Query letter sample (below) reveals how you can double your chances of getting the attention of book agents and publishers. This article is part of a series called Get a Literary Agent.
Before I share the ideal structure for book queries with you, I need to make sure you understand something.
Publishing agents have to write query letters, too.
That’s how they sell books.
The only difference is that book agents first meet with publishers (or call them on the phone), to tell them what a book is about and get permission to send it. Then they mail, email, or messenger the book to the publisher.
With a cover letter.
So, although I’ve read more than 60,000 queries, and listened to thousands of pitches face-to-face at writers’ conferences, I’ve also written tons of queries.
And… the query letter sample structure below is what I used to get book deals with houses like: Simon & Schuster, St. Martin’s, Hyperion, Prentice-Hall, Workman, Andrews-McMeel, Entrepreneur, Barron’s, Amacom, and more… resulting in millions of books being sold, as well as works being picked up for TV, stage, and feature film (with companies like Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks).
This query letter sample structure works.
Scroll below to learn more about the query letter sample structure that you can use to get literary agencies fighting over the chance to represent you and your book.
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Query Letter Sample – The Epiphany
The query letter sample structure I’m about to show you isn’t like anything you’ve seen before. In fact, you won’t find this query letter sample structure in any book or other online resource.
It’s cutting edge.
Most of the information published about queries (in books and online) is inadequate (it’s not completely wrong, but it only paints half the picture). In other words, if you follow that advice, your pitch letter will only be half as good as it could be.
And that means you’re twice as likely to get a rejection letter.
The reason there’s so much misinformation out there, is that most publishing professionals (for some strange reason that I still haven’t figured out yet), don’t think of the query letter as a miniature (or shorter) version of the book proposal.
But they should, because that’s really what it is.
Book proposals contain every bit of information that a book agent and/or publisher needs to understand what a project is about (and determine its value). That information is neatly divided into four critical categories. And those categories are the foundation of my ideal query letter sample structure.
So, let’s take a look at the four sections of the perfect
query letter sample structure.
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Recommended Query Letter Sample Structure
The main difference between this query letter sample outline (and the format you’ll see taught by others) is that most people suggest your letter only have three sections. But the ideal query letter sample structure is made up of four sections. I say sections instead of “paragraphs” because sometimes one section might consist of more than one paragraph.
Section One – Query Letter Sample
Introduce Your Book and the Target Market
The first section in my query letter sample outline is for you to explain what your book is about. It should include your title and/or subtitle, name the genre or category of your book, and indicate the word count. If you have a high-concept hook or “logline” for your book, it should appear at the beginning of this section. This section is also where you should specify your target market and make any observations that you’ve made about the market.
If your book has already been self-published, represented by another publishing agent, or reviewed by publishers, you should say that as well. This section of my query letter sample outline is also where you might want to explain the story and/or inspiration behind your book, and indicate whether your manuscript is a stand-alone book and/or part of a series.
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Section Two – Query Letter Sample
Compare and Contrast Your Book with Other Titles
This second section in my query letter sample outline is usually the hardest to write. That’s because most authors are a lot more knowledgeable about their own book than they are their competition. Then there’s the fact that most authors don’t want to acknowledge they have competition, or that “similar” books have already been published.
Even if you’ve written something completely unique, you still need to use other titles to give literary agencies and publishers some kind of context. This shows everyone reviewing your work that you’re a professional author, knowledgeable about your genre. This section of my query letter sample outline is also where you should differentiate your content and writing style from other books in the marketplace.
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Section Three – Query Letter Sample
What Do Publishers Need to Know About You, Relevant to Your Book?
The third section of this query letter sample structure is designed to establish your credibility as an author, and your credibility (or potential) as a promoter. It’s basically your biography, but it should only include things that are relevant to your writing… things that will prove to literary agencies and publishers that you are the logical person to write a book like yours.
This section of the query letter sample outline is meant to include things like: previous publishing credits and/or awards; education and expertise; professional accomplishments; honors, awards, and prizes; associations, professional groups and/or other organizations that you’re part of; related volunteer, community, and business affiliations; hobbies; etc.
If you’ve attended any writers’ groups or educational retreats/events, you should mention those too. Same thing if you’ve ever worked with a professional book coach, consultant, or editor. Finally, this is the section of my query letter sample outline where you should mention any public speaking, publicity, public relations, and/or media experience that you have.
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Section Four – Query Letter Sample
What Are You Going to Do to Help Promote and Sell Your Book?
The fourth section of my query letter sample outline is designed to communicate your ability, willingness, and plan to promote your work. Think of it this way, there are three types of content that end up in this section:
Statements about your willingness to promote your book
For example: “I’d be happy to do book signings and even create a website to promote my book.” That kind of statement is virtually useless because it’s just a promise that you might (or might not) follow through on.
Tentative plans to promote that you don’t have complete control over
For example: “I met [insert famous author name] at a writers’ conference last week and he said that he would give me a blurb for my book.” This type of statement is better than nothing, but it’s not nearly as good as the next kind of statement.
Confirmed plans that you have 100% control over (or almost 100%)
For example: “I have 10,000 people on my email list, 25,000 visitors to my blog every month, and 42,000 people on social media. I’m going to conduct a detailed promotional campaign to all of these people starting the 6 weeks prior to my book’s publication and then continuing during first six months after publication.” Another example: “I have blurbs from the following authors…”
Here’s one more: “Although I don’t have a large mailing list yet, one of my friends does and it’s the same target market. We have a written agreement and she’s going to send out a 6-part email campaign over 30 days to her list of 65,000 people to promote my book.” These types of statements are solid, no-fluff, no BS, concrete plans that are most likely to excite literary agents and publishers.
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Conclusion – Query Letter Sample
Now, don’t freak out if you feel overwhelmed by all the information and options that I just shared, for my query letter sample structure. It’s extremely rare that an author is able to write a pitch letter that’s equally strong in all four sections of my query letter sample outline.
So…
Don’t be discouraged.
To prove my point, I’m now going to show you a query letter sample by one of my former clients that resulted in a multi-book deal with a major publisher (and more).
She didn’t do everything perfectly in her pitch letter. But, what she did do, she did extremely well. And it’s probably the part that you’re going to struggle with the most. So make sure you study her example (below), and my comments.
Click here now to read the next article in this 17-part series and
see my favorite Literary Agent Query Letter Example.
Coaching Success Stories
“Mark, finding you has been both a treat and a treasure—I just signed a contract with my new literary agent!
My career has spanned publishing, TV, and feature film. I’ve served as Creative Dir. for the Magazine Group, TIME Inc.; Dir. of Time World News Service, a Founding Dir. of TIME-Life Films; Exec. Prod. for both the CBS and NBC TV Networks; Prod./Dir.: Movies of the Week: CBS Cinema Center Films and Universal MCA.
In today’s publishing marketplace, agents come and go. They also very often seem to just want an easy pathway to make a buck. Many authors are let go by their agents because their last book didn’t do well enough and the agent doesn’t want to devote the time to help the author. That’s not what you’re about Mark. Even established authors need this type of support in today’s marketplace."
Nathaniel Lande
Author of ten fiction and nonfiction books
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“I’m psyched to have this be official. After getting five different offers for representation from top literary agents, I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin!
Getting multiple agents interested in my work was really important to me. I’ve dealt with agents before and gotten screwed on things contractually so I wanted to do it differently this time. I wanted choices.
Having you help me create that, and navigate my options, was really helpful. I heard other authors talk about their great relationships with their agents and it made me want the same thing. Now I have that."
Amy Jo Goddard
Author of Woman on Fire (Penguin Books)
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“After sending out the query Mark revised for me, I had the opportunity to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. I signed with Don Fehr at Trident and, a short time later I had a publishing contract with Berkley Books, which recently published my book in hardcover.
Before that, I sent my query letter out on my own to 30 or 40 agents and got a lot of rejections. I then found Mark online while I was researching agents. I was surprised that he offered so much during his initial consultation—for a very modest amount of money.
I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t worked with Mark. I can’t even imagine that now though, because of the grief and detours I experienced before we worked together. It was a time-consuming pain in the neck. If you want to get the attention of top literary agents and publishers, there is no substitute for working with an insider. You can’t beat experience. And having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable."
Daniel Cohen
Author of Single Handed (Berkley Books, a Division of Penguin Random House)
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“AHHH! OMG, it happened! I got three offers of representation for my children’s picture book in the United States, even though I live abroad! When I woke up and found the first offer for representation in my email in box, I wanted to scream. But my family was still asleep so I couldn’t. 🙂
Just 8 minutes after I sent a query letter to one of my favorite agents, she replied and asked to see my manuscript. A short time later we had a lovely conversation. She was interested in representing me and sounded very positive and enthusiastic about my book. Since I also got offers from two other agents, I had to turn two of them down. One of them was upset and it felt like I was breaking her heart, but you just have to do it. I kept reminding myself that this is a good problem to have!"
Miri Leshem-Pelley
Author/Illustrator of Lon-Lon’s Big Night and many other children’s books
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“Mark, after you helped me land a top literary agent, I got publishing offers from THREE well-known publishers: Amacom, Palgrave Macmillan, and McGraw-Hill (they’re publishing my book in hardcover)!
I was at Disneyworld with my family, in the Haunted Mansion, when I got the call. I went outside and listened to the voicemail message from my agent. A huge smile came over my face. It was a fantastic feeling. For a moment I felt like life was perfect and the angels were singing.
You’re filling an important need so I’ll say this to every other author reading this testimonial. Mark showed me that getting a top literary agent is a science. If you’ve written a book, or you’re in the process, you’ve already invested a lot—a lot more than money. Don’t stop yourself from getting out there to fulfill your purpose and dreams. Thank you so, so much, Mark!!!"
Dave Hamme
Author of Customer Focused Process Innovation (McGraw Hill)
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“I got a book deal! After I started sending out my new query letter I had 6 literary agents request my manuscript in a short amount of time, which is awesome. Then, within 2 weeks of my agent starting to pitch my story to publishers, we had an offer. I signed a book contract yesterday. A little while later my agent told me that a TV co-producer asked for more info about my book.
By the way, the acquiring editor that fell in love with the manuscript jumped in with both feet and we just worked out our timeline for publication. She’s as passionate about getting my book out as I am, and that means everything. She read the manuscript in two days and said she couldn’t put it down. And the book is going to be published as a hardcover!"
Erika Armstrong
Author of A Chick in the Cockpit (Behler Publications)
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“Thank you Mark! After you helped me get a well-known agent with Hartline Literary Agency (for my previously self-published murder mystery), he got me a deal with an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) approved publisher. I’m hard-pressed to find anything that I had an expectation for that you didn’t deliver on.
Before I worked with you I sent out queries, but no one ever requested my complete manuscript. Comparing your new version of my query to the one I wrote before, I can see a vast difference.
I’ve been in business for 35 years so I’m not just saying this… what you’re doing is phenomenal. There are other people offering similar services, but the difference is your success. Others might say they do similar things but, if you research them, they don’t have your background or track record."
Michael Thompson
Author of The Rector
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“Mark, you’re a miracle worker. Thanks to your help with my book, query letter, and synopsis… I now have a legitimate publisher who described my book as ‘Powerful Magic’ and it’s now available in bookstores and online!
I’m a lifelong academic writer who one day found myself writing inspired short stories that came to me in dreams and I began thinking of them as novels. That’s when I had a momentous conversation, an introductory coaching call with Mark Malatesta, the American creative writing coach, or rather, to be precise, a how-to-sell-yourself-and-your-work adviser. It was the best-spent money of my life apart (possibly) for my wedding ring."
Professor Ruth Finnegan FBA
Author of The Black Inked Pearl
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“Within 4 minutes of sending out my query letter, a top literary called me on the phone (the #1 agent on my wish list). Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. A few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark, your query letter did that.
My agent talked about the query letter you helped me create for a long, long time. When he first called me on the phone, he hadn’t seen any of my sample chapters. It was just the query letter that did it. Communicating the right thing is so important. You are a wonderful medium helping authors find their voice and elevate their writing from just a hobby to a real business… a source from which they can both learn and earn."
Lakshmi Subramani
Author of Lights Out (Random House) Bangalore, India
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“MARK, MARK, MARK!!!!!!! Holy smokes… I just signed my book deal. First, two well-known literary agents asked to represent me. One of them responded to my query letter in less than 4 minutes!!
Then THREE different publishers wanted my book and started talking about making offers. The publisher I chose is perfect for me because they produce titles for the trade, educational, and scientific markets. And they agreed to publish my book as a hardcover!!!
When I met you, Mark, it was a pivotal time. I was under the belief that I could self-publish my book with a vanity press and then seek a publisher. I didn’t know what a literary agent was, why I needed one, or how to get one. I was wandering in the dark. You guided me in the right direction and gave me a solid plan."
Mardell Hill
Author of Intestinal Health (Rowman & Littlefield)
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“Boom!!! I just signed a contract with Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins for (what I’ve been told by several people) is a very large advance for a first-time author.
Before working with Mark I submitted my book to agents but didn’t get any interest. This time around I got a top NY literary agency (Fine Print Lit). What cloud is higher than 9?
I had several agencies interested before deciding to go with Fine Print. And, to be honest, all of the attention didn’t surprise me. The query letter and proposal that Mark helped me develop were incredible. Agents actually said things to me like: ‘Scott, I read your proposal and I’m just blown away by it!' Mark is extremely talented at what he does. If you have the opportunity to work with him, take advantage of it."
Scott LeRette
Author of The Unbreakable Boy (Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson)
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