UK Agents, help with query letter needed

SecretScribe · Aug 21, 2007

Hi there

Is there anyone out there who has been querying UK agents? I would like to pm my cover letter and get some feedback. The reason I don't want to put it on SYW is because the majority of the critters there are looking at the letter as a query letter, not a cover letter.

Anyone help?

Thanks
Secret Scribe

seun · Aug 21, 2007

This is possibly a stupid question but what's the difference between a query and a cover letter?

Bufty · Aug 21, 2007

Hi Seun,

The Query Letter is the written approach to an Agent 'selling' him your book, stating what it is about and hopefully enticing the Agent into requesting a partial or the full manuscript.

A Cover letter is simply that - a covering letter. 'As requested in your letter of xxx I enclose YYY.'

Or, at it's most basic, simply - 'I enclose xxx', but it helps to also say why you are enclosing it.

Any help?

seun said:
This is possibly a stupid question but what's the difference between a query and a cover letter?

seun · Aug 21, 2007

Well, you learn something new every day.

Bufty · Aug 21, 2007

You captioned this thread - help with query letter needed. What are you trying to do? And I see you have posted what looks like a Query letter to me in SYW - but there are no responses yet. I'm confused. Why do you need a cover letter - has something been requested?

SecretScribe said:
Hi there

Is there anyone out there who has been querying UK agents? I would like to pm my cover letter and get some feedback. The reason I don't want to put it on SYW is because the majority of the critters there are looking at the letter as a query letter, not a cover letter.

Anyone help?

Thanks
Secret Scribe

cletus · Aug 21, 2007

Most London agents automatically expect 3 chapters along with a synopsis and cover letter, and sometimes an author bio, in a query.

The letter is only giving info like genre and length and any info about the author that might be relevant to the query.
The synopsis and sample chapters are what the agent uses to decide if they want to see the rest of the book.

Stijn Hommes · Aug 21, 2007

If you want specific help with either a query letter or a cover letter, just specify it in your post, so people know what you're looking for.

SecretScribe · Aug 21, 2007

Sorry, the title should perhaps read Cover Letter. I doing a bit of a hybrid letter, with a hook, but it is not a US style query letter. Any clearer?

waylander · Aug 21, 2007

I've been through this process. Send it to me in a PM

wayndom · Aug 21, 2007

Not one to shy away from stirring up the s**t, I have to ask:

If the book is good enough to publish, why not query American agents?

The reason I ask is, Ken Follett was a published author in the UK going nowhere, until he queried Albert Zuckerman, who showed him how to craft his novels into bestsellers (this is all covered in Follett's intro to the excellent, Writing the Blockbuster Novel, by Zuckerman).

Which is not to suggest than American agents all share Zuckerman's skills (they don't), but still, there's more money to be made by getting pubbed in the US, so why not go for it?

SecretScribe · Aug 22, 2007

Good point wayndom. I am currently querying UK agents as I am in the UK and have only sent out 12 queries to date. I am working on my US query letter, and really struggling with that! It is on SYW if you want to have a look and give an opinion on it.

aruna · Aug 22, 2007

wayndom said:
Not one to shy away from stirring up the s**t, I have to ask:

If the book is good enough to publish, why not query American agents?

If you live in the UK it is obvious to first query those agents. It's first of all a matter of closeness.

It was really nice popping in to visit my UK agent whenever I went to London, and I do miss that intimacy. She always had time for a chat, maybe lunch. I can't do that with a US agent if I live in the UK.

Then, too, not all books suitable for the UK market are suitable for the US market, and vice versa.

Thirdly, your UK agent will usually try to get you a US publisher as well anyway. That is a given. So you have both markets. It's not ever an either-or situation.

Also: UK agents are just as capable of working on a ms with a client as a US agent!

aruna · Aug 22, 2007

wayndom said:
The reason I ask is, Ken Follett was a published author in the UK going nowhere, until he queried Albert Zuckerman, who showed him how to craft his novels into bestsellers (this is all covered in Follett's intro to the excellent, Writing the Blockbuster Novel, by Zuckerman).

The opposite is also true. Take Bernard Cornwell. He is HUGE in the UK, a top bestselling author. He lives in the US, has a big publisher there, but nobody there seems to have ever heard of him, despite all-out attempts by his publisher to get his name out.

CHATHAM -- There are places where Bernard Cornwell is a household name. His adopted home here on Cape Cod isn't one of them.

The British-born Cornwell has sold 12 million copies of his famous Napoleonic-era Richard Sharpe adventure novels alone. In addition, he has written three other series, five thrillers, and five other novels that defy easy categorization, such as 1999's ''Stonehenge," billed as a ''story of love, rivalry, treachery, and a great, mysterious temple."

Cornwell is a celebrity in his native England and almost as famous in Brazil and Japan. His books have been translated into 17 languages. But -- unlike, say, Stephen King -- he could walk the streets of Boston in complete anonymity. ''I am the least-known best-selling author in Massachusetts," he says. ''It's nice to come back here, where no one knows who you are."

Nobody knows why a book is popular in one country but not in another. There are many such examples.

cletus · Aug 22, 2007

There are plenty of authors with London agents that regularly hit the Bestseller Lists in the US. Off the top of my head:

JK Rowling
Lee Child
Fredrick Forsyth
John Connolly
Jack Higgins

I'm sure there are plenty of others.

spacejock2 · Aug 22, 2007

OT, but the Sharpe books were made into a series of TV movies starring Sean Bean (Who later played Boromir in LOTR.)

So, in the LOTR movies Boromir tests the edge of Isildur's sword and cuts himself. His line in the movie? "Still sharp"

Argh.

Toothpaste · Aug 22, 2007

Aw babe, I never answered your PM!

Please send it my way!

Toothpaste · Aug 22, 2007

Oh and my agent is in the UK, and they are pretty swell. In fact they just love selling to Americans!

SecretScribe · Aug 23, 2007

Hi there Toothpaste

Apparently your inbox is full, so I'll just post the letter here. I used the format you suggested - thanks so much for offering to take a look.

Dear Mx xx

I am seeking representation for BURIED SECRETS, a police procedural murder mystery of 96,000 words. Set against the unusual backdrop of contemporary South Africa, it will appeal to lovers of mysteries everywhere, much the same way that Donna Leon’s novels have a broad following in this genre.

Newly partnered detectives Andrew Phillips and Lindiwe Makona investigate the brutal torture and murder of an archaeology student with no apparent enemies. The detectives face a hostage situation, shootouts and midnight raids, only to eliminate all their suspects. A friend of the victim goes missing and another is found brutally beaten and is later attacked in hospital. Andrew and Lindiwe have run out of avenues to investigate and lives are still in danger. What initially looked like a ritual or psychosexual crime turns out to be much more personal, and the killer they face more evil than they could have guessed.

I am a South African, currently living and working in the UK. The novel is set west of Johannesburg, around the area where I grew up. My career is in marketing and I have extensive experience writing marketing and communications materials, which has taught me to rewrite, edit, accept criticism and work to deadline.

I have included a synopsis, the first three chapters and an SAE for your reply (the pages need not be returned).

Thank you for your consideration. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Toothpaste · Aug 23, 2007

SS - sorry about that! I just cleared out my inbox (no I'm not that popular, I just never throw anything away)

Actually I really like this, a lot. (and people are going to tell you it isn't a typical query letter, but we know this isn't meant to be one)

I can't say for sure or anything, but it seems really descriptive and concise. The one thing I would say is maybe talk a bit about your heroes. Even one line, I know there is some tension between them isn't there? Something to make us care about this story and not just because the plot is thrilling you know?

Other than that, I'm thinking send the darn thing off!

good luck!

UK Agents, help with query letter needed

SecretScribe

seun

Horror Man

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

seun

Horror Man

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

cletus

I'm a king bee

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

SecretScribe

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

wayndom

SecretScribe

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

cletus

I'm a king bee

spacejock2

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

SecretScribe

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!