The Query Letter
A query letter is a one-page professional pitch sent to literary agents to request representation for a completed manuscript. Agents receive hundreds of queries weekly and make representation decisions based on this single page. The standard query letter has four components in strict order. The hook (one to two sentences) presents the protagonist, their goal, the central conflict, and the stakes — essentially a miniature logline. The pitch paragraph (three to five sentences) expands the hook into a compelling summary of the story's premise, key turning points, and emotional core — it should read like the back cover of a commercially published novel. The vitals (one sentence) state the manuscript's title, genre, and word count. Genre and word count must be accurate: an 180,000-word debut literary novel will be rejected on word count alone (standard range: 70,000–100,000 words for literary fiction; 80,000–120,000 for commercial fiction and thrillers). The bio (two to three sentences) covers relevant credentials: previous publications, relevant professional experience, MFA or workshop credits. If you have no publications, omit the bio rather than noting its absence. Query letters are business correspondence — they are not creative writing. Clarity, precision, and professionalism are the goals. The hook must convey what makes this story different from the thousands of other manuscripts in that genre.