How to Write a Query

Writing a query letter can be tough. After all, there’s a ton of advice on the web. Below is an example of the query that I used for my book, Scythe of Darkness. When I was querying last summer, I had been using a different title: The Art of Kissing Death. So don’t be confused.

In the fall, I sent that query to a professional editor who revised it for me. This polished version is on the bottom. I didn’t query with this one until last January, but a couple of weeks later, I had decided that I wanted to indie publish my book instead. Of the 10 queries that I sent out in January, there was a small press interested, but they ultimately decided that my book was too dark for their taste. No problem. Because I do write dark and twisty things, so I understood. Either way, my book will be available in May/June. And I’m excited!

3 Steps for Writing a Query

When I wrote this query, I followed the Three C's method.

1. First Paragraph: manuscript's word count, comps, category and genre
2. Body of the query, Three C's
   1. Character (a paragraph) - main character description
   2. Conflict (a paragraph) 
   3. Consequence (a paragraph)
3. Last Paragraph - short bio

Query Examples

The older query is the first one, and the edited version is the second. Hope these help you!
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**SPOILER ALERT** If you plan on reading my book, don't read the queries below! ​

For tips and tricks on indie publishing, find me on YouTube, iTunes, or Stitcher!