what do agents specifically look for in a query letter?

Check the stickied thread on querying in this forum; it links to some excellent resources on writing query letters.

Do consult the website or blog of an agent you're interested in to see if s/he has any stated query letter preferences, but don't sweat this too much. There's no magic formula or secret knowledge you can use for everyone--agents are individuals, and their response will depend on their tastes, interests, and sense of the marketability of your work. Beyond making sure you only approach agents who are interested in your subject or genre, you can't control any of that, so just write the best query you can.

Some agents want synopses; some don't. Again, check guidelines.

- Victoria

KC36 said:

And one final question: How many queries did you reject without finishing it? (Yeah, I just had to ask that )

-Karla

Click to expand...

You might want to repost that question in this thread if you'd like to seek the opinion of our agent-in-residence Nathan Bransford. I'd kinda like to know the answer to that myself!

Otherwise, pretty much what Victoria said.

You should all head over to this article on my website: http://www.zackcompany.com/submissions/perfectpitch.pdf. You will need Adobe Reader to read it.

Z

I found a great resource for this the other day. It's a free ebook you can download, written by literary agent Noah Lukeman (so the advice is straight from the source). It's pretty detailed.

They want a query letter that:

(1) tells them the word count, genre and title of your book
(2) gives them the set-up for the novel, without too much backstory
(3) tells them about the main plot arc of the book, particularly the first pivotal event that launches things
(4) contains a good hook
(5) if applicable, tells them about credentials (such as, you're a cop and you're writing a crime novel) and/or writing credits (not self-publishing)