the story I have written wouldn't work at 100K words...

    I'm beginning heavy consideration for revisions soon, so I'll let you know what happens.

    ReplyDelete

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