How to Get A Book Published - A Query Letter is the First Step in How to Get a Book Published

You've got your list of potential publishers ortarget audience reads so many of these each week,
agencies, now what? The journey of how to get ait is difficult to make yours stand. Even if you write
book published begins with the query letter.the "perfect" query letter, it's still a crapshoot
The first step for both nonfiction and fiction is thewhether your work will be requested.
query letter. It is your chance to open doors to theThe emphasis of the query letter is on "Why readers
book publishing industry, to literary agents and bookwill buy my book," rather than "Aren't I a great
publishers. Because of the volume of submissionswriter." Don't start with: "It's been my lifelong dream
agents and book publishers receive, it has becometo be a writer." They don't care. It is their lifelong
the standard way of make a contact, rather thandream to sell more books than their competitors.
sending out entire manuscripts. Absolutely, positivelyHow many queries should you send out? Try batches
include an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope)of five or ten, then measure the response you get.
for the agent/publisher to contact you.You may need to tweak the content of your query
Why you need a query letter and how to write itletter.
You never want to send a full manuscript. It won'tSuppose you send out the first batch and no one
be read. The standard method of contact is theasks for the book. What does that mean?
query letter. A good query letter is short, one toSuppose you send out ten. You get three polite
two pages maximum.turndown letters and no response from the other
The goal of query letter is to get the manuscript orseven. What should you conclude?
book proposal requested by the literary agent or1. The agent may not be taking on new clients
book publisher. Often they request just the first 602. You have no talent
pages, read that, then decide whether they want to3. Your book has no market
read the full manuscript.4. You didn't express yourself well in the letter
Think Like A Businessperson Trying To Make A Sale,5. The publisher is swamped with submissions and
Not an "Artist"didn't have a chance to reply
Writers tend to think they are the book publisher's6. The agent is rude and threw your letter away
customers, as though the publisher exists to make7. The publishing industry isn't interested in new
their dream of being a published author come true.writers
The truth is that book publisher's real customers are8. You contacted an agent or publisher that is not
the people who purchase and read books. So yourinterested in your genre
goal as a writer is to demonstrate how you can helpMost likely one of the following is the case:
the publisher reach his or her objectives. In the query1. The agent may not be taking on new clients
letter, you introduce both the specific literary work2. You didn't express yourself well in the letter
you want to sell them, and yourself, your3. The publisher is swamped with submissions and
background and accomplishments.didn't have a chance to reply
There is something unique, fresh, different about4. The agent is rude and threw your letter away
your book5. You contacted an agent or publisher that is not
You are professional: you will be able to deliver theinterested in your genre
manuscript on timeImportant rule:
You are willing to expend effort to market the bookNot hearing a positive response should not be
You have the background, experience to write theinterpreted as REJECTION, of you or your work. It
book you are proposingmay simply mean you are not getting anyone's
It fits in the publisher's area of concentrationattention.
Your book has a large marketDon't give up after the first 10, 20 or even 50
The query letter is very challenging to write: yourejections. In this case persistence is a virtue in how
have to choose every word carefully. Also, yourto get a book published.