Hair-Raising Query Letter Mistakes That Make Literary Agents Cringe ∣ Writer’s Relief

by | Query Letters | 1 comment

Review Board is now open! Submit your Short Prose, Poetry, and Book today!

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

Deadline: Thursday, February 22nd

It’s a task that strikes fear in the hearts of even the bravest, most experienced writers: creating an effective query letter. The hair-raising stress of determining what to include and what to leave out can make you feel like a sleep-deprived zombie. Make the wrong choices and literary agents may cringe and toss your query letter aside. Thankfully, the letter experts here at Writer’s Relief can help you avoid the most frightening query letter mistakes.

5 Query Letter Mistakes That Could Scare Off Literary Agents

The Fear Of Never-Ending Text

Even though most submissions to literary agents are now sent via e-mail, that doesn’t mean you can wax verbose and send fifty paragraphs about your book in a query letter. A printout of your query letter shouldn’t be long enough to double as mummy wrappings! Instead, a query letter should be the equivalent of one standard printed page. Its purpose is to entice the agent to want to see more—the same way those mini candy bars in your trick or treat haul give you just a taste and leave you craving more chocolate.

The Terror Of Typos and Errors.

Typos and grammar mistakes scream unprofessional! and show you didn’t bother to proofread your letter and. Ask a grammar-savvy friend or another writer to review your query letter before you send it out. You may even consider hiring a professional proofreader to give your query letter a once-over.

The Horror Of A Deathly Boring Book Blurb (Or—Gasp!—No Blurb At All!)

The book blurb is the blood and guts of your letter. This is where you must capture the interest of literary agents so they will request more of your manuscript. Like a movie preview, your book blurb doesn’t go into every detail and subplot, but instead focuses on the overall story arc and ends with a hook. All in no more than 250 words. No, we’re not kidding.

The Danger Of Ignored Submission Guidelines

Ignoring an agent’s submission guidelines can get your query letter sent straight to the rejection slip graveyard. Be sure to submit exactly what is requested. Some literary agents only want a query letter, while others want a query letter and a synopsis, and still others want a complete query letter packet. If the agent asks for ten pages, give them ten—not fifteen because you think that’s a better selection. If he or she asks for a specific subject line, use that subject line!

Pay special attention to formatting. If you don’t double space, the agent may not even read your submission.

The Nightmare Of Overkill

Costumes are fun for Halloween. But in a query letter, you shouldn’t wear any masks or overdress your credentials. Agents appreciate confidence when it’s paired with humility rather than bravado. If you have accomplishments that highlight your strengths or success as a writer, you should certainly list them in your author bio. But there’s absolutely no need to say that your book will be “an instant bestseller” or that you are “the next Stephen King.” Let your writing speak for you!

To ensure that your query letter brings nothing but smiles to the faces of literary agents, make sure you also purge your letter of these common scary mistakes. Then you can rest assured your letter won’t frighten anyone—unless, of course, you write in the horror or thriller genre. Mwah-ha-ha!

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.

 

Question: What part of a query letter do you think is the scariest to write, and why?

1 Comment

  1. Kathy Steinemann

    The synopsis always fills me with dread. It’s like deciding what outfit to wear to a conference where you must make a good impression.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Review Board is now open! Submit your Short Prose, Poetry, and Book today!

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

 

 

See ALL the services we offer, from
FREE to Full Service!

Click here for a Writer’s Relief
Full Service Overview

Search

Reviews

“Getting that first poem published was the hardest threshold to cross. My team at Writer’s Relief kept encouraging me…then came the acceptance! We celebrated…then I continued writing, and Writer’s Relief continued doing the wonderful work they do!”

—King Grossman, Writer
(Watch King’s video testimonial here!)

“Every piece I have sent out with their help has been accepted for publication! I am looking forward to working with the team on getting my new novel out into the world.”

Services Catalog

Free Publishing Leads
and Tips!

Featured Articles



Featured Video

Follow us!



YES, IT'S MY LUCKY DAY!
Sign me up for
FREE Publishing Leads & Tips
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

WHY? Because our insider
know-how has helped
writers get over 18,000 acceptances.

FREE Publishing Leads and Tips! Our e-publication, Submit Write Now!, delivered weekly to your inbox.
  • BEST (and proven) submission tips
  • Hot publishing leads
  • Calls to submit
  • Contest alerts
  • Notification of industry changes
  • And much more!
close-link


STOP! BEFORE YOU GO...
Sign me up for
FREE Publishing Leads & Tips
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

WHY? Because our insider
know-how has helped
writers get over 18,000 acceptances.

FREE Publishing Leads and Tips! Our e-publication, Submit Write Now!, delivered weekly to your inbox.
  • BEST (and proven) submission tips
  • Hot publishing leads
  • Calls to submit
  • Contest alerts
  • Notification of industry changes
  • And much more!
close-link

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This