How to write a query letter
In order to have a book published by a traditional publisher, you will likely need to know how to write a query letter to find a literary agent.
A query letter is part business letter, part creative writing exercise, part introduction, part death defying leap through a flaming hoop. (Don’t worry, you won’t catch fire and die during the query process though it may feel precisely like that at times).
In essence: it is a brief letter describing your book that will hopefully make an agent want to represent you.
Read on to learn about the steps I recommend for writing a successful query letter. For more in-depth information on querying, editing, and the publishing process, check out my series of online classes here.
Want more help on your query letter?
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Here are the basic steps for how to write a query letter:
- Start with a completely finished and polished manuscript (fiction) or a book proposal and 30-50 sample pages (nonfiction)
- Read examples of query letters that worked
- Hone your pitch
- Research agents so you can personalize your query
- List your credentials (if you have them) and other key details
- Format your query letter properly
- Send it out and wait for a reply
JOHN T. SHEA says
Thanks, Vicky! Now I’ll spend the rest of the night rereading your 52 links…
JH says
Dear Mr. Bransford,
Say whatever it is your submitting is written under a pen name, like for example you want to get your start by writing one type of book under an assumed name then go on to write something else under your own.
When writing a query letter, do you sign it with the your legal given name, the pen name, or “sincerely, Real Name a.k.a Pen Name?
Nathan Bransford says
Thanks for the question! I cover that in this post: https://nbrans.wpengine.com/2009/12/all-about-pen-names
I’ll be sure and add a link in this master query post.
But yes, I would recommend doing exactly what you propose. Query as your self and list your pen name if you want to use one.
JH says
Thank you very much for your helpful advice and have a safe November-December.
Sweta says
Dear Mr. Bransford,
I am working on writing a query letter for a collection of short stories, it would be helpful if you can please share a query letter example for the same.
Nathan Bransford says
This might not be a wholly satisfying answer and opinions may vary, but unless your short stories have attracted the type of publications and attention that means literary agents are approaching you, I’m not sure that I would spend time querying about a short story collection. And even if an agent is interested in your stories, they may want to pitch it to editors with a novel.
Naomi Lisa Shippen says
Some helpful insights here and it’s good to know what it’s like from the agent’s perspective. I have been very nervous about querying but this post has given me some reassurance. Thanks, Nathan!
Anne Johnson says
Is it good to mention a self-published book that was a “best of Kirkus indie” with a starred review if it had abysmal sales in my author bio in my query letter or should I not bring it up? Otherwise my writing credits are zip.
Nathan Bransford says
I don’t know that I’d mention it, I think agents take self-pubbed Kirkus reviews with a grain of salt. But it’s okay if you don’t have publishing credits: https://nbrans.wpengine.com/2020/04/you-probably-dont-need-publishing-credits
Mukesh says
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Nick says
I’ve completed two of three books in a series (book three is nearing completion). When querying, should I query all three books as a trilogy, or just the first book in detail with only a passing mention of books two and three?
Nathan Bransford says
Hi Nick, this post has everything you need to know: https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2020/03/everything-writers-need-to-know-about-book-series
Ryan Field says
I think this advice works for people who aren’t coming from a marginalized community, but I have found…personally not through hearsay…that if I didn’t take a different road than the query process I would have been passed over time and again. The sad truth is that the publishing industry will hand over book deals to the non-gay authors who are writing gay content while the actual gay authors sit back shaking their heads. André Aciman is one of them. Annie Proulx is another. Both straight white authors appropriate gay content. Kathryn Stockett did it with black fiction. And we have no voices. This is the way publishing works. So after enough rejections about 20 years ago from the straight white gatekeepers, I went a different way with gay presses and digital presses and I found a nice little readership there. I haven’t sold millions of books but I’ve sold thousands. I’ve even been pirated many times. Indie publishing is also a way to avoid the privileged system. But the query system is painfully flawed.
Nathan Bransford says
I’m glad you found a path that works for you, but is it really true that there are “no voices” in traditional publishing? While I would be the first to say that there always have been and continue to be structural problems in publishing that results in certain communities being underrepresented, I’m not sure it’s quite as stark as you’re suggesting here, and think you might be extrapolating your own personal path to be more universal than it may be?
Aaron says
Hi Ryan, I agree as a gay male author and reader. I really dislike reading gay books and finding the author is straight or especially a women. It seems odd and off putting and a turn off.
Margaret says
Such a helpful article. Definitely will be bookmarking this for future use. Very helpful to beginners in this field.
Bronwyn says
Hi Nathan, thanks for the informative article. I’m ready to start sending queries for my first novel but agents who represent fantasy fiction seem few and far between in Australia. There are many more in the US, would I be wasting my time (and theirs) if I queried internationally?
Nathan Bransford says
This is an old post that still applies: https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2007/12/literary-agents-and-writers-overseas
Bronwyn says
Ah, you’ve got an answer already prepared! Thanks, I’m finding your site very useful.
David Jace says
Nathan,
I think I must be going crazy. I was certain I saw in this post, or in one of th ehundred wonderful posts you linked, that you should include the firsts 5 pages *with the query*. Am I wrong on that? Does that sound crazy? Would you please clarify when we send how much sample pages?
Nathan Bransford says
Yeah, unless the agent specifies otherwise it’s usually fine to paste the first five pages into the body of the email.