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  • Query Letters
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Write My Query

Thinking Outside the Books: Write Your Query Letter First

If you’re feeling frustrated by the querying process, Scott Wilson suggests writing your query BEFORE writing your book.

  • By Scott Wilson
    May 3, 2019
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Write My Query

Taming the Synopsis: 4 Steps for Perfecting One-Page and Long-Form Synopses

When approached one step at a time, the dreaded synopsis can become a trusted companion on your publishing journey. Ammi-Joan Paquette explains how to write a synopsis for any novel.

  • By Ammi-Joan Paquette
    Mar 8, 2019
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Publishing Insights

3 Ways to Find Your Book's Unique Selling Proposition

Agents have to consider where your work fits in a crowded marketplace. By including your book's unique selling proposition in your query letter, you’re making their job easier— and what stands out about your manuscript even more evident.

  • By Paula Munier
    Nov 13, 2018
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Publishing Insights

5 Steps to Nailing Your Query Letter, from Literary Agent Britt Siess

Literary agent Britt Siess shares a few tips that can make the process of writing a great query letter a bit less scary and more productive.

  • By Guest Column
    Oct 10, 2018
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Publishing FAQs

What Is (and Isn't) High Concept Fiction, and How Do You Pitch It?

Pitching high concept fiction can be the key to skyrocketing to the top of agents' slush piles, but what is it, and how do you go about framing your story as high concept?

  • By Jess Zafarris
    Sep 24, 2018
 This article is excerpted from Susan Shapiro's new book, The Byline Bible: Get Published in Five Weeks.
Write My Query

How to Sell an Essay or Article: 21 Tips for Writing a Winning Cover Letter

Wondering how to sell an essay? Writing a cover letter that's short and perfect to introduce your pages will sell a piece faster than submitting an excellent article or essay with an uninspired note.

  • By Susan Shapiro
    Sep 18, 2018
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Writing Articles

Funny You Should Ask: What are the best times to query a literary agent?

Funny You Should Ask is a humorous and handy column by literary agent Barbara Poelle. In this edition, she answers a reader's question about the best times to query a literary agent.

  • By Barbara Poelle
    Jun 18, 2018
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Publishing Insights

7 Query Letter Strategies That Don't Work (But Many Writers Try)

Hand over the glitter, the construction paper and the creative half of your brain, and let’s talk about seven common query letter strategies that are terrible, no good, very bad ideas, so you can learn from those who’ve made these mistakes.

  • By MNBrian
    Mar 30, 2018
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Publishing Insights

Debut Author Interview: Ashley Woodfolk and 'The Beauty That Remains'

Ashley Woodfolk is the debut author of the new book The Beauty That Remains. Here, she talks about what inspired the book, what's selling in today's book market, writing about grief, and crafting strong beginnings.

  • By J.D. Myall
    Mar 23, 2018
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Publishing Insights

Successful Query Letter Examples: Anna Quinn & 'The Night Child'

This article is part of a series called Successful Queries. It features actual query letter examples to literary agents that were successful for authors. In addition to the successful query letter, you’ll also see the thoughts from the writer’s literary agent as to why the letter worked. Today’s features Anna Quinn and her agent Gordon Warnock (Fuse Literary).

  • By Jess Zafarris
    Jan 18, 2018
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Submissions & Proposals

Which Sample Chapters Should You Send to Agents?

When agents ask for sample chapters, which chapters should you include? If your strongest chapters fall in the middle, is it OK if I send those? The answer is different for fiction and nonfiction.

  • By Brian A. Klems
    Dec 21, 2016
What's New

How Many Sample Chapters Are Necessary?

When submitting your work to an agent for consideration, how many sample chapters should you include in your proposal? Writer's Digest online editor Brian A. Klems explains.

  • By Brian A. Klems
    Sep 27, 2011
Agents

Which Word Count Do Agents Want?

  • By QQAdmin1
    Jan 26, 2010
Agents

Do Agents Steal Your Stamps? (The SASE Conundrum)

  • By QQAdmin1
    Sep 22, 2009
Agents

Can I Query Before I Finish My Novel?

  • By QQAdmin1
    Sep 1, 2009
Agents

What Should You Include in Your Bio for Agents?

  • By QQAdmin1
    May 12, 2009
Query Letters

Two Pitches, One Magazine

  • By QQAdmin1
    Feb 17, 2009
Query Letters

Covering the Cover Letter

  • By QQAdmin1
    Jan 13, 2009
Publishing

How Many Rejections Does it Take to Self-Publish a Book?

  • By QQAdmin1
    Nov 11, 2008
Dealing with Editors

How Do I E-mail Clips?

  • By QQAdmin1
    Aug 19, 2008
Query Letters

Are Agents Stealing My Stamps?

  • By QQAdmin1
    Jun 17, 2008
Publishing

Live From LA: Questions from the Writer's Conference

  • By QQAdmin1
    May 29, 2008
Publishing

When's the Best Time to Query?

  • By QQAdmin1
    Oct 23, 2007
Query Letters

Multiple Submissions Etiquette

  • By QQAdmin1
    Aug 28, 2007
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