Querying prep steps that got me 5 requests right away

Buckle up—this is a long one.

Where does one even begin when talking about the querying process? Across all the phases of writing, querying has perhaps the most blurry edges in my mind. The way it so stealthily crept up on me over the past six months reminds me of that legendary book by Laura Numeroff, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, and looked something like this:

• If a writer is hit with an idea for a good story, chances are they’ll start thinking about it… incessantly. If they think about their story idea incessantly enough, chances are they’ll draft the manuscript.
• If they draft the manuscript, chances are they’ll want a title and a cover to go with it.
• If the writer’s story gets a title and a cover, chances are they’re daydreaming about what it would look like in a bookshop window or on the NYT Bestsellers list. They’ll begin to watch YouTube videos about the publishing process, snag freebies from established authors, and may even launch their own author accounts on social media.
• If the writer watches enough videos about the publishing process, they may decide to draft a query letter. If the writer drafts a query letter, they’ll probably want to find an agent to send it to. And if they find one agent to send it to, chances are, they’ll decide to query another, and another, and another.

In all seriousness, it can be hard to pinpoint the best time to flip from “drafting writer” to “querying writer.” It grows slowly over time; one day you’re listening to a podcast about querying, and suddenly you’ve got a list of dream agents and maybe even a query letter draft!

Let’s break down the basics of querying and the preparation that has already helped me land five requests (with only two pitches and four queries out!). I’ll move through these as quickly as I can while still going a little in-depth for each.

Set a firm deadline and write an elevator pitch.

As long as I was writing without the pressure of expectation, my progress was slow and inconsistent. I found a small writing conference that was offering in-person pitch sessions and query letter critiques, as well as training for both, so I registered. Within the next month, my book was finished and I was practicing my pitch. (Check out my article on mastering your book pitch for training and guidance on that.) I got invaluable feedback from agents and acquisitions editors that helped me see where both were already strong, and where they needed work.

Familiarize yourself with length and format.

If you type in the search bar ‘how long should a query letter be?,’ it’ll pull up multiple sources giving you a range, but 300 words is the sweet spot with most queries. In fact, Sarah J. Maas pitched the first book of her Throne of Glass series with a query letter just 295 words long. If she can do it, so can we. It feels constrictive to try to fit your book into one paragraph, but I promise you that powerful, intentional, and concise language will work wonders for you in the query trenches.

As far as formatting goes, the following example is pretty standard for a work of fiction (nonfiction has a slightly different order of elements). The [square brackets] indicate commentary and places where each part of the letter should be:

Dear Mr./Mrs. [Agent Last Name; do not use a generic opening],

[If you met them through social media or a writing conference and they invited you to query them, remind them of that in the very first line and thank them again for their consideration. Otherwise ignore this line and go straight to the hook.]

[One-line book hook. Jump right into the story with this. Agents don’t want flattery, and they don’t want you to state that you’re ‘seeking representation.’ It’s redundant].

In my book, [TITLE IN ALL CAPS], [introduce your main character’s name, age, and their fatal flaw]. [Share the meat of your book pitch or query body here, in about 150 words or so. Include your setting (briefly), your inciting incident, and some of the obstacles they face in the story. Leave it on the “big question” cliffhanger. Focus on the emotional journey of your character and the stakes they face.]

[TITLE IN ALL CAPS] is a standalone [genre] novel with series potential. It combines the [characteristic] of [first comp title] with the [characteristic] of [second comp title] and the [characteristic] of [third comp title]. It is [complete/in final revisions/in beta read] at [word count to the nearest 1,000 words, eg., “103,000 words”]; attached, please find the first [#] pages.

[Short bio about you, around 20–40 words. Focus on any writing experience you have and why you’re the right person to tell this story. Don’t use valuable space to say you’ve been writing your whole life, and don’t say your dream is to be an author. They hear this a lot.]

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you again for your time and consideration,

[Your Name]

Familiarize yourself with querying courtesy and realistic timelines.

Exceptions aside (such as the rejection I received within one hour of submitting to an agent), querying is typically a multi-month process. My most recent agent request provided me with a response window of four months. It isn’t a sprint, so make sure that you’ve mentally prepared yourself for a marathon.

During this process, writers are expected to query multiple agents at once—but not more than one from the same agency. You should be courteous, concise, and patient. Don’t reach out to an agent unless you see a post from them instructing you to do so. If you get requests, strive to be as punctual as possible in getting the material sent. The last thing you want is for them to forget about your submission!

Finally, be aware that most agents are extremely busy people who spend the majority of their day representing their signed authors. They only have 30–45ish minutes to skim through hundreds of new queries in their inbox each day, which means your query has about five seconds to make an impression and elicit a request. It needs to check all the boxes and pack a punch—there’s simply no room for fluff.

Build a list of agents that fit your story and goals as a writer.

This one’s simple. If you wrote an Adult fantasy, don’t query an agent who represents middle grade. Be selective. Know the agent’s wishlist and what they value in a story. You can find literary agents all over; some strategies I used included searching for “literary agent” on social media platforms (and those who have it in their bio should pop up) as well as finding agent names in the acknowledgements of previously published books within my genre. Make a QueryTracker account and use the “Search by Genre” function under Agents (with Full Agent List selected, as opposed to My Query List). Again, pay attention to make sure you don’t query more than one agent from the same agency.

Read examples of strong, successful query letters.

I’d start with Sarah J. Maas’s query letter. Regardless of opinion, it’s an undeniable fact that her books are widely successful and have set a standard in their genre. This query letter was the launching pad for all of that. And here’s a link to 160 more query letter examples from famous authors across genres (shared on QueryLetter.com).

Draft your first query letter.

The anticipation of something often causes us more suffering than the actual doing. You’ve danced around the idea for long enough; pull out those drafting skills you developed while writing your manuscript and put something down. Once you have words to work with, it’ll start to take shape. Refer to the format above and the example letters to fit it to your query’s needs (since each should look a little different, depending on the book).

Get feedback on your query letter.

It’s impossible for us to simplify our story as effectively as an outside perspective, and that is because we are now burdened with the curse of knowledge—in other words, we know everything that happens in the book. We’re the biggest fan of our own story. But what draws others to it? Send your query letter draft to a few trusted friends, both those who have and haven’t read your book (like your beta readers), and ask them for focused feedback.

Revise and send out a few low-stakes queries.

After my query letter was all cleaned up and sparkling with the feedback from my “query beta readers,” I sent out just four queries to test the water. My first rejection came within an hour. A few days later, I got a request. Then a rejection. Then a request. This is a very good sign! If two out of the first four agents saw potential in my query, it means my letter is effective and my sample pages are strong. Now I don’t have to worry about misrepresenting my story through a clunky letter; instead, I can focus on finding the agent that will fall in love with my book as much as I have.

Important note: When I say “low-stakes” queries, I’m still talking about real queries to serious agents, and you should submit your very best work to appropriate agents. These initial queries are more to help gauge reactions to your query, and if you get an offer of representation from one, you should absolutely consider that agent!

I can’t say it enough—celebrate each rejection as it comes.

As long as we are taking rejections personally, the query trenches will be long and tedious and disheartening. We must actively and intentionally neutralize each rejection as it comes our way by celebrating the small step forward that it has provided.

Finding an agent is a process of elimination. You don’t actually want everyone to love your book equally. You want to cast your net wide so that agents are aware of your story, then reel in the ones who see the depth and uniqueness it holds. Rejections feel negative because it’s a no, but you have to remember that they aren’t saying, “Your writing is absolutely horrid, how dare you write this down, let alone submit it to me.” Take a step back. They’re passing only on this story, and only for now.

If you’re still here and still interested, you’re welcome to read my current draft of the query letter (which is still longer than I’d like). This draft resulted in a full request just this week:

Ms. [Redacted],

Thank you for showing interest in my pitch during the #PitDark event this week. I appreciate your time and consideration.

How long can we run from the darkness within us? In THE GIRL MADE OF NORTH STONE, Khona has to face darkness incarnate after her home burns to the ground at the hands of a usurping high lord. She’s a twenty-one-year-old farmer’s daughter, driven into dangerous woods as her village is raided and her father is captured. Khona’s only chance of saving him is by finding his old allies, but after getting kidnapped and meeting a shady stablehand named Anarro, she discovers the allies are plotting a war that is destined to end in blood. Anarro offers her a nearly impossible alternative plan: help him find a sunken city and retrieve a legendary weapon that might just be enough to liberate her father and all of Tohkadan. Anarro’s motives are questionable, and secrets about the sunken city, the gods, the kings of old, and her own parents are bubbling up from deep within the earth. As the words of a haunting old sailor’s ballad echo through her mind, Khona will have to come face to face with truth, monsters, darkness, and betrayal if she is to save anyone before history repeats itself…

THE GIRL MADE OF NORTH STONE is my debut novel and the first installment of a planned adult dark fantasy duology that reimagines the legend of Atlantis through the eyes of a Norse and Celtic-inspired culture. It takes the haunting but whimsical retelling style of both Hannah Whitten’s FOR THE WOLF and Rachel Gillig’s ONE DARK WINDOW, with Icelandic influences similar to those in Caroline Lea’s THE GLASS WOMAN. There are both mystery and romance subplots. It is in final revision at 102,000 words and will be ready for submission within the next two months; below, please find the first 30 pages.

I am a 2023 graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in Editing & Publishing. I was raised on a northern Idaho farm (big potatoes and goats fan); my sweet husband and I reside in [redacted]. I’ve had stories published in contests and magazines, and I’ve generated an online audience of over 5,000 people following both Khona’s story and mine.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you again for your time and consideration,

H. L. Ackerman

I hope this information was helpful to you! I’ve got plenty more insights to share but this article is getting too long, even for the bookish folks. Feel free to come back and revisit this article as many times as you need. Wishing you the best in your writing and query prep.

Hannah L. Ackerman