The QueryShark swam by a very helpful blog today. Don't be misled by the "tweet" in the title; it's not about how to query via Twitter.
Any query writer would do well to start with what is essentially an index of essential components for a good query and then refine it into a pitch.
I'm pretty sure you'll see me quoting this again. I think it's sterling advice.
16 comments:
So helpful!
I loved the bit about mashing various points of your story together till you get a good log line. And they provided examples, no less...
Great exercise. It wasn't easy, but really helped me improve my logline. Thanks Query Shark!
Wow! Thank you for sending me over there. Great advice, and so easy to understand!
Thanks so much! Every little blog helps :-)
That looks like a pretty good way to plan a novel you want to write, too.
Here's another helpful query blog.
The Public Query Slushpile
http://openquery.blogspot.com/
Writers help writers refine their queries. Enormously helpful.
I follow that blog and find the conversation and information invaluable. I even participated in this log line pitch and submitted mine for their feedback.
Thank you for sharing. I followed the sample with my latest WIP and found the suggestions most helpful.
I attended a conference teeming with writers eager to pitch their novels. (Well, maybe not eager, more like scare s-less.)
On the first night, the coordinators announced an amendment to the pitching rules. Three sentences only, nothing more, nothing less.
There came a collective gasp from the writers, sucking the air from the room. I gulped my wine, blaming the pleasant little merlot for drying up my spit. Three sentences? Holy crap!
I rushed to my room and made a list similar to this one. Then I spent hours trimming and trimming and trimming my initial two paragraph pitch. Mission accomplished, along with two requests. Eureka--best darn exercise on tightening.
Confucius says, "The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions."
I second the helpfulness! It was a really illuminating how-to breakdown.
Thank you for posting that. It's an incredibly helpful tool.
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS! I rewrote my query letter based on the Theresa's advice and sent out my first 5 queries. In three days had two agents request materiel. This is good stuff.
This is among my favorite blogs!
:-)
Janet,
Thank you so much for turning me onto this. I've been learning A LOT from your blog and have been passing it along to others. I think seeing it in (in)action is an immense help, but so is this.
I intend to submit, so I'm doing my homework and reading the archives. Up till now, I've resisted the urge to comment, because I'm still about 2 years behind; however, I wanted to insert my thanks for doing this, and to say that this post really helped out a lot.
Wow. You give great advice, Shark, but somehow having to put together the info in that blog post just brought it all together for me.
I think you just saved my query letter. Thank you so much!
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