query vs cover letter

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DooDaddies

Hi everyone! I'm sorry if this is a silly question... I'm a newbie and still trying to get this figured out.

Can anyone explain to me what the difference is between a query letter and a cover letter? Are they the same thing?

Thanks! Hope everyone has a great weekend! =)
 

PeeDee

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I don't know what a "doodaddy" is but it's probably weird. Oh well. Welcome to the forums. :)

A query letter is what you send an agent/publisher, asking if you can send them your manuscript. A cover letter would be sent with the manuscript, or the first five chapters, or whatever. See what I mean?
 

ATP

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A query letter/query is what you also send to magazine (website?) editors concerning an article idea / proposal.

Go to the Freelance forum and examine its archives via the forum search engine.Consecutively input the following commands-query,queries.
 
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I'd say a query letter can stand alone. It tells the agent/publisher about your book and asks if you can send it, or part of it. A cover letter is more suitable to requested material and more or less says, "Please find enclosed blah blah blah as regards our phone call/letter of whenever it was."

Or something.
 

mysterygrl

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I treated my cover letter--which accompanied a requested partial or full--as a "mini query." I included a two-sentence pitch of my story and a condensed version of my bio (short story credits and professional memberships).
 

maestrowork

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Cover letter:

Dear Mike Agent:

Enclosed please find the full manuscript of The Novel as requested on December 9, 2006.

Sincerely,
Jane Author


---

Query:

Dear Mike Agent:

The Novel is a 100,000-word fantasy set in the land of Zarq.

... synopsis goes here...

... credits go here...

Sincerely,
Jane Author
 

johnzakour

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You use a query letter to basically ask if you can send a cover letter (along with some of your writing.)

This was a really good example.

maestrowork said:
Dear Mike Agent:

The Novel is a 100,000-word fantasy set in the land of Zarq.

... synopsis goes here...

... credits go here...

Sincerely,
Jane Author

I would just add one line asking: Would you be interested in reading <name of novel>?
 
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