5 Things You Need To Do Before Sending Out Your First Query Letter

If you’re reading this because you’ve just finished writing your masterpiece and are ready to pitch it to the literary world, give yourself a big pat on the back. Right now. We’ll wait. 

Finishing your manuscript is a huge accomplishment. Chances are, you have spent hours, months, maybe even years pouring your words out into a story which, in itself, is a tremendous feat. Understandably, you can’t wait to begin pitching it to publishers and literary agents who you know are going to be quick to request that full manuscript. However, the worst thing a writer can do is prematurely pull the query trigger. There are several things you should do before you start pitching your manuscript, and we’re going to cover them here.

1. Edit, Edit, Edit - Sure, you’ve read through your manuscript once. Twice? Of course. Three times? Well… Four? FOUR?! Before sending out so much as a query letter or sample of your work, it’s crucial to make sure your manuscript is as polished and error-free as possible. It’s easy to get hasty and assume that an agent will take weeks or months to respond to your query, but it’s not uncommon to receive a response within minutes of submitting, which is why it’s so important to be prepared. The last thing you want is to get a full manuscript request and submit your work, only to have it be rejected due to too many errors.
   
   
2. Call on Your Beta Readers - No matter how many times you read your own work, there’s always going to be something you missed that a new set of eyes will be able to catch. Having 2-3 people read your book before you begin the querying process will give you an idea of how your book reads to others. If you have avid readers among your friend circle, see if any of them might be interested in reading your book. Also, be sure to keep in mind the genre of your book when you request someone read it. For example, don’t ask your friend who only reads Sci-fi/Fantasy to read your literary thriller. If you’re struggling to find beta readers, consider joining a writer’s group on Facebook.
   
   
3. Write a Full Synopsis - A lot of agents and publishers may request a full synopsis from the writer in addition to a query letter and sample chapters. A full synopsis isn’t the brief, one-paragraph description that you put in your query letter; it’s a full, multi-page summary of your book that tells the story from beginning to end, including the ending (spoilers, please!). This should give the agent or publisher a well-rounded vision of your story. If you’re not sure where to begin, it may help to start with your short synopsis and build from there. For other helpful tips on writing your synopsis, check out How to Write a Killer Synopsis for Your Novel on Writer’s Edit.
   
   
4. Figure Out Your Comp Titles and Target Audience - For all the publishers and agents that accept submissions only through an online platform such as QueryTracker, there is often a section that requests your book’s comp (comparison) titles and your target audience. These are important to figure out prior to beginning the submission process. For comp titles, take a look at books or films similar to yours. Keep in mind that they don’t necessarily have to be similar in plot, but can be similar in voice, narrative, characters, or tone. When narrowing down your target audience, it can help to use your comp titles to figure out who your book might appeal to. For example, if you’re comparing your book to Gone Girl, it may be helpful to say something along the lines of, “My book will appeal primarily to women, ages 26-45, who are fans of Gillian Flynn.”
   
   
5. Draft Your Query Letter - Plan out your query letter before you begin querying, so you can use it as a basis for all your pitches. It may be helpful to send your query letter to your beta readers along with your book and ask them for feedback on that too. That way they’ll be able to tell you if the book lived up to their expectations based on the letter, or where there might be room for improvement. For tips on writing your query letter, check out 7 Tips for Writing the Perfect Query Letter.

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