Make It Sizzle: How to Write a Great Query Letter: Ten Insider Tips to Help You Land a Literary Agent

by Marta Acosta

Grab a literary agent's attention with a query letter that stands out from the slush pile! “Marta took my query from good to incredible. We cut words, switched sentences, and while we made it shorter, it certainly had a greater pull—amounting in seven full requests.” —H.F. “I noticed an immediate difference once I applied Marta's advice, which keys specifically to voice, in my query. In fact, I received three requests promptly with the new changes." —J. M. Blackman Award-winning author Marta Acosta gives you ten practical tips that will dramatically improve your query letter and increase your chances of having literary agents request manuscript submissions. Acosta has had success with agents and publishers contacting her and offering book deals. But she's also been in the slush pile, received the rejections, and knows exactly what it feels like. She knows how to write a query letter that gets results. This guide is the way for her to share her knowledge and give an insider's perspective to anyone who aspires to be published. This guide will show how to target your query to agents who'll be interested; how to avoid wasting your time with the wrong agents; how to refine every section of your query letter; and how to always move forward in your quest for a literary agent. You'll also learn the reasons behind tips, so you can understand how agents and editors think and what they want. You'll also learn how handle the stress of rejection, and not let it keep you from pursuing your goals. PRAISE FOR MARTA ACOSTA'S QUERY LETTER COACHING "Marta gave me a gentle but thorough critique that helped me think about both my query and novel in different ways. Her advice contributed to a query that garnered several partial and full manuscript requests." —Sierra Godfrey “Marta's insider knowledge led me to better understand how to write the best query letter possible. Her guidance was invaluable to me.” —Lori T.

51 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2013

About the author

Marta Acosta lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was a feral reader, roaming the stacks of the public library.

She received a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Stanford University and has written for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Contra Costa Times, and Spaces Magazine.

Marta lives with her husband, spawn, and their crazy dogs. An avid gardener, she likes independent films, funny novels, loud music and lively conversations.

She’s always happy to hear from readers, even the ones who point out typos.

Reviews

[Tez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though my writing days are over, I'm still very much interested in the publishing industry and inside info. And if the insiders are people of whom I've actually heard, all the better.

These 62 pages are short, sharp, and to the point - serious, but still inspiring. Marta Acosta has been with six agents (I only knew about the last three), and she's still standing, thanks to an eye toward the future whilst keeping her backlist available in various formats.

New-to-me information includes some websites I hadn't subscribed to before, as well as permission/encouragement to be "a little flamboyant" in the hook. Maybe it's my Australian wariness of Tall Poppy Syndrome, but that feels awkward. You shouldn't make promises you can't keep - I hate it when publicity says something is "unmissable", "everyone's talking about", etc, because IT'S JUST SO SNARKABLE. (Maybe I've watched too many programme promos on TV...) But to each their own.

Whilst it's a pretty good compilation of advice, it'd be better served by perhaps adding the query letters that enticed her most recent agents - i.e., the manuscripts that sold. They would be true examples of query letters that work.

Also, the author's "completely unmarketable first novel"? I want to know all about it! That's a totally normal response, yes?

[Danielle Rebisz Fifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing particularly new here for writers who have done some research into query letters. But if you're looking for a quick, practical guide that covers all the bases (and is written in Marta's charmingly zany style), then this is an excellent place to start.