Children's book query letter template

Query letter sample literary agents and literary agencies. Heres a helpful template to help boil down your plot. Query letters for children s book fiction musings archive for april 2003. Remember the old saying, there is more than one way to skin a cat. How to format your childrens book manuscript dummies. Write a killer picture book query to hook a literary agents. Query letters for childrens book fiction harold underdown. If youre hoping to secure a traditional publisher for your next great american. Klems is the editor of this blog, online editor of writers digest and author of the popular gift book oh boy, youre having a girl. A query is a business letter asking permission to send the project described. Example of a successful query letter society of childrens book. Just present the main characters, the main problem, and the resolution, then work in a hook great friendship hook, above, and sign off like you normally would with a novel query. But i think good query letters share a lot in common, whatever type of book. Or perhaps to a site with some good andor successful examples.

If it is a snail mail query, then use standard business letter formatting. Act or perish is amybells motto as the children and napoleon, their cat, run away, camp aboard a halfsunk shrimp boat in the eerie swamps, and search for the ghost light. Before i share the ideal structure for book queries with you, i need to make sure you understand something. Simple query letter for picture book tips and a sample so you can publish a picture. No need to write an elaborate picture book query letter. If the query letter stands alone, its your only chance to sell the editor on your book. When writing a query letter for a picture book you will basically have. Martin s press, hyperion, prenticehall, workman, andrewsmcmeel, entrepreneur, barrons, amacom, and too many more to list here. This article is part of a series called get a literary agent. You have one page and 300 words or less to woo a literary agent into falling in love with your story and then requesting your manuscript. Wow children book publishers with perfect query letters. A literary agent shares a reallife novel pitch that ultimately led to a book. How to write a picture book query letter in 6 simple steps. How to write a darn good query letter ny book editors.

A query letter is a onepage letter sent to literary agents in an effort to get them excited about your book. Query letter basics for the childrens book market book editing. Query letter basics for the childrens book market book. Query letters that worked a childrens book editors. I am a member of scbwi and the author of a childrens picture book. I have also had stories published in childrens magazines. It is hard to write a good query letter, especially when youre starting out. How to write the perfect query letter query letter example. In an equery, you dont need to start with your address, the recipients nametitle address, or date as you would in a traditional snailmail business letter to editorspublishers. I dont know anyone who really likes writing queries, and most agree. If you read the sample query below, and check out the information sources offered in this. If you dont make a good first impression, your childrens book manuscript will likely get sent right back to you accompanied by one of those dreaded rejection letters.

Picture books queries are a different animal from mid grade and ya queries. Editors see a gazillion manuscripts every day, and the sight of certain common errors makes them sigh with impatience. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it. Many authors hate the task of writing a query, but its a necessity in todays publishing industry.