Saturday, January 4, 2014

four things a good query does

guest post by Kourtney Heintz


1) The Opening Paragraph Anchors And Introduces
This is where you tell the agent what you have and why it’s right for them. You lay out the title of your book, the genre, the word count, and why you think this specific agent would be interested in your book. Make sure you personalize it. Do some research on the agent and mention how you read on their blog or in an article in Writer’s Digest how they like x or represent y author and you think they would like your book because it has x or something like x or is similar to y author in q respect.


2) The Summary Explains The Main Plot Arc

You’re book is amazing. It’s got so many layers and themes. You are sure if you just convey all of this to an agent, they will love your book as much as you do.

But if you try to cram in every detail of what makes your book unique and interesting, including all those secondary characters and cool subplots, the agent won’t know what your book is about. And the whole point of the summary paragraph is to answer that one question--what is this book about?

Strip away the subplots. Forget about themes. Figure out who your main character is. Concentrate on what your main plot arc is for that character--what is the hook of your book? Write a one sentence summary. And then build that into a paragraph or two. 


3) The Summary Is Gripping And Intriguing Without Sacrificing Clarity

Once you’ve got that summary paragraph drafted, now it’s time to make it zing. Use action verbs. Strong nouns. Infuse the voice of your novel into that summary. Make sure it captures not just the plot but the heart of your story.

You’ve got to make it read like the back cover of a book. Reveal enough to make it clear what the plot is and what is at stake for your character, but keep it tantalizing and end with a cliffhanger. Get them wanting to read your pages to find out what happens.


4) Closing Paragraph Provides Credentials

This is the bio that is relevant to your writing this book. What makes you the person to tell this story? What are your credentials for writing? Do you have a degree in English? Do you belong to national writing organizations? Have you had anything published? Did you win any major writing contests? Is your book about ADHD and you’ve raised a child with ADHD? Here’s the place to let the agent know you are serious about your writing career and/or you have unique knowledge of your subject matter.



Author Bio: 



       Kourtney Heintz resides in Connecticut with her warrior lapdog, Emerson, her supportive parents and three quirky golden retrievers. She dreams of one day owning a log cabin on Butternut Lake. Years of working on Wall Street provided the perfect backdrop for her imagination to run amuck at night, imagining a world where out-of-control telepathy and buried secrets collide.

       Her debut novel, The Six Train to Wisconsin, is a 2014 EPIC Ebook Awards Finalist, a 2013 USA Best Book Awards Finalist and a 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Semifinalist.





One Sentence Summary of The Six Train to Wisconsin:



        When Kai’s telepathy spirals out of control, her husband Oliver brings her to the quiet Wisconsin hometown he abandoned a decade ago, where he must confront the secrets of his past to save their future.





Where to Buy:
         Signed paperbacks are for sale at the Novel Idea Book Shop in Park Falls, WI and the Butternut Area Historical Society Museum in Butternut, WI.
        You can also purchase ebooks and paperbacks at Amazon, B&N, iTunes.

17 comments:

  1. Thanks for having me as a guest blogger! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is good stuff, Kourtney...thanks! I just printed it for future reference. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad it helped Jill. It took me many query classes and critiques to get it. And Nathan Branford really helped tremendously. :)

      Delete
  3. Hmm, I see my comment never made it. Well, I basically said great tips. :) Queries can be tricky. I think you're right: focusing on the main plot arc and expounding just a bit is the way to go. And then there's the dreaded synopsis...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL. Blogger can be tricky to comment on for us Wordpressers. I hear it's a vice versa thing too. :)

      Yes they really are. And to get it all working like it should takes many drafts. LOL. The synopsis is really hard. Especially when we have to have 1, 2 and 5 page versions ready for agents.

      Delete
  4. Very good information here. I would guess the opening paragraph is extremely important since agents probably don't read past it if not hooked. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the summary paragraph is the most important one for hooking the agent, but if the intro paragraph has typos or isn't anchoring that can be a big problem. Agents are looking for a reason to say no. It's our job to never give them one. :)

      Delete
  5. Great tips, Kourtney. One thing that drives me nuts in many of the "How to write a query" articles in Writer's Digest is that the authors lay out a specific formula—and then every example they provide deviates from their advice! But your tips are clear and non-contradictory. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks JM. Yes, I've seen those articles. They make me mad too. Queries are a totally different way of writing and it took me years to distill it down to these simple concepts. And there are always exceptions. I'm just never one of them. I'm the girl who follows the rules and eventually gets noticed. ;)

      Delete
  6. Thanks for the great advice, Kourtney! They are clear and easy to follow... which is great for those of us who are just starting on the long road of sending out the initial queries. :)

    It is our pleasure to have you as our first guest poster -- thanks for doing it with these wonderful tips!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy to share Anna Maria! I got the query wrong so many times, but I kept at it and eventually got it right. :)

      Aw it was an honor to be asked! You are a terrific group of writers. I'm glad to count you among my blog buddies and my friends. :)

      Delete
  7. Thanks Kourtney! Great advice and you made it sound pretty easy. :) It took me forever to get my query down and the conflicting advice didn't help. I agree this is the best approach. The simpler way is the better way with queries. The synopsis is the uglier, evil twin. I still hide that one in my closet and won't let it out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've probably read 1000 blog posts on writing queries and done a dozen workshops. And the conflicting advice will make you a bit crazy. I tried to distill it down so even a first time querier could walk away with something useful. Oh goodness, the synopsis has always been a bane. I think I finally got a grasp on it with my third manuscript. Maybe another guest post in my future, Anna Maria? :)

      Delete
  8. Thanks, Kourtney. It's always nice to have these refreshers to help us make sure we did what we were supposed to in our queries!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think sometimes we try to do too much with a query and miss the mark. :) Happy to refresh your brilliant memory. ;)

      Delete
  9. Great guest post, Kourtney. This is part of the process that fills me with the most dread. The chance of your book being read can live or die with the query letter so thanks for the tips. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Pete! It is scary. It's very very different from writing a novel. It's switching to writing promo materials. And the first several drafts usually stink. But when you reach this point, feel free to pass it by me before you send it out. :)

      Delete