Essential synopsis-writing and querying tips from 20 amazing Australian authors: Part 3 of 4

Show you know who you’re submitting to, recommends Tracey O’Hara.

A few weeks ago, I asked an author pal of mine for help with synopsis-writing. Lucky me – I received some amazing advice. So amazing in fact, I thought I’d share what I learnt with my readers. With that in mind, I asked a whole heap of other authors for their advice too, and shared what they told me about writing a synopsis here: Part 1 and here: Part 2.

Now here’s what they said about query letters – I’ll share what they told me about what extra resources you might want to consult before you submit to agents or editors in Part 4!

The Query Letter

Tracey O’Hara, award-winning author of the paranormal romance “Death’s Sweet Embrace” (read more about Tracey here):

Do your research before you write your query letter and make sure you mention what you like about them or their clients, show you know who they are.

You have to hook them when you describe your book – it’s probably the most important part of your letter.

Kirsten Tranter, author of “The Legacy” (read more about Kirsten here):

US agent queries have to be really punchy. If you already have a deal and interest from publishers, mention that right away.

If you’re approaching Australian agents, it’s vital that you don’t approach more than one agent at the same time. Agents get really annoyed by this. Include a brief (one paragraph) description of the book; mention its word count; mention any previous publication highlights (not a list of twenty short stories in little magazines) or awards; mention your website/blog; be impeccably presented with no weird fonts.

If you know any authors that the agent represents, mention their names and say that they recommended that you approach the agent. Let the author know because the agent is likely to call them saying, “who is this person??”

Conform to the agency’s requirements: ALM for instance likes to see a few sample chapters but not the whole manuscript – but unless the manuscript has already been contracted, or has a strong expression of interest from a publisher, we want to know that the whole thing is finished.

Keep it brief, one page or one and a half max.

Kate Gordon, author of “Three Things About Daisy Blue” and “Thyla” (read more about Kate here):

The best suggestion I can give is to send your manuscript off, with a nice, brief letter, and then leave it be!

My agent said, when she took me on, “It’s so nice to not be hassled”! It took a really long time for her to get back to me, and I suppose the temptation would have been to email her and “check how she was going” but she appreciated that I gave her time and space!

Start simply, says Nicole Murphy, “Hi – this is me.”

Nicole Murphy, author of urban fantasty trilogy “The Dream of Asarlai” (read more about Nicole here):

The important thing is the two to three paragraphs that describe the story. Start very simply – Hi, this is me, I have a story * genre, * words that I’d like you to consider representing (if you have read the agents/publishers blog or admire people they represent/publish, then drop the mention of that in here too).

Then your two to three paragraphs. You need the elevator pitch, to make the plot of the story clear. You also need a sentence or two about the main characters and their motivations so they’ll jump off the page.

Follow this with a small paragraph about yourself and your qualifications to be writing this story.

Then finish with a ‘I look forward to hearing from you’. Keep it simple. No hyperbole. One page.

Michael Pryor, author of over twenty-five novels including the fantasy series “The Laws of Magic”, “The Quentaris Chronicles” and “The Chronicles of Krangor” (read more about Michael here):

I aim for the 1 sentence pitch.

As with your synopsis, it should be a quick snapshot for easy consumption.

Mike Hearle, author of “Winter’s Shadow” (read more about Mike here):

Use a hook that showcases your manuscript’s unique premise.

When I was approaching agents, I used a query letter with a hook that showcased my manuscript’s unique premise (a new supernatural mythology). Then I included a short synopsis, an outline of my target demographic, similar titles on the market and proposed sequels, plus a biography showing previous writing credits.

Altogether, it ended up getting me an agent – I think because I was able to show exactly why my book had commercial viability.

Graham Storrs, author of sci-fi thriller “TimeSplash” (read more about Graham here):

Query letters have four parts – essentially one paragraph per part, adding up to a single page.

1. A very brief greeting. Hello. I got your name from X. You may recall we met at Y. I’d like you to look at my manuscript, Z. Complete at N thousand words, Z is a YA urban fantasy set in New York.
2 A one-paragraph summary of the book making it as appealing as possible. Editors and agents are looking for something different so emphasise what’s special about the MS. Focus on the protagonist and what is at stake – don’t waste words on sub-plots and minor characters. Say what the main obstacle is and how the main character tries to resolve it.
3. Some background on yourself – including your publication history, your special relationship to the story (if any) and (if it’s impressive) your author platform.
4. Close. A single sentence is good. One thing I learned here is not to say anything like “I look forward to your prompt response,” as it makes the poor dears feel pressured. Try “Thank you for considering my work.”

After clearer direction? Then read on…

Next time: what extra resources my author buddies recommended consulting, before you approach an agent or editor!

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