Include in a book query?

JoshW · Aug 19, 2010

I am currently a college student, working on a double-major in Creative Writing and Literature. I'm a junior, and I have a 4.0 GPA. (Adjusted GPA would actually be above 4.0, but my school doesn't give adjusted GPAs.)

I've been published in my University's literary magazine.

I will soon be looking for an agent to represent my first book (a middle-grade adventure story with pirates and all that good stuff), so would I want to include any of that information on a query letter? Or would that make me seem amateurish?

katiemac · Aug 19, 2010

Not to dismiss everything you've accomplished, the only part of the above potentially worth mentioning is your publishing credit in the lit mag. The double major certainly woudn't hurt you, but it can sometimes sound a little, as you say, amateurish. But it's all in how you make it sound, and if your pitch is good, including neither one of these things will hurt you. If your pitch is bad, they won't help.

JoshW · Aug 20, 2010

It seems to me like college experience might not be worth mentioning until I've graduated. Once I have the degrees, it would probably look a little better. I'd still be kind of hesitant to include it, even though I'm proud of the achievement.

nickspalding · Aug 26, 2010

Only ever include published credits. Things you've had professionally published - and nothing else.

Anything else comes across as amateur. It's great you've got good grades, but it won't count for anything in an agent's or publisher's eyes.

NiaR · Sep 13, 2010

I think it depends on the agent. I've seen some say that want someone who is clearly qualified and dedicated. Others have said, so what if you got honorable mentions and a piece of paper has nothing to do with how well you've written this book. I'd go by personal agent/agency guidelines.

JRVogt · Sep 13, 2010

Hey there. Check out these two blogs:

http://queryshark.blogspot.com/

http://misssnark.blogspot.com/

The first is an ongoing series where query letters are dissected and an agent points out what's good and bad in each one, why some succeed, why some fail. Tons of great info there. The other, Miss Snark, is an older blog that is no longer updated, but also contains a massive amount of information on agents, queries and more. Well worth the time to browse the archives and both should give you a very clear picture of query letters.

Include in a book query?

JoshW

katiemac

Five by Five

JoshW

nickspalding

NiaR

Bibliophile

JRVogt

takin' the world by storm...one raindrop at a time