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Comment by Lilly Maiden on March 21, 2010 at 9:30pm

15 Obvious and Not So Obvious Query Mistakes to Avoid

I sat down today and compiled a list of 15 obvious and 15 not so obvious query mistakes to watch out for in the hopes that it will help others with their query writing efforts. ^_^ Please visit the original blog post for more details and comment if you feel so inclined. :-D

Original Blog Post: Obvious Query Mistakes, Not So Obvious Mistakes

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Obvious Query Mistakes to Avoid:

1) Write in 3rd person, present tense.
2) Don’t mention previous rejections.
3) Don’t mention your paper has been professionally edited.
4) Cite specialized personalizations instead of generalities.
5) Don’t over compare.
6) Round word count.
7) Make title stand out.
8) Be professional.
9) Don’t lie.
10) Spell the agent’s name write. (punnage!)
11) Don’t mention other books you’re working on.
12) Don’t say this has to be a series.
13) Don’t sound desperate.
14) Don’t profess your undying love of writing.
15) Don’t forget your contact information (bottom of equery, top of snail mail query).

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Not So Obvious Query Mistakes to Avoid:

1) Query shouldn’t read like a synopsis.
2) Don’t mention characters that never appear again.
3) Shy away from wordy-ness.
4) Don’t add unnecessary details.
5) Don’t try to say too much.
6) Don’t mention new terminology unless absolutely necessary.
7) When mentioning new terminology, explain properly.
8 ) Quotes are hard to integrate.
9) Refrain from repetition.
10) You don’t need adjectives.
11) Don’t make general claims.
12) Transitions need to be smooth.
13) Pretend you know nothing about the book and are only reading the query.
14) Read out loud for awkwardness/smoothness.
15) Don’t leave out credentials.

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As with all things, these are not absolute rules, but guidelines. If you can skillfully integrate quotes, go ahead. If you can deftly slip in every single character’s name, don’t let these rules hold you back. I hope this helps all of you who are struggling with writing your query.

It is really really really really really hard to sum up the story on which you have heaped all of your dreams and ambitions up in less than a page, but in order for those dreams and ambitions to come true, it must be done. Good luck! ^_^

Comment by Dawn Cassandra Heather Fuller on March 16, 2010 at 2:38pm

I love this place.

Comment by Rhonda Kodger on March 16, 2010 at 1:32pm

Wow! It is so helpful to read the queries that were succesful. It is easy to see some short falls in my own after reading these. Thank you so much for sharing!

Staff Comment by Georgia McBride on March 16, 2010 at 10:57am

Snowflakey. Yup. Wikipedia here you come. Lori. Indeed. Indeed.

Comment by Lori L. Clark on March 16, 2010 at 10:23am

Agreed... how many times have you read a review for a book, several people absolutely loved it... You read it and can barely struggle through the first 50 pages? Queries are the same way.

Comment by Debra L. Schubert on March 16, 2010 at 10:08am

I'm going to throw my two cents in and totally agree with Heather and Georgia. You will never please every agent you query. Why? Because everyone's different. Like Georgia said, there's no Magic Pill and like Heather said, the key is to be asked for pages. We've all found agents in our own special "snowflakey" kind of way. (Yes, that is now officially a word.) Relax. If you're getting good feedback in the Query Kick Around area, then you're on the right track. Trust yourself, and dare I say it - have fun!

Staff Comment by Georgia McBride on March 14, 2010 at 8:51pm

I think Heather is 100% right. And to add to that, not only are they not PERFECT, they resonate with a particular agent or two or three AND there is a REALLY interesting story there. The story itself is unique, different or, even if not the way they present it is. There IS no magic pill. Skill, luck and persistence will get you what you want. xoxo-G

Comment by Heather W. Petty on March 11, 2010 at 2:51pm

I think the important thing to get from all of this is that none of these are perfect. They're all different. And still each found someone who connected enough to ask for pages.

Really, it's the pages that are important. The fact that you're looking for help and taking advice from people who know what they're doing means you're already in the top 10% of queriers.

Comment by tehawesomersace--Justina Ireland on March 11, 2010 at 2:45pm

Connie, try contacting AE Rought who runs the Query Kick Around area. Maybe it will help to get some feedback from others.

There are no hard and fast rules with queries, and only you know what will make your query perfect. But it does help to have others look over it.

Comment by Connie Ann Michael on March 11, 2010 at 2:32pm

I am reading all the query letters that got representation and I am getting totally confused. I sat in on a web class to get my query revised. THey said short and to the point! This is what I ended up with and now I am scared to send it out, it seems so sparse compared to the ones on here. I have looked at it so many times I am not sure what my book is even about anymore. :)

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