Successful Queries: Julian Pavia, Oli Munson, and “The Language of the Birds,” by K.A. Merson
Find agent Oli Munson’s successful query to editor Julian Pavia for author K.A. Merson’s debut novel, The Language of the Birds.
Welcome back to the Successful Queries series. In this installment, find a query letter to editor Julian Pavia from agent Oli Munson for K.A. Merson's debut novel, The Language of the Birds.
K.A. Merson is a graduate of the selective-entry Curtis Brown Creative six-month novel-writing course. As a former engineer married to an artist, he has a particular love for the nexus of art and science, which is tightly woven into the fabric of his book. He lives in northern California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the area’s rich history (gold mining, boomtowns and ghost towns) provides the spectacular backdrop to his novel.
Here's the query from Oli Munson:
Dear Julian,
It’s been an absolute age so hope all is very well with you and yours. I’m hoping to get to New York early next year and it would be great to catch up in person.
Meanwhile, I’m very excited to be sending you THE LANGUAGE OF THE BIRDS by debut author K.A. Merson. This is a contemporary thriller featuring an ingenious, young female lead set against the beautifully realised, stunning backdrop of the American West. Think the brilliant but damaged protagonist of THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, the puzzles/mystery of THE TWYFORD CODE, and the wilderness backdrop of MY ABSOLUTE DARLING.
Arizona is seventeen, gifted, and an outsider. Homeschooled, with social anxiety and trust issues made worse by bullying, she travels the American West with her parents and her dog Mojo in an Airstream trailer. But her small world crumbles when her father dies and then, just weeks later, her mother is kidnapped. When the ransom note demands classified information (that the kidnappers claim her father possessed) and is accompanied by a cryptic puzzle, Arizona doesn’t know who to trust. Fearing foster care for herself and the pound for Mojo, she flees with the trailer to pursue her mother’s safe return on her own terms.
While following a trail of cryptic clues across the remote West, Arizona meets Lily, a twenty-year-old spending a gap year in her van. Isolated, lonely, and intrigued by Lily’s extroversion, Arizona is torn between the pull of companionship and her fears of further rejection. Racing against time, over desolate terrain, Arizona must use her unique skills and confront her greatest fears, all the while staying one step ahead of those working against her.
I can’t remember the last time I received a manuscript that was so ingenious. If you are anything like me or other people here who have read the ms, you will find yourself going down a Google rabbit hole, asking yourself the question “is this fiction or is it fact”? It’s a very smart book.
K.A. Merson is a graduate of the selective-entry Curtis Brown Creative six-month novel-writing course. As a former engineer married to an artist, he has a particular love for the nexus of art and science, which is tightly woven into the fabric of his book. He lives in northern California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the area’s rich history (gold mining, boomtowns and ghost towns) provides the spectacular backdrop to his novel.
I’m offering US and Canadian rights and look forward to hearing what you think. And of course just get in touch if you have any questions.
Best, Oli
Check out K.A. Merson's The Language of the Birds here:
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What Julian Pavia liked about the query:
Several things about this letter grabbed me, I think. To start with, seeing the agent Oli Munson’s name in my inbox probably perked up my ears. We’ve had one or two near misses on projects over the years, and he seems pretty selective in what he tries me out on. I probably hear from him a couple times a year, max.
But really, for me it’s that first paragraph of plot synopsis. It’s managing to introduce Arizona in a way that immediately makes her feel specific and intriguing, while hooking me with stakes (the kidnapped mother), and intrigue (the dead father’s secret). And then there’s the reference to the “cryptic puzzle,” which, in combination with the Twyford Code comp at top, tells me this is going to be about puzzles and codes and problem-solving. So it’s giving me a clear, compelling, fresh-feeling starting point for a mystery—plus promising interesting mechanics in the form of the puzzles. And a dog too!
The rest of the plot synopsis hits good notes, but Oli’s “fact or fiction” allusion at the end is probably the other bit that really got my attention. That’s something else that jumps out as unusual and specific, and I love novels with strong “nonfiction” elements. And it has me wondering how that’s all going to be interacting with the puzzle elements.
All that said—as well as this pitch pushed my buttons, I was definitely skeptical when I started reading. The elements that make it intriguing also make for something difficult to pull off on the page, and potentially tricky for a publisher to position. Needless to say, it won me over!
