Your Guide to the Query Package

Journey to Publication - Week 2

Greetings, literature lovers!

Last week, I decided to document my journey from putting the finishing touches on the first draft of my novel to (hopefully!) getting a book deal. Join me in real time as I update you on the publishing process of my debut novel, THE LILAC ROOM, and follow along for some helpful tips and tricks for navigating the publishing world. This week, we’ll be talking about the query package.

What Is a Query Package?

In last week’s newsletter, I briefly discussed the query package, a set of materials that writers send out to prospective agents. This week, I want to break down the three primary components of a query package so you’re all set to land your dream agent.

A query package typically contains a query letter (this is like a cover letter for your novel), sample chapters, and a novel synopsis. Let’s talk about each component and what to expect when you’re querying.

The Query Letter

The most important component of your query package is the query letter. I tell my non-writer friends that the query letter is sort of like the cover letter for your dream job (but longer, because please don’t make your cover letters one page, ever). A query letter should succinctly explain your novel to the agent and convince them that they would be a good fit to represent it. Typically, query letters contain the following components:

The Hook: Tell the agent straight up why they would be a good fit to represent the novel. Did the agent represent a similar project in the past? Are they interested in a particular theme that appears in your novel? Many agents list the specific projects they’re looking for on their Manuscript Wish List pages, so make sure to do some research so you can explain why your novel would be a great fit.

The Title, Word Count, and Genre: You should probably tell the agent what your novel is called. Novel titles are typically written entirely in capital letters (this is because, in ye olde typewriter days, capital letters were the only way to make the title stand out). By capitalizing your title, you make it easier for the agent to navigate your query letter and know what you’re all about. Next, you should include your novel’s approximate word count. If you’re a debut author, keep the word count under 110,000. The longer the novel, the more expensive it is to print, and unfortunately, most agents are unwilling to risk taking on a novel longer than 110,000 words from a debut author. Finally, include the genre of your book. Though I fundamentally disagree with the concept of genre, ​​which was invented by publishing houses to streamline marketing efforts, publishing is a well-entrenched industry, so we have to play by the rules. My guess is that, as a reader of this newsletter, you’re most interested in literary fiction, but if you’ve written a steamy romance novel, I will only judge you a little bit. Either way, let the agent know what category you feel your novel belongs in; they’ll expect you to provide this information.

The Blurb: If the query letter is the bread and butter of the query package, then the blurb is the bread and butter of the query letter. Your blurb should effectively introduce the premise of your novel and draw your reader in. Here’s the blurb for my novel, THE LILAC ROOM: 

On the morning of the spring equinox, successful New York CEO Cassandra Feuerbach finds her sales agent, Rebecca Solomon, dead in the bathroom of their corporate office. Cassie initially dismisses the suicide as a personal tragedy, but she becomes intrigued when she learns that Rebecca attended a party with rival CEO Aaron Mendelson shortly before her death. Motivated by grievances against Mendelson, Cassie embarks on a search for answers, interviewing both new acquaintances and figures from her past to discover the reasons behind Rebecca’s suicide. As she delves deeper into Rebecca’s history, Cassie becomes entangled in the excesses and hypocrisies of the New York elite, uncovering a controversial social experiment that forces her to confront a choice: remain in the morally fraught corporate world or retire into obscurity.

Keep it short and sweet. Your synopsis (which we will discuss momentarily) will contain a more robust rundown of your novel. 

Comp Titles: Once you’ve described the premise of your novel, you'll want to give the agent an idea of how you envision your novel being marketed. That’s where comp titles come in: 2-3 books on the market (ideally published within the last several years) that are similar to your work. This is my least favorite part of the query letter because—in my eyes—the entire point of writing a book is to create something that has never been done before. I genuinely had trouble finding novels about startup culture (my sense is that not many writers gravitate towards this topic) but I did find one—THE STARTUP WIFE—and ran with it. 

Bio: Next, you’ll want to give your author credentials. Why should an agent pick you over anyone else? What gives you the authority to be writing your book? In my bio, I included the following credentials: 

• Education: You don’t need a college degree to write a book, but having one in a humanities field if you’re a novelist doesn’t hurt. 

• Social Media: I have a following on here and over on Instagram, which is a huge selling point! The biggest reason that an agent might reject your work is that they feel no one is going to read it. If you can prove to an agent that you have an existing audience who is excited about your work, you’ve done half their job already. 

• Self-Published Work: I’ve self-published three poetry collections. If you have any history with self-publishing, don’t forget to include it here! Agents want to see that you are experimenting with the market and always writing—even if you feel that your self-published work isn’t “legitimate” enough. 

• Publication History: If you’ve written articles for journals or poems for literary magazines, state some of your publication history. I routinely write articles complaining about the state of literary education, so an agent can look those up if he or she wants. 

• Other Credentials: I run a college consulting startup that inspired the fictional company in my novel. If you do anything with your life that is related to something you’ve written a book about, tell your agent! A book about a startup by a girl who runs a startup is bound to be better than a book about a startup by someone who has never owned a company. 

Closing Remarks: You’ll want to thank your agent once more for considering your work. Then, go ahead and state that your full manuscript is ready for review upon request. Do not query an agent unless you are ready to hit send on the manuscript the moment you receive the request. Agents are looking for completed projects, not half-baked ideas. 

That’s it! Your query letter is ready. Let’s take a look at the novel synopsis. 

The Novel Synopsis

While your query letter will contain a snapshot of your work, your synopsis will give a full rundown of all the major plot points—spoilers included. Most synopses will run from 500-800 words (I recommend closer to 800). Your synopsis should include an overview of major characters (with names written out in capital letters the first time they appear) and give your agent a sense of why readers should care about your novel. Your finished synopsis should run about a page and give agents the details they need to make a decision about whether they would like to see your full manuscript. 

Sample Chapters

Finally, many agents will ask you to send the first several chapters of your novel before deciding if they want to see more. While most agents will request the first 1-2 chapters, some agents will want larger samples (I have seen up to 50 pages), so make sure that the first chunk of your book is edited and polished before submitting. You might want to hire a professional line editor to ensure that the first section of your novel is in tip-top shape. 

My Journey to Publication - Week 2 Updates

Last week, we began our query journey and queried about 25 agents. This week, we queried several more agents, bringing our total to 32. That seems like a good number to me, so we’re going to pause for the time being—at least until we get the synopsis in order. I wrote up my full synopsis about a week ago and had it in my editor’s pipeline until he announced to me that he didn’t want to see the spoilers (he is not done with the novel yet because I distract him daily with my Substack pieces and random other articles I’m asked to write) and requested that I look elsewhere for a synopsis editor. One of my friends has left me some edits, so once I finalize the synopsis, we might start with the next batch.

No word yet from our friend Jeff the Agent, the first agent who responded with a full manuscript request, but he promised he’d get back to us in 2-3 weeks. I am optimistic. 

No other responses yet from agents, but we have about three months before we give up on this batch and move on to the next, so I am crossing my fingers that THE LILAC ROOM will find its perfect match among the hundred or so agents we picked out. 

Oh, and please welcome Gabriel to the Pens and Poison family. He will be keeping me company for years to come as he embarks on a journey to become the world’s most erudite cat (and the fluffiest). He loves you all already. 

~ 

Stay tuned for next week’s Journey to Publication update.