Query letter; Blurb or Synopsis?

Check out Query Letter Hell and the stickies (password: vista). We have tips for writing query letters and even a thread of successful query letters there.

In general, the synopsis in a query is not the same as a blurb you would find on the back of the book. A query letter is essentially a business letter sent to an agent you want to have a professional business relationship with. A book blurb is a more like a commercial or trailer aimed at getting a reader to buy your book.

Draíocht said:

Reading and researching many query letters, and it seems that many agents mention a maximum of one page. In lieu of this, I am wondering whether a query letter synopsis would be presented in the style of a blurb or not?

Can anyone offer some insight?
Thank you.

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The portion of the query letter that describes the story -- the pitch -- is written much in the style of the flap- or back-cover copy. The idea is to entice the agent to want to read more. So it will include the main character, the main conflict, and the stakes, and it should be compelling.

From QLH, see On query letters, front flaps, and back covers -- how do they compare?

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

Remember, though, that if you're submitting in the UK we don't do query letters in the same way as they're done in the US. We usually submit a cover letter, with a synopsis and the first three chapters attached.