Few literary agents expect query letters to be 100% perfect—especially if the author is new. That said, most literary agents DO expect a certain level of competence and a fundamental understanding of publishing industry etiquette. If you’re a writer hoping to get a book published, Writer’s Relief explains the query letter mistakes you must avoid.
9 Things Writers Do Wrong In Query Letters
Ignore submission guidelines. Most literary agents accept that people make mistakes, and some are even willing to overlook submission errors if a project is really, really great. In certain instances, a writer might even decide to purposely break a query etiquette rule for good reason. But if you’re going to ignore submission guidelines, be sure to weigh the risks against the potential payoffs.
Spell a literary agent’s name incorrectly and/or botch gender. Writer, your reputation depends on your command of words. So misspelling a literary agent’s name is a pretty serious faux pas. Also, do not assume that “Michael” is a man’s name or that “Kelly” is a woman. To avoid embarrassing mistakes, we suggest query letter salutations appear as follows: “Dear First Name Last Name.”
Fancify the formatting. Most literary agents prefer that you skip the bells and whistles of decorative formatting and instead let your text speak for itself. And besides, simple formatting is standard in the publishing industry.
Mislabel genre. Literary agents understand that some books do not fit neatly into a traditional genre format. If the book genre you choose is in the right ballpark, you’re probably okay.
Bungle the word count. If you’re seeking a literary agent to help you secure a traditional publisher, then nailing an industry-standard word count is important. There’s not much a literary agent can do with a 300,000-word self-help book (except maybe use it as a doorstop).
Go long. A query should be one page long—and no more. No, you are not the exception. Bury your best talking points in long, verbose paragraphs, and literary agents will have tossed your query long before getting to the good stuff. Embrace bite-size sentences and snack-sized paragraphs (after all, agents are reading fast). Learn more about how to shorten your query letter.
Overexplain. Good literary agents are smart readers. They know how to infer your book’s themes and concerns from your story and plot. They can tell where you are in your publishing career based on the facts in your author bio—without your spelling it out for them. They also don’t need you to elaborate on why you became a writer to begin with, unless that information is specifically relevant to the book in question.
Complain. For many writers, it’s a struggle to fit the book blurb and author bio onto a single page. If you waste even one line of your letter grumbling about how difficult it is to become a writer…or how people in the publishing industry don’t have time for new authors…or that the publishing world has let you down…you’ll give agents the impression you are not the optimistic go-getter they are hoping to represent. And who wants to work with someone who already seems to be whiny? Learn more about how to handle awkward topics in query letters.
Skip proofreading. If your query letter arrives at a literary agent’s office full of typos and grammar errors, then chances are it will be deleted very quickly. Your letter-writing skill will reflect on your book-writing abilities!
Some Great News About Literary Agents That You Need To Know
When you start reading all the rules of query letter writing, it may seem as if literary agents are mustache-twirling Svengalis who get their jollies by rejecting new writers on technicalities. But keep in mind that most literary agents go into publishing not because they hope to make a fortune, but because they love books—and the people who write them. They want you to succeed as much as you want you to succeed. Use common sense to avoid simple mistakes, and your query will be in a great position to shine.
Writing your own query letter may seem daunting, but the experts at Writer’s Relief can help! For our Full Service clients, our professional letter writing team creates effective query letters that are skillfully crafted to entice literary agents and build interest in their books. If you’re a DIY-type, you’ll find an easy-to-follow, step-by-step blueprint for writing a successful query letter using proven marketing techniques in our book, The Ultimate Query Letter Tool Kit by Writer’s Relief.
Each writer has unique needs and goals. We will help you navigate traditional roads to publishing or provide expert guidance on the path to self-publishing from an experienced team of strategists.
Question: Which of the above points on our list do you think is easiest for new writers to overlook?
Hello
That often depends on the publisher himself/herself. But in general, I faced such situations, when the query letter was too long or had too many typos and grammar mistakes. And I thought: OMG, how can a writer make such silly mistakes? How on Earth is that possible? Perhaps, that’s because of hurrying to deliver the letter. I don’t know.
Besides, most publishers and specialists in this field need a finished original copy first, so before there’s a query, a writer should complete the work entirely. At that point authors can inquiry specialists or publishers that don’t require an operator. The majority of the publishers require an operator to question.
Best,
David