Genre before hook?

I have always followed example # 2, but there are no hard/fast rules here.

Tri

Just to be contrary...

I start with the hook, move to a paragraph about the story, then say something like, "TITLE, an erotic suspense YA comedy sci-fi thriller, is complete at 194,493 words."

So there.

I've been doing #2, and I've been getting some pretty good responses.

I've been doing it half one way and half the other for my current querying

FWIW I got more bites with No 1 - with US agents at least. UK cover letter is different, so probably doesn't apply.

This, of course, may mean only that the ones I used No 1 on were the ones that would have liked the hook and requested anyway.

thethinker42 said:

That's how I'd always learned to do it, too...but I've got someone who is a bit more marketing savvy than I am, and she's very emphatic about doing it the other way.

Me? I'm just confused.

Click to expand...

I just read about this somewhere - I think on the Query Shark's blog.

It said to put it at the end and leave the valuable real estate in the beginning for your hook.

Of course, everybody has different opinions. I did it hook first in mine.

thethinker42 said:

That's how I'd always learned to do it, too...but I've got someone who is a bit more marketing savvy than I am, and she's very emphatic about doing it the other way.

Me? I'm just confused.

Click to expand...

Is said friend in the publishing business, though?

You need to get the agent/publisher's interest straight away. Grab them by the agentballs!

"I am seeking representation," or anything similar is redundant, because...duh. Why else would you be contacting them? Word count? Pfft. They assume you're following guidelines in that respect anyway. Genre? Same.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Probably (in my FWIW opinion) provided you a) are professional and b) write your hook like a demon, so a blind man can see its awesomeness, it probably doesn't matter.

Well...you said yourself some agents get frustrated.

And pitch session rules don't apply to letters or emails.

You have no way of knowing if this agent or that agent prefers either method. So you just have to do the best you can.

Just put your title in capitals, so the agent/publisher can scan the letter for the relevant information if it doesn't appear where in the text they prefer it to be.

I would recommend hook first, technicalities later, with capitalised title to make it easy to locate.

Or in the subject line of the e-mail put 'Fantasy query - TITLE'

You don't get much more up front than that.

Hook first, genre second, with title in caps. Mind you, my hook is quick -- only two sentences and then onto the substance. This formula has gotten me a few reads.

I also indicate the genre in the subject of the e-mail sometimes. I've been taking it out lately just to shorten the subject line, but I really can't tell if it's having any effect on the "fish."

It really depends.

Usually, I think it's personal preference, but I've read some queries in QLH where it would have helped a great deal to have known the genre BEFORE I read the substance of the query, just to sort of set expectations. I'd be reading along, thinking it's a contemporary story, for example, only to find out in the last sentence that it's a historical. Or I'd be thinking it's historical, only to find out it's alternate reality. So, I'd get to the end, nodding along, thinking, "yeah, it sounds interesting," and then -- bam! -- it turns out it's a completely different story than I'd been imagining, and I have to go back to the beginning to figure out what's actually going on. That kind of confusion is not a good thing.

Now, it might be possible to clarify the genre in the substance of the query, so a reader couldn't head down the wrong track, but instead of twisting ourselves up in knots to slip in the necessary clues, why not just say up front, "it's historical" and get it over with?

I'm a firm believer in keeping queries simple. If the storyline would be confusing without knowing the genre up-front and there's no simple, easy way to work it into the first substantive sentence, then just say it up front.

Otherwise, go with whichever format you prefer. Personally, I like to get the genre/title/stats out of the way up front and figure the agent can skip it if she prefers to start with the substance.

JD

Do you want the first sentence the agent reads to be exciting, or boring?

Damn it, JAR - why'd'ya have to go and say shit I agree with like that?

**makes notes**

I think hook first, genre second is my preference. I want to grab 'em and dazzle 'em PDQ.

I used the hook first, genre second on all my queries. Then, after I signed with my agent, I found out she prefers the "I'm querying because..." in your first line and then the rest. So, I'd say go with your gut, because if the query sounds interesting I don't think they're going to care where things have been placed. (As long as it's not confusing.)

thethinker42 said:

That's how I'd always learned to do it, too...but I've got someone who is a bit more marketing savvy than I am, and she's very emphatic about doing it the other way.

Me? I'm just confused.

Click to expand...

Why not write both of them and then see which one grabs you most.

As Jan says, it depends. Some queries have to be a certain way or they lead to confusion. That being said, you might want to look at I am seeking representation ... ( 1 2).

And I agree with putting the genre and word count in the subject line.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

Use whichever you prefer. It really doesn't matter and both are acceptable formats. If you know an agent (like Query Shark's Janet Reid) prefers one over the other, format it how they like it.

No agent is going to reject you just because you put one or the other first.

Danthia said:

Use whichever you prefer. It really doesn't matter and both are acceptable formats. If you know an agent (like Query Shark's Janet Reid) prefers one over the other, format it how they like it.

No agent is going to reject you just because you put one or the other first.

Click to expand...

I agree.