Question about querying agents

I've heard people doing both. I'm not sure there is a right or wrong way. I tend to cut to the chase. Honestly, if you query an agent, they already know why, you don't have to flatter them.
But of course, wait for some other, much wiser opinions to follow mine

Cut to the chase, like so:

Dear Mr. Smith,

Dora Roberts doesn't know it yet but her world is about to change... XYZ.

You can put a line about how you found them at the bottom if you like, especially if you have no writing credits.

Lucy said:

Cut to the chase, like so:

Dear Mr. Smith,

Dora Roberts doesn't know it yet but her world is about to change... XYZ.

You can put a line about how you found them at the bottom if you like, especially if you have no writing credits.

Click to expand...

When I queried, I did it like this unless the agent stated another preference. Blogs and interviews often mention this sort of thing.

This is one of those things writers obsess over, but as far as I can see, agents don't seem too fussed about. Some agents have preferences (Janet Reid, for example, likes the query to dive right in), but I think on the whole, it doesn't matter if your great pitch is preceded or followed by the personalization or the title/info of the book. It's the great pitch part that matters. I have yet to see a query critique where the agent said, "This query floored me, but the personalization was in the wrong spot, so I rejected it."

That said, when in doubt, I'd tend to go straight for the pitch--I call it the "Blackberry effect." Get as much of your novel on that agent's Blackberry screen as you possibly can and save the niceties for later.

If you'd gone up to the stickies in QLH, you would have seen PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING ( 1 2). In the first post there, you would have seen I am seeking representation ...( 1 2) which answers your question. Not only do we try to make your experience in QLH unpleasant, we also try to provide you with all the answers. You just have to look.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

I found Nathan Bransford's blog incredibly informative when I was constructing my query. He explained the psychology behind the format, which was exactly what I most desired to understand.

He was formerly an agent an Curtis Brown. Now he's focusing on his own writing.

Check his blog out here:

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

Basically, the format I used was:

Dear [Mr. Agent],

[Some ego-petting paragraph that explains why you are so eager to query him, usually by bringing up an interview he gave or a book you read and loved that you know he represents, and perhaps likening your own project to that book. Bransford stressed how personalizing a query right off the bat endears the agent to you and helps him take your pitch more seriously.]

[Pitch of book, taking up one to two paragraphs. Includes title of the book (in caps) and the word-count and genre.]

[Paragraph briefly mentioning your qualifications for writing this book. Where you graduated from, what you've studied, whether you've published anything else. If you have no qualifications, this is your opportunity to inject some humor into the query. Agents like funny, charming people.]

Thank you for your consideration.

Best regards,

[Your name]