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Query Letters

Do not worry about spoilers in a query letter

March 6, 2023 by Nathan Bransford 1 Comment

Do not worry about spoilers in a query letter. “But wait, I saw an agent say in an interview that they don’t want spoilers in a query letter! It’s right there on their website!” Do not believe them. I repeat: Do not worry about spoilers in a query letter. “But I want them to be […]

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New video on how to write a query letter!

March 7, 2022 by Nathan Bransford 4 Comments

I’ve been hard at work on some new ways to deliver you the information you need to achieve your writing goals. First up: a sixteen minute video on how to write a query letter! I share my top tips on writing a killer plot description, the personalization and nuts and bolts you need to include, […]

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How (and why) to personalize a query letter

October 4, 2021 by Nathan Bransford 27 Comments

Authors often gnash their teeth at the nearly-universal advice that you should personalize your query letters. It’s time consuming to research agents individually, people don’t know what to say, and there’s something about it that just rubs people the wrong way. It pays to personalize. Just do it. In this post I’ll explain why and […]

Filed Under: Query Letters Tagged With: How to Write a Query Letter, literary agents

The “voice of god” from movie trailers is killing your query letter

August 23, 2021 by Nathan Bransford 4 Comments

Last week I went to the movies for the first time since the pandemic started, and I encountered a curiosity I’d largely forgotten existed: movie trailers. And while I was coaching a writer on how to improve their query letter, I had an epiphany: lots of authors are writing their query letters like the “voice […]

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How to format a query letter

November 2, 2020 by Nathan Bransford 13 Comments

SUBJECT LINE: Query – [Something that makes sense like your book title] Dear Blog Readers, This is how you format an e-mailed query letter. Note that I did not begin with the recipient’s address or my address or the date, as that is not customary for an e-mail. I also am not indenting because indenting […]

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One of the fastest paths to rejection: implying you don’t read much

February 18, 2020 by Nathan Bransford 11 Comments

I saw a mini-blowup on Twitter last week that arose because a publishing professional had the temerity to suggest that anyone seeking publication should be very well read. Apparently this is still a controversial opinion in some circles! Look. If you don’t read books, no one is going to take away your laptop and lock […]

Filed Under: Query Letters

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About Nathan

Hi, I’m Nathan. I’m the author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series, which was published by Penguin. I used to be a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. and I’m dedicated to helping authors achieve their dreams. Let me help you with your book!

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My Books

How to Write A Novel
Cover of How to Publish a Book by Nathan Bransford
Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapo
Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe
Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp

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