Thoughts and Tips on Querying: What is a Query?

Let’s start by saying what a query is not.  It is not a proposal.  A proposal is typically for a non-fiction work.  Say, for example, you have a great idea for a book, “Speaking in Tongs: The Theology of Cooking,” that you want published.  You would make a list of suitable agents, as you would for a novel (I’ll blog about selecting agents another time), and then write a proposal.  Unlike a novel, the non-fiction work does not have to be complete before the proposal is written.  In fact, given the amount of time and effort that goes into researching non-fiction works, it is probably advisable that you secure an agent before you begin serious research.  However, you should at least be able to summarize the work, outline the chapters, and basically give the agent a really good idea of what the book is about.  This is essentially what goes into the proposal: a summary of the work, an outline of each chapter, and–perhaps most importantly–your platform.  Platform?  Yes.  This is not the thing you stand on while waiting for the 10:15 at King’s Cross (well, that is a platform, but not the kind of platform I’m talking about).  Your platform answers the question “why should I give a flying rat’s kidney what you have to say about this?”  If you have Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, and you are a Cordon Bleu chef working at Jean Georges Restaurant in New York, you would probably have an audience for your proposed book.  If you are a brain surgeon, while that’s an impressive career, it’s not really the kind of platform for a book on theology and cooking.

A query is also not a begging letter.  It isn’t a threatening letter.  It also isn’t fan mail (“Dear Agent: I love you sooo much, and I love every book you have represented… I am so overwhelmed that you are reading this I can hardly breathe… I would be so honored if you would consider representing my novel…”).  A query is a professional letter/e-mail from an author to a prospective agent that briefly describes the author’s novel and requests the agent consider it for representation.

In case you are a complete noob to the world of writing and publishing, let me veer off into a little side street here and explain that representation is essentially the main job of the agent.  Don’t get me wrong, agents do a lot of things, but their main job as far as you, the author, is concerned is to take your precious novel that you have labored sweat and tears over for years, and present it to potential publishers.  They will talk it up, say what a great person you are, what an amazing talent you have, and how the publisher-in-question would be a complete idiot–on par with the guy at Decca Records that turned down The Beatles in 1962–to pass on your masterpiece.  When they have secured a publishing deal for you, they will then negotiate the contract on your behalf.  Good agents know publishing contracts, how to write them, and how to interpret them.  While the publisher is trying to work the contract to make sure they make a ton of money off of your precious novel, your agent will be doing the same for you.  I think it is important, even for non-noobs to bear this in mind about the agent.  When writing queries and interacting with prospective agents, it is perhaps well to remember that the agent will be your representative in the brutal world of publishing.  Anything we can do to help (writing the best work we can, listening to their advice, providing them with info) surely can only be of benefit to us.

Back to the query.  Exactly what goes into the query will be a subject of another post (perhaps the next?).  But hopefully you get the idea.  Key points to remember: a) it is not a proposal, begging letter, fan letter, etc.  b) it is a professional letter, so keep it business-like.  That doesn’t mean you can’t use humor.  We’ll address the topic of the letter’s tone another time.  c) it’s main purpose is to summarize and sell your novel (which you should be written, polished, and ready to go in the event the agent requests pages) to a prospective agent.

That should be enough to get started.  More to come!