Successful Queries

Author Stephanie Elliot shares the query for her young adult novel Sad Perfect, and agent Adriann Ranta explains what made this query so successful.

This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting these query letter samples, we will also get to hear thoughts from the writer's literary agent as to why the letter worked.

This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting these query letter samples, we will also get to hear thoughts from the writer's literary agent as to why the letter worked. The 73rd installment in this series is with Stacey Glick (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management) for Kristi Belcamino's mystery, BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN (November, 2015). The novel is hailed as "tense, disturbing and smart" by Edgar award-winning author Alex Marwood and critics declare that Belcamino is an author to watch for.

The 72nd installment in the Successful Queries series is with agent Jim McCarthy (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management) for Libby Cudmore's mystery/thriller, THE BIG REWIND (February 2, 2016, William Morrow).

This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. The 71st installment in this series is with agent Suzie Townsend (New Leaf Literary) for Makiia Lucier's historical young adult debut, A DEATH-STRUCK YEAR (HMH Books for Young Readers, March 2014).

This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting these query letter samples, we will also get to hear thoughts from the writer's literary agent as to why the letter worked. The 70th installment in this series is with agent Kate Testerman (KT Literary) for Rebecca Petruck's middle grade novel, STEERING TOWARD NOVEL (Abrams/Amulet, May 13, 2014). The book was chosen as a American Booksellers Association Indies Introduce New Voices selection as well as a Spring 2014 Kids' Indie Next List selection. It was among Vanity Fair's Hollywood's "10 Books We'd Like to See Made Into Films."

In this series, we look at query letters that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In this post, we feature agent Sara Megibow (Nelson Literary) for Stefanie Gaither's young adult novel, Falls the Shadow.

The best way to learn how to write a successful query is to read one. In this installment, agent Katie Shea Boutillier (Donald Maass Literary) shares feedback on a query by Kathryn Craft for her book The Art of Falling (Sourcebooks Landmark).

This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting these query letter samples, we will also get to hear thoughts from the writer's literary agent as to why the letter worked. The 68th installment in this series is with agent Allison Hunter (Inkwell Management) for Megan Mulry's romance, A ROYAL PAIN (2012, Sourcebooks Landmark, part of the Unruly Royals series), which, in a starred review, Publishers Weekly called "a delightful love story... worth reading again and again."

This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting these query letter samples, we will also get to hear thoughts from the writer's literary agent as to why the letter worked. The 67th installment in this series is with agent Jim McCarthy (Dystel & Goderich Literary) for Livia Blackburne's young adult fantasy, MIDNIGHT THIEF (July 2014, Disney-Hyperion).

In this series, we look at query letters that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. The 65th installment in this series is with agent Adriann Ranta (Wolf Literary) for Mindy McGinnis's young adult novel, NOT A DROP TO DRINK (Sept. 2013, Katharine Tegen Books).

The best way to learn how to write a successful query is to read one. In this installment of Successful Queries, agent Julia Kenny (Dunow, Carlson and Lerner Literary) breaks down the query for Karen Harrington’s debut middle-grade novel, Sure Signs of Crazy (Little Brown Books for Young Readers) which received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist and School Library Journal.

This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting these query letter samples, we will also get to hear thoughts from the writer's literary agent as to why the letter worked. The 63rd installment in this series is with agent Sarah Davies (Greenhouse Literary) for Ashley Elston's young adult thriller, THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING (Disney-Hyperion, May 2013). Find Ashley on Twitter here.