Is it dopey to work on the query letter before the book is finished?

Jay Jennings · Mar 12, 2010

I took a break this evening from writing on my book to work on the query letter. I was going to post it in Query Letter SYW but then wondered if people will think that's stupid since my book isn't even done yet?

I don't want to waste someone's time if they think I'm ready to publish, but since I'm going to have to have this done at some point I figured why not now.

Should I post it? Or should I just put it on the back burner until my book is done?

Thanks.

Jay Jennings

Perks · Mar 12, 2010

Personally, I don't think there's any reason not to, as long as you don't send it until the manuscript's ready. I can see where it would be a nice carrot to dangle at your down times. Knock yourself out. And good luck!

nitaworm · Mar 13, 2010

I think it's fine to do so. It takes several iterations to get it right anyway so writing it is just fine. If you send it out and the book isn't in shape, it's a waste of time. Make sure you finish the book before you try to sell it - unless it's a non-fiction.

Jay Jennings · Mar 13, 2010

Okay, since it's 2-0 I went ahead and posted it. =

Thank you!

Jay Jennings

shaldna · Mar 13, 2010

sometimes writing the query can help you focus on the work you are doing now.

trocadero · Mar 13, 2010

After my query letter was finished on my recent WIP, I realized that my novel didn't really follow through on something the query letter promised. It prompted me to include something that made a huge difference to the story arc and my characters. I think it's a great writing exercise, even though it's horrible - for me, anyway.

Danthia · Mar 13, 2010

You posted it, but I'll answer anyway for those who might come after, LOL.

I always write a query before a start a novel, because a query is a great testing tool to see if you have the important pieces figured out. What I look for, is who my protag is, what problem they face, what they have to do to overcome that problem, and what's at stake if they don't. If I can't write a query that gets all that in there (doesn't have to be good) then chances are I'm missing something vital to make the book work.

Jay Jennings · Mar 13, 2010

Man, I'm glad I asked -- you guys have given some great advice.

Thank you!

Jay Jennings

Brukaviador · Mar 13, 2010

Writing a query letter forces you to look at your work in a different light. I've been rewriting mine and coming to all kinds of little revelations about the story, so much so that I might need to do another draft on the novel to better explain some ideas. I don't know if posting it will do you any good because it's likely to change before it's complete but writing it can only help you out.

Ken · Mar 13, 2010

... what all of them said. ^^
Only possible downside I could see is that your book may turn out formulamatic in your attempt to make it query-friendly, like you constructed the whole thing on a spreadsheet or something or plotted out the story arc and co on a X/Y graph.
G'luck.

Snowstorm · Mar 13, 2010

8-0, Jay Jennings. Great thoughts above that I hadn't thought of. I wrote mine just because I needed the mental break! Good luck.

The Grump · Mar 13, 2010

Nothing new here. Just wanted to say you need to be able to summarize what's important to your novel in one sentence. Fortunately, a query gives you more room to expand on the conflict that'll hook the reader.

Chris P · Mar 13, 2010

I hope not. Selling myself has never been easy. I'm too much "Either ya want it or ya don't." Thinking of how I might sell my idea helped in the writing.

I posted in QLH for a WIP to see if the book's idea would fly. The input helped me focus.

Ruv Draba · Mar 13, 2010

We don't have to send a query letter that we write, but one benefit is that it can make us think about your story as a completed work rather than a work in progress. When we think about a completed work, we may think about what lasting impressions it will leave on the reader, how it will compare to similar stories or the target markets. That can be a handy focusing tool for story design.

I haven't written query letters prior to completion, but I have sometimes written critical reviews of my own stories -- before I've even finished them. I sometimes use that to set targets for myself, try and ground my design against my own expectations, to try and get some distance, to try and highlight strengths and weaknesses in my design-to-date.

kposa · Mar 13, 2010

Thank you for asking this question, and for the answers! I'm doing serious revisions on my first draft. I originally thought I should wait until it's polished and ready to query before I brave QLH. Now I know it's okay - and may be helpful - to write the query now and show it to the helpful crits here. Yay!

kaitie · Mar 13, 2010

Hehe, just saying I wrote one the other day, and I'm only a third of the way through the book. The only reason I haven't posted it in Hell yet is because I haven't thought of a clever first line. :tongue

You aren't the only one, and honestly, I think it's kinda fun.

Gillhoughly · Mar 13, 2010

Draft a query to get it out of your head, then file it and finish the book.

By the time you're actually ready to query you'll change everything you had about that first letter.

I write the WORST queries. Seriously, they blow chunks, so it's just as well I'm better at writing books instead.

The best query won't sell a book, and the worst query won't stop a sale.

When I was shopping my first book around I gave up on the queries. I just put in a cover letter, my 50 pages, and a 2-page synopsis, and worked on the second book to keep my head from exploding.

Brukaviador · Mar 13, 2010

Gillhoughly said:
When I was shopping my first book around I gave up on the queries. I just put in a cover letter, my 50 pages, and a 2-page synopsis, and worked on the second book to keep my head from exploding.

Did that tactic work out for you?

kaitie · Mar 13, 2010

Gillhoughly said:
Draft a query to get it out of your head, then file it and finish the book.

By the time you're actually ready to query you'll change everything you had about that first letter.

I write the WORST queries. Seriously, they blow chunks, so it's just as well I'm better at writing books instead.

The best query won't sell a book, and the worst query won't stop a sale.

When I was shopping my first book around I gave up on the queries. I just put in a cover letter, my 50 pages, and a 2-page synopsis, and worked on the second book to keep my head from exploding.

You know, I felt that way at first, too. I hated it. I couldn't figure it out, it was driving me crazy, and I just hated it no matter how I did it. I couldn't figure out how people were really expected to manage this stuff. I think I just inundated myself with so many examples of good and bad ones that it infested my mind. :tongue

And Viktor, from my understanding Gill is one of those crazy successful writers around here so my guess is yeah, it worked.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 14, 2010

A good query won't sell a bad manuscript, but a bad query may stop a good manuscript from ever being read.

Bartholomew · Mar 14, 2010

Jay Jennings said:
I took a break this evening from writing on my book to work on the query letter. I was going to post it in Query Letter SYW but then wondered if people will think that's stupid since my book isn't even done yet?

I don't want to waste someone's time if they think I'm ready to publish, but since I'm going to have to have this done at some point I figured why not now.

Should I post it? Or should I just put it on the back burner until my book is done?

Thanks.

Jay Jennings

I'd encourage it. Trying to write your concept out in a short paragraph may give you some insights into where to take the book.

Just don't send the query out until you've got a finished product. (For fiction, at least.)

Parametric · Mar 14, 2010

I also like to write queries before the book is finished. My one caveat is that some QLH members don't like it at all when they critique a query and then later find out the book itself isn't finished. They feel like they wasted their time with a query you might have to tear up when you finish the book. So I'd advise making it clear that this is a practice query for an unfinished book. Just avoids hurt feelings.

edit: I see you are several steps ahead of me. :tongue

NeuroFizz · Mar 14, 2010

Is it dopey to work on the query letter before the book is finished?

Certainly not. It can be fun. There is only one instance where I would answer no to the question--if the book is never finshed. So, to anyone who has a history of not finishing projects, I'd suggest the query might be just another distraction from the most important aspect of writing for eventual submission, which is finishing projects.

DennisB · Mar 15, 2010

How close is the book to being finished? I started sending out queries when I had 67,000 of a projected 72,000 words complete. I just needed a couple of chapters to fill in the blanks.

Had anyone bitten, I'd have locked myself in my room and finished it in a couple of days and then sent the completed manuscript.

Stijn Hommes · Mar 17, 2010

In a query you have to get to the point and tell the editor or agent what the story is about and who is in it. Writing a query helps you shape an objective view of your work which helps you find where the narrative is lacking and other such edity things.

Knock yourself out! It can only make your work better.

Is it dopey to work on the query letter before the book is finished?

Jay Jennings

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

nitaworm

AW Addict

Jay Jennings

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

trocadero

Danthia

Jay Jennings

Brukaviador

Ken

Snowstorm

Baby plot bunneh sniffs out a clue

The Grump

Hates Marketing. Loves Writing.

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Ruv Draba

kposa

kaitie

With great power comes

Gillhoughly

Grumpy writer and editor

Brukaviador

kaitie

With great power comes

Jamesaritchie

Bartholomew

Comic guy

Parametric

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

DennisB

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...