A couple of weeks ago I blogged on what we at Intrigue Publishing want to see in a query letter. I have since been reminded that I bypassed some basics. I’ll now try to fill in the spaces.soso
You need to include the genre of your work in the query letter. We want to know who your target audience is, and to be sure you’ve written something in a genre we publish (which of course is stated clearly in our submission guidelines.
We also need to know the word count, so we know your book fits with the expectations of your genre’s readers. Don’t send us a Young Adult novel that’s 50,000 words. It’s too short for the genre. We might consider one that’s 60,000 words, but a mystery or thriller needs to be 80,000 to 100,000. And it’s awkward when the word count isn’t rounded up or down. Take it to the nearest thousand words.
Also, avoid confusing us in the letter. If your novel contains a lot of elements just tells us about the ones that relate to the primary conflict or the book’s dramatic question. Also, tell us if the book is told from multiple points of view. We want to know who’s story it is.
Finally, remember that not even a perfect query letter guarantees acceptance. If a publisher rejects your work, that just means it’s time to submit to someone else.