A query letter is a one-page sales pitch for your book, sent to a literary agent. It has one job: to make the agent ask to read your manuscript. Agents receive far more queries than they can read closely, so a query that is clear, specific and professional has a real advantage over one that is not. It is also a form with conventions, and the conventions are learnable. This guide gives the structure that most query letters follow, explains how to write each paragraph (the hook, the book details, the bio), how to choose comparison titles, what to leave out, and a worked example. The last section covers what Quillen can do for you around the query: your pitch, your word count and the manuscript you will send when an agent asks.
The short answer
A query letter has three parts: a hook paragraph that sells the story, a short paragraph with the book's title, genre, word count and comparison titles, and a brief bio. Keep it to about 250 to 350 words, address a specific agent by name, and follow that agent's guidelines exactly. The hook is the part that matters most: it should name the character, the situation, the choice and the stakes in a few sentences.
Before you write: is the book ready?
Query when the manuscript is finished and revised, not before. For fiction, agents expect a complete manuscript, and for a debut novel they will often ask to see it. Nonfiction is different: it is usually sold on a proposal (see how to write a nonfiction book proposal). Research your agents too. List the ones who represent your genre, check what they are looking for, and note how they want queries sent. A targeted query beats a mass mailing.
The structure of a query letter
| Part | What it does | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Addresses the agent by name, correctly spelled | One line |
| Personalization (optional) | Says why you are writing to this agent | One sentence |
| The hook | Sells the story: character, situation, choice, stakes | Two short paragraphs |
| Book details | Title, genre, word count, comparison titles | One or two sentences |
| Bio | Who you are, and any relevant credentials | Two to four sentences |
| Closing | Thanks and what you are enclosing, if anything | One or two lines |
The hook
The hook is a miniature of the book's plot, written in the present tense and in your book's voice. It answers four questions, in this order:
- Who is the protagonist, and what is their situation at the start?
- What disrupts it? The inciting event that sets the story going.
- What must they choose or do, and what do they want?
- What is at stake if they fail?
Aim for specifics, not abstractions. "A woman must confront her past" tells the agent nothing; "A ferrywoman who has never left her river finds a drowned crown in her net and must decide whether to sell it or follow it into the flooded valley the maps forgot" tells them a great deal. Name one or two characters at most, avoid backstory and do not explain the ending: a query is not a synopsis.
Book details
State the title (in capitals or italics), the genre and the word count, rounded to the nearest thousand. Choose the genre your book will be shelved in, not a blend of five. Check that your length is normal for it: a debut novel far outside the usual range for its genre is a hurdle before the pitch is read. Then add comparison titles ("comps"): two or three recent books in the same space that show where yours fits. Choose books from the last few years that you actually know, not famous bestsellers (a claim to be the next blockbuster reads as naive) and not obscure titles the agent will not recognize. The aim is to say "readers of these will like this".
The bio
Keep it short. Include only what is relevant: writing credentials (publications, awards, a writing programme), professional experience that bears on the book, and anything that makes you the person to write it. If you have none, do not apologize. A line about yourself is enough. Leave out your age, your family and your plans for a sequel unless they matter.
Tone and format
- Professional but personal. Write as you would to a respected colleague, in your natural voice.
- One page. Roughly 250 to 350 words, in a plain font, single-spaced, with a space between paragraphs.
- No attachments unless the agent's guidelines ask for them. Many want the first pages pasted into the email.
- Follow the agent's guidelines exactly. They override anything general, including this guide.
- Proofread. A typo in a query is a signal about the manuscript.
A worked example
Here is a short query for the fictional novel Hollow Crown:
Dear Ms. Reyes,
I am querying you because you represent river and water-based fantasy, and your list includes books I admire.
Wren has ferried strangers across the same river for ten years and has never once crossed it for herself. When a drowned crown comes up in her net, a stranger offers to pay anything for it. Wren must decide: sell it and keep her ferry, or follow it into the flooded valley the maps forgot. But the crown is a key, and the people who want it will drown a village to get it. To save the heir it belongs to, Wren must pay for every crossing with a memory, and she has only so many to spend.
HOLLOW CROWN is a standalone fantasy novel, complete at 92,000 words, with series potential. It will appeal to readers of recent atmospheric fantasies about water and memory.
I am a ferry-pilot's daughter and a former river-survey cartographer. This is my first novel. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ada Marlow
It is short, specific and in the book's voice, it names the stakes, and it gives the agent the details they need to decide. Note that the comparison titles were left generic here because this is an example; in your own query, name real, recent books.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A hook full of abstractions | Says nothing specific | Name the character, situation, choice and stakes |
| Explaining the whole plot | That is a synopsis | Stop at the setup and the stakes |
| Comparing yourself to a blockbuster | Reads as naive | Choose recent, relevant comps |
| A mass mailing | Impersonal, off-target | Address a named agent who represents your genre |
| Typos and errors | Signals carelessness | Proofread, and read it aloud |
| Ignoring submission guidelines | May be rejected unread | Follow each agent's instructions exactly |
| Querying too early | An unready manuscript | Finish and revise first |
Do it in Quillen
Quillen is a writing app, not a query-letter tool, so it will not write the letter for you. What it can do is keep the pieces around the query in one place and produce the manuscript when an agent asks for it.
- Draft the pitch. Click Edit Details and write your hook in the Synopsis box. You can also keep drafts of the letter in the app's Notes, which you reach from the home screen.
- Check your word count. The header shows the word count of your book. Round it to the nearest thousand for the query.
- Use Analyze Document on your first pages. Agents read the opening pages closely, so check them for filter words, adverbs and clichés. See how to read the Analyze Document stats bar.
- Prepare the manuscript. When an agent asks for pages, click Export and choose Agents & publishers. Fill in your contact details and export a Word or PDF file in standard manuscript format. See how to format a manuscript for agents and how to prepare a submission package.
Checklist
- Manuscript finished and revised.
- A researched list of agents, with their guidelines noted.
- A hook with character, disruption, choice and stakes.
- Title, genre, word count and two or three recent comps.
- A short bio with only relevant credentials.
- One page, proofread, personalized and sent as instructed.
Common questions
What goes in a query letter?
A hook paragraph selling the story, a short paragraph with the title, genre, word count and comparison titles, and a brief bio, in about 250 to 350 words addressed to a named agent.
How long should a query letter be?
About one page, roughly 250 to 350 words, single-spaced in a plain font.
What are comp titles?
Two or three recent books in the same space as yours, chosen to tell the agent where your book fits. Avoid blockbusters and titles the agent will not know.
When should I query?
When the manuscript is finished and revised. Nonfiction is usually sold on a proposal instead of a finished manuscript.
Can Quillen write my query letter?
No. Quillen can hold your synopsis and drafts, show your word count, and export a standard manuscript for agents when they ask for pages.