The Ultimate Query Letter

I've been writing Query letters for Literary Agents and Publishers for about 6 years. Trial and error, rewriting and revising to make my query worth reading to the oh-so-busy agents.

So this is a format to write a unique-ish (cuz you can only be so different) and GREAT query letter that'll help you get noticed.

Agents read 100-200 query letters a day and it's only the first few lines that get them to ACTUALLY read your email/letter. So the first step to have a eye catching line, something that makes your email stand out!

1) Before you even put "Dear So & So" why don't you put your favourite line of your book at the top of the email/letter? It's draw their attention and intrigue them enough to want to read your email :)

2) After the Dear whom and who you need a good intro line. What I like doing it visiting the website of the agency I'm sending my query too. I do this to get an idea of what kind of person this agent is. Searching for their twitter account works too and gives you a deeper insight to either have a professional intro line, or to start it off fun!!!

3) The Body of the Query letter!! The hardest part if I don't say so myself. I find this the hardest thing to write because I can't, for the life of me, write a good paragraph on what my book is about. Hence all the years or rewriting and revising the damn thing!! So what I'd suggest, have a friend (who read your book and is generally good at writing as well) write one for you! That why you don't over explain things or go off on a tangent about something in your book that doesn't have to be explained. The power of a few words is important here!
Note: Keep it short BUT DON'T leave them hanging. Agents/publishers will stop reading right then and there.

4) Forth paragraph should be something about promoting your book, your dedication and drive to make your book number one. If you get your book published, you don't just sign a contract and bathe in the royalties, you gotta go out there and make people wanna read your book! So talk about your audiences, maybe how you'd promote you book and free samples. Everyone likes free samples :)

5) Always say thank you. :D

6) Even if they don't ask for it, send them 1-3 chapters of your book (unless they say NO in their guidelines on their website. What if you did such an awesome query that they want to read your book right away?! Give them something to read! OR if you have a unique and wonderful review from someone of your audience, adding that makes your query that much more different.


Hope all that helps. Over the years I've sent so many different query letters and following this format has gotten me the most amount of positive feedback/responses from agents and publishers. So try it out and you may get lucky :)

And so it begins!

Website is underway

I got a query letter printed and will be sent by this afternoon

Discovered photoshop is on the computers at the college

Smell that? It's faint and far off, but I smell success!

Exciting News!

I've been playing with a few idea's lately about my book and where to go with it.

1) Video game design! (Lot's of hours, but hey I need a hobby!)

2) Making a video (Less hours and more fun!)

3) OKay okay, getting an agent is hard. I'll take a fellow authors advise and go to the Publishing Houses instead! Bought Writers Market 2013

4)Website design! Woot, that'll be fun!

AND this blog will be going under some changes! So get ready for some awesome change!

One Hour a Day

I've been trying to write for an hour everyday before I go to bed. Ha. Did it once and we're already 15 days into January? Nice try Courtney, nice try!

It's been a bit hard with the break up and everything to sit down and write Book Two of the Echoes. I haven't even been reading a lot either. But atleast I've lost weight and people have been noticing! lmao. So that's nice. :P

I was able to write a good scene with Adam for Book Two that had to do with what I've been feeling and thinking during the break up. It's been pretty good, but I've only been able to write when I'm drinking wine....a few glasses in lol.

I am now a broke College student (Yes, I'm going back to school WOOT for good income) so I can't really afford wine, but I'm not going to let that be an excuse to NOT write. BAM. Motivation, no excuses.

I'm not going to get into the break up details. Maybe later on. I'm going to have a secret revealing blog post in the near future to kinda let loose. I've been talking to people about the break up over and over so I'm just sick of explaining it. Yuck.

Everyweek I will try and post something on here to do with my book, working out (which just reminded me to update Fitocracy) or some update on my life :)

Cheers

BOOK LAUNCH

So my book is offically OUT!!! You can get a copy if you have a KOBO or KINDLE :

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Echoes/book-8qenmve2oUaUT3LL0GpKTw/page1.html?s=-re9fMvfn0ya1HjdrKnr6Q&r=1


http://www.amazon.com/The-Echoes-Book-One-ebook/dp/B009M5F43M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1351708290&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Echoes+Courtney+Gilbert

Character Look-a-like

If I had to choose who my characters look like these would be my choices. Mind you, they may not be real life people :)

Terra from KH Birth by Sleep looks similar to Colton. Colton is more tanned and wears a head band.

Guy from Tales of the Abyss is almost Chase. Almost. I remember every time I thought of Chase in my story, Guy's appearance (but a bit different) would pop up in my head.

Don't know who this is, but she's a Final Fantasy Character. This would be my Niki expect Niki has back curly hair, but similar facial features.

This guy, which ever Final Fantasy character he is, looks like my Adam Ponto. Adam is a little slimmer, and obviously doesn't wear armour. 

Last but not lease, this character would somewhat close to Keira's appearance. Keira has, blonde hair and the blue eyes, a little more tanned with some freckles. BUt this girl here does some justice, I'll have to find out what final fantasy she's from.

Just an FYI, when I wrote my book, I had actually never played any of the Final Fantasy games. It wasn't until I was explaining my story to a friend when they asked if I had played them. Lol. Of course I hadn't and he mentioned that I should probably get around to that. Not to mention I loved playing Tales of Synphonia, Zelda and other anime games. I liked watching Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z and pokemon. So you figured playing Final Fantasy would be right up my alley, BUT I had never owned a playstation, I owned a N64. We did have playstation 2 where I played Kingdom Hearts, but that was the closest game to playing Final Fantasy that I got. lol.

I'm out! Hope you enjoyed!

Was it something I said?

Okay, to back track, this girl I know got a contract with Harper Collins for a book publication. I had messaged her about her success but she never replied. Mmm. Which is understandable cuz some people are very selfish and secretive about their success, fearing that someone will become more successful if they tell this secret. Selfish Selfish people. So I figured, you know, it's been awhile since I saw how she was doing with this book and BAM, she deleted me! Like, WTF!? lol. I thought we had a bond because we were both striving writers, trying to follow our dream.

Might I add though, what might have given her motive to 'unfriend' me.

The past year I've been editing my book, doing all i can to make it better. I had it on Authonomy which it did do well. (Until you hit the top 100 rankings) When you hit the top 100, that's where the daggers gleam behind everyones back, waiting patiently for the right moment to strike with the "One Star" rating!! *Gasp!* With Authonomy, if you are not commenting on people's stories using at least 250 words that praise everything about their work, then your book will never hit the top. Authonomy has a good concept but I'm not about faking my way to the top and to falsely praise people.

I had a different method. Once I got some pretty good writer advise on Authonomy, I decided to get and editor. Months past until I finally finished that draft with the editor. THEN, the library opened their 'self-pub' system which is where I can print my book and  make it look like a real one! Yay!

Since then, I'm self published my book on Kindle and Kobo and I will be having a Book Launch at the end of this month! So of course this entire process of my printing my book, posting pictures, getting my own business name (2am Publishing) getting my book on kindle and kobo, about to launch my book. I could only see that her reason was, jealousy. Or am I being conceited? She might not have liked the fact that even though she got a contract to publishing, I was the one with something actually done, I was getting it published and out into the world and I had a ton of support from the Library, work, family and (hopefully) the press. I plan on trying to get LaSalle post to my launch and to really get from publicity from it.

Plan for now? Get an agent. Monday is a holiday but for Canadians. I'll be sending out my query letters. I plan to make some money with kobo, so I can have something to show something to say like, "I've made this much! See my book is marketable!"

Other than that, can't wait for bookfest! I now have a contact with the woman who is on the board of the Bookfest. Yeah, fingers crossed. I'm getting there!

-Courtney