Query length vs. query detail

efreysson

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While burning in the fires of Query Hell, I've come across a new problem. See, I do try to keep my query-drafts sharp and to the point, since apparently they are supposed to be like 250 words. Thing is, a lot of the time I get people advising me to go into more details: Telling me to give more info on the plot points I mention, put more heart and emotion into it, and show more of the story as a whole to make things interesting.

Those two goals, making it short and making it detailed, seem just a tad contradictory to me, and if they're not then Query Hell is even worse than I thought (abandon hope, all ye who enter...)

Any advice on how to approach this problem? Please?
 

kristie911

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Welcome to Query Hell. It's hot, it's annoying and absolutely necessary. Crappy, ain't it? :)

Your query should fit nicely on one page. If it runs over one, it's too long. That's part of the Hell, finding the right balance of description without running on too long. It's a delicate balance.

Have you posted your query in the SYW forum? It might be a really good way to get some ideas. Or is that where you've come from, now throughly confused?

I'm not much help, am I? :)
 

dantem42

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Those two goals, making it short and making it detailed, seem just a tad contradictory to me, and if they're not then Query Hell is even worse than I thought (abandon hope, all ye who enter...)

Any advice on how to approach this problem? Please?

Any detail should be relegated to the synopsis. Generally, you can get away with sending one behind the query letter even if the agent doesn't mention that he/she wants a synopsis. The only time you absolutely don't do it is if the agent says he/she wants only a query letter and nothing more. In the query letter, you are "selling" your novel to the agent, and you don't have space for detail. A synopsis can run maybe about two double-spaced pages in Times Roman 12, or about three pages in Courier 12, and should always include what happens in the ending.
 

Andrew Jameson

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While burning in the fires of Query Hell, I've come across a new problem. See, I do try to keep my query-drafts sharp and to the point, since apparently they are supposed to be like 250 words. Thing is, a lot of the time I get people advising me to go into more details: Telling me to give more info on the plot points I mention, put more heart and emotion into it, and show more of the story as a whole to make things interesting.

Those two goals, making it short and making it detailed, seem just a tad contradictory to me...
Yes, they are contradictory. It's a delicate balance, and there's no real right or wrong answer. In addition, different agents prefer different lengths (hey; they're people too!). You can make a query clearly too short, or clearly too long, but there's a wide gray area in the center.

Any advice on how to approach this problem? Please?
Sure. First of all, make sure you have a clear idea of what the core of your story is. Who is it about; what's the core conflict? That's what you need to explain, clearly, specifically, explicitly, and succinctly. You need specifics that differentiate your core story from everyone else's, and you need specifics to make sure the reader understands exactly what's going on.

What you don't need are extraneous details that don't relate to your core story. Be richly detailed on the core, but eliminate everything else.

Does that help? I have a lot more information in this thread.
 

Doug Johnson

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Good writers pack detail, empathy for the characters, suspense and originality into a few words. By limiting writers to 250 words, agents can quickly sort the good writers from the bad.

Think of the slush pile like the opening of American Idol. Each person gets a verse and a chorus. If you want to go to Hollywood, you need to sing well. If you can't sing better than everyone, you need to practice more and maybe take some lessons. (If you find singing a verse and a chorus "hell" you also might want to think about whether or not you're ready to get in front of Simon. More practice might be the wiser choice.)