"I am Uniquely Qualified..." (in query letter)

Susan Coffin · Nov 14, 2011

Hi all,

Yesterday at my writers club we had a wonderful speaker who makes her living writing young adult. I have not read her stories, but I know others who praise her work. I really enjoyed her talk on her process of writing, as well as tips on writing series.

At one point in her talk, she recommended that a good line to put in your query letter is "I am uniquely qualified to write this book because...." and then state your experience. She once heard this from another well known writer (who she said is deceased now), and tried it in her own query letters. Obviously, it worked.

This sounds like a good idea for someone who might be a doctor writing medical thrillers, or a lawyer writing legal thrillers, or even a nanny writing books about nanny adventures.

But, what about some of us who have gained our knowledge through research? I mean, it would look funny for me to say, "I am uniquely qualified to write this book because I have spend countless hours researching issues regarding missing children."

Any thought on the subject of putting "I am uniquely qualified" in your query letters?

scarletpeaches · Nov 14, 2011

I wouldn't. No-one else could write the books I do, as they're a sum of my own experiences added to my abilities, but from the outside looking in, I'm nothing special.

I think it would work in non-fiction, but in fiction it comes of as a bit "Look at me, look at me." Okay, you want an agent to look at your query, but, and this is just my thought, it sounds terribly boastful.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 14, 2011

I thought we were supposed to avoid adverbs.

And I guess it would work if you were, in fact, uniquely qualified. But I write fantasy. What's my unique qualification? The fact that I live in my own world and don't interact well with reality?

The Lonely One · Nov 14, 2011

It works if you are.

I think I'm uniquely qualified for acquiring debt, but that's about it

Cyia · Nov 14, 2011

I am uniquely qualified to write dark SF/F because...

*delete*
*block email*
*block IP*
*alert security*

happywritermom · Nov 14, 2011

One paragraph in my query starts with "In Invisible Ink, I draw from 11 years of journalism experience ..." but I am not "uniquely qualified." Plenty of other writers out there have backgrounds in crime coverage.

For someone like author Lisa Genova, however, I think that would work well. She studied Alzheimer's for two decades before she wrote her debut, best-selling novel, Still Alice, about a woman with early onset.
(great book, by the way)

Drachen Jager · Nov 14, 2011

I always question any author's advice on writing query letters. Authors know that they made it, they cannot really know what elements of their query letter worked and what didn't.

Trust agents for query letter advice. They have thousands to critique, not just one.

Monkey · Nov 14, 2011

My current WIP has a fair bit of parkour in it, and the MC is a female practitioner.

I'm also a practitioner--and a woman, and a mother, each of which brings unique challenges to the art. I also do the write-ups and a lot of the official leg-work for my local team and do work for Parkour Federation. I've trained with one of the founders and I have regular contact with practitioners from around the world. I figure this makes me "uniquely qualified," and have been considering how to squeeze some of those qualifications into my query.

I don't know if using the phrase "I am uniquely qualified to write this book because..." is the way I'll go, though, especially if a lot of other authors are doing so.

quicklime · Nov 14, 2011

I think if you ARE "uniquely qualified" you absolutely want to use it. if you aren't, it will be very apparent and cast you in a negative light.

"uniquely qualified" means you're very special in your qualifications, understanding, or background, in my mind--say you're writing a book about nuns committing suicide and the Superior trying to find a way to stem an outbreak of them in a thriller......if you were a nun, you're qualified. If you've googled nuns, or your third cousin was a nun, or you just really liked The Flying Nun, you aren't uniquely qualified.

Terie · Nov 14, 2011

Susan Littlefield said:
She once heard this from another well known writer (who she said is deceased now), and tried it in her own query letters. Obviously, it worked.

Huh? Does she know for a fact that this statement was, indeed, the tipping point of her query? Could it rather be that she wrote a kick-ass query for a kick-ass book and would've had the same success if she hadn't included that line?

There isn't exactly a one-to-one, causal relationship between a particular sentence in a query letter and successful results.

So, sorry, but I don't think 'including that line' = 'it worked'.

If one is indeed uniquely qualified to write about a subject, there can't be any harm in including such a line, although there are very few things in this world that only one person is actually uniquely qualified to be. ('Current Queen of England' would apply.

)

Saying one is uniquely qualified to write about a subject when in reality, there are many people qualified to write about it might actually do more harm than good. For example, I have a friend who was in a forced marriage. She is absolutely, unequivocally qualified to write about forced marriage, but (sadly) she is not uniquely qualified to do so.

areteus · Nov 14, 2011

I agree with those who say that you shouldn't make a claim to be uniquely qualified because chances are you are not. I'm a teacher, therefore I could argue I am uniquely qualified to write stories about teaching. However, there are literally millions of people out there who are also teaching so are they 'uniquely qualified' too? I think the issue I have with this is the superlative* 'uniquely'. I could say that my teaching experience has allowed me an insight which has been useful in writing a story about teenagers in secondary school in the UK but I would not say it was unique experience.

If there were a 'unique' story I could tell it would be of a middle class man from the north east of england who has diabetes and coeliacs and who went to university, became a scientist, got married, became a teacher etc etc etc. In other words, an autobiography... I doubt anyone would buy that. I'd fall asleep half way through it.

*I think its a superlative... I could be wrong, my 'what to call things in grammar' skill is very low, I only got the level of the skill that lets you recognise full stops and commas... I mean a word that over-emphasises a meaning such as often used in advertising.

thothguard51 · Nov 14, 2011

Susan,

Did the author explain why she feels she is uniquely qualified? If so, does her qualifications work for everyone there? If not, then does that mean others are not as qualified to write in the same genre?

I think this works more with non-fiction where you have someone writing about a particular subject in which they have a great deal of knowledge and or experience on the subject.

Not sure how I could be uniquely qualified to write Fantasy when I have never rode a dragon, conjured magic or fallen in love with an elf. Maybe I should just give up...sighhhh.

Phaeal · Nov 14, 2011

If I were an agent, I'm afraid the "uniquely" part would read like boasting to me. And unless your qualifications arise from professional or specific personal experience, I would unlikely be impressed. For example, you've written about a journalist imbedded with the US troops in Iraq, and you were a journalist imbedded with the US troops in Iraq. That would cover both professional and specific personal experiences.

Note that even the above writer can't claim to be uniquely qualified.

AAAAND -- how did the writer in question know it was her "uniquely qualified" line that won interest? I'd bet more money on an exciting story synopsis for those whose unique qualification is not being a big celebrity of some sort.

stray · Nov 14, 2011

My understanding of the word unique is that there is only one - so to say that you are uniquely qualified in a chosen subject means that you're the only one that can do it - which is not true, as there will always be others that are also uniquely qualified - most of the time.

It's like when some writer tells me a story is pretty unique. Grammaticaly incorrect - it's either unique or it isn't. Unique is a one off, is it not? I would be wary of using that type of language in a query.

Jamesaritchie · Nov 14, 2011

It may not help, but it's not going to hurt, either.

Sometimes it's too easy to over-think things. It's certainly too easy to over-analyze things. If you like such a line, and think it works, think it reads well, then use it. If not, don't use it.

Little Ming · Nov 14, 2011

I am uniquely qualified to write this piece of erotica and I've included the video tape to prove it.

NeuroFizz · Nov 14, 2011

**peeks over the boundary of this post to see what's playing in Little Ming's post**

Personally, I don't like the proposed sentence (I'm uniquely qualified...). There is a place in the query to include writing credits and other qualifications, and I'd include my documentable qualifications there that indicate expertise in some area that gives special insight into story material. If the story description is of a medical thriller and the author indicates he/she is a medical doctor, the agent can put the two together.

scarletpeaches · Nov 14, 2011

Little Ming said:
I am uniquely qualified to write this piece of erotica and I've included the video tape to prove it.

You've been copying my submission again, haven't you?

*snerk*

Susan Coffin · Nov 14, 2011

Great replies. I would never put that I am uniquely qualified to write on any subject, because I think there are many others out there who write on similar subjects. Indeed, it is the sentence phrasing that bothers me, not the fact that an author really has qualifications to write a novel on a certain subject.

Huh? Does she know for a fact that this statement was, indeed, the tipping point of her query? Could it rather be that she wrote a kick-ass query for a kick-ass book and would've had the same success if she hadn't included that line?

There isn't exactly a one-to-one, causal relationship between a particular sentence in a query letter and successful results.

So, sorry, but I don't think 'including that line' = 'it worked'.

You are absolutely right. This authors query letter may have worked for other reasons.

Did the author explain why she feels she is uniquely qualified? If so, does her qualifications work for everyone there? If not, then does that mean others are not as qualified to write in the same genre?

I think this works more with non-fiction where you have someone writing about a particular subject in which they have a great deal of knowledge and or experience on the subject.

Not sure how I could be uniquely qualified to write Fantasy when I have never rode a dragon, conjured magic or fallen in love with an elf. Maybe I should just give up...sighhhh.

In fact, she did. Her stories are about horses, and she has extensive experience working with horses, including advocacy. I don't know what you mean when you ask, "Does her qualification work for everyone there?" All I know she is a successful author who makes her living from writing.

I agree this line may work better with nonfiction.

As for uniquely qualified to write fantasy....I guess that would depend upon how much time you spend in fantasyland....

It may not help, but it's not going to hurt, either.

Sometimes it's too easy to over-think things. It's certainly too easy to over-analyze things. If you like such a line, and think it works, think it reads well, then use it. If not, don't use it.

Excellent point. Except, I would feel really funny about putting that type of wording in my query letter.

Susan Coffin · Nov 14, 2011

Little Ming said: I am uniquely qualified to write this piece of erotica and I've included the video tape to prove it.

Neurofizz said: **peeks over the boundary of this post to see what's playing in Little Ming's post**

Scarlett Baby said: You've been copying my submission again, haven't you?

*snerk*

jennontheisland · Nov 14, 2011

As a line in a non-fiction query only. And you'd better be the only one who knows the subject or you're pushing it with "uniquely".

The thread title seems more like a starter in the prompts forum.

The Lonely One · Nov 14, 2011

I'm bucketfuls more comfortable with

"My qualifications for writing this novel include"

Susan Coffin · Nov 14, 2011

jennontheisland said:
The thread title seems more like a starter in the prompts forum.

How so? It's clear it has nothing to do with writing prompts.

Susan Coffin · Nov 14, 2011

The Lonely One said:
I'm bucketfuls more comfortable with

"My qualifications for writing this novel include"

Exactly!

Rhoda Nightingale · Nov 14, 2011

quicklime said:
I think if you ARE "uniquely qualified" you absolutely want to use it. if you aren't, it will be very apparent and cast you in a negative light.

"uniquely qualified" means you're very special in your qualifications, understanding, or background, in my mind--say you're writing a book about nuns committing suicide and the Superior trying to find a way to stem an outbreak of them in a thriller......if you were a nun, you're qualified. If you've googled nuns, or your third cousin was a nun, or you just really liked The Flying Nun, you aren't uniquely qualified.

This.

Obviously as an unpublished, unagented writer, I don't know how "qualified" I am throw in my opinion here, but this rings the truest if all my query-writing research is to be relied upon.

The "I am uniquely qualified" thing is akin to "my previous publishing credits include," far as I'm concerned. If you have unique qualifications, then go ahead and list them. If you have been published, especially in a similar genre, then list that. Otherwise, it's better to leave the whole thing out.

"I am Uniquely Qualified..." (in query letter)

Tell it like it Is

Court Jester

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Rewriting My Destiny

Professor of applied misanthropy

Is me.

all out of fucks to give

Writer is as Writer does

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

The grad students did it

Tell it like it Is

Tell it like it Is

the world is at my command

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Tell it like it Is

Tell it like it Is

Vampire Junkie