A finished, correctly formatted manuscript is necessary and not sufficient. Most literary agents ask for a specific package of materials alongside it, and each piece has its own conventions that are easy to get wrong if you've only ever focused on the manuscript itself.
The query letter
A single page, typically 250 to 400 words, sent in the body of an email unless an agent specifically requests an attachment. It generally has three parts: an opening hook and short pitch covering your protagonist and their core conflict, a brief bio paragraph (one or two relevant lines, not a full career history), and the housekeeping: title, genre, and word count. Agents read hundreds of these, so clarity and brevity matter more than trying to stand out through length or cleverness.
The synopsis
A prose summary of the entire plot, including the ending, usually one to two pages. This is not the back-cover teaser; it's meant to show an agent you can execute a complete, coherent plot from beginning to end. Length requirements vary by agent, so this is one of the details worth checking per submission rather than assuming a standard.
Sample pages
Many agents request the first few chapters or a set number of pages (often the first 5, 10, 25, or 50) rather than the full manuscript upfront. These need to be in standard manuscript format exactly like the rest of the book: same font, same spacing, same header. A sample that looks different from the eventual full manuscript submission is an unnecessary inconsistency.
Comparable titles (comps)
Some agents want one or two comparable published books mentioned in the query, positioning your novel in the market ("for fans of X" or "X meets Y"). Recent, well-known titles in your genre work better than obscure or dated ones; the point is giving an agent a fast, accurate sense of where your book fits.
Check every agent's individual requirements
This is the part that trips writers up most. There's no single universal package: one agent wants a query only, another wants a query plus synopsis plus ten pages, another has a specific submission form instead of email. Every agent or agency lists their requirements, usually on their own website. Sending the wrong combination, extra materials nobody asked for, or missing pieces someone specifically requested, is one of the most common and entirely avoidable mistakes in querying.
Keep your sample pages consistent with the full manuscript
Since sample pages need to match the eventual full-manuscript formatting exactly, it helps to have that formatting locked in from the start rather than adjusting it separately for a submission excerpt. Quillen's manuscript editor renders in standard format throughout, so whatever pages you export as a sample already match the rest of the book without a separate formatting pass.
Common questions
How long should a query letter be?
A single page, typically 250 to 400 words: a hook, a short pitch covering your protagonist's core conflict, one line of relevant bio, and the title, genre, and word count. Agents read hundreds of these, so brevity is a feature, not a shortcoming.
Do all agents want the same submission materials?
No. Every agent or agency lists its own specific requirements, usually on their website or in their submission guidelines. Always check the individual listing before sending anything; sending the wrong combination of materials is one of the most common avoidable mistakes in querying.