Good literary agents have an inherent interest in taking all queries seriously. The trouble is they are busy, rushed, and have seen it all before. The best approach to getting an agent’s attention is to dazzle him or her from the get-go while simultaneously avoiding certain red flags that agents look for to differentiate work… Continue Reading
It’s all so important—color, texture, shading…evocative elements that call up emotion… But we’re not talking about high art; we’re talking about the query letter that you’re sending off to literary agents in hopes of getting a book deal. It’s one thing for your query letter to TELL the story of your book, but it’s an… Continue Reading
Should writers query only the big-name literary agents with their book or novel—or is it worth checking out some of the newer kids on the block? At Writer’s Relief we are often asked this question, and our answer is yes, absolutely! Target a wide variety of agents, from the big names to the lesser known,… Continue Reading
We writers can be closed off and private or very prone to over-sharing. And as with conversations over dinner, so go query letters and cover letters. When you submit your writing, you want to be sure you’re not sharing TMI (too much information). Here are a few things you should consider leaving out of your letters. Age at… Continue Reading
Writing the query letter blurb (or mini-synopsis) for your book isn’t easy. And sometimes the difficulties with query writing stem from the fact that you as the author may not have the best perspective on your own book because you’re too close to it. You want all your characters and subplots to be in the… Continue Reading
