How to Write the Query Meat
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
So, you've finally written that novel you've been working on for months (or even years). Now that your project is complete, or the best that you can get it, after drafting and revising, you're probably itching to get it out into the world. But before you can land a book deal, you'll need to convince a literary agent and traditional publisher to take a chance on you. And the key to doing so? A killer query letter.
At the heart of any good query letter is what I like to call the "query meat." This is the part of your letter where you'll pitch your story and hook your reader. Crafting the perfect query meat is no easy task, but with a bit of know-how and a whole lot of determination, you can do it.
What Is the Query Meat?
What exactly is query meat? Simply put, it's the most important part of your query letter, where you spend between one and three paragraphs pitching the main substance of your narrative. This is where you'll introduce your story, pitch your plot arc and character arc, and hopefully intrigue the reader enough to want to see more. Essentially, the query meat is the part of your letter that acts as a stand-in for your entire novel. It needs to be compelling, concise, and well-written.
So, what goes into writing the perfect query meat? There are a few key ingredients. First and foremost, you'll need a strong book hook or logline. This is the opening sentence or two of your query meat, and it needs to grab the reader's attention right away. Think of it as the elevator pitch for your book idea—you want to sum up the main idea in a way that's both intriguing and concise.
But a hook alone isn't enough—you'll also need to introduce your characters and setting (especially if you’re writing fantasy, science fiction, or another genre that needs a lot of worldbuilding), and give a sense of the major plot points, including possibly the inciting incident and the story climax. Keep in mind that you don't need to give away every detail of the story here—rather, you want to give a sense of the overall tone, writing style, and themes.
Identifying Sales Hooks
When it comes to the actual writing of your query meat, there are a few different options. Some writers choose to write in a more casual, conversational tone, while others opt for a more formal approach or attempt to use humor and writing voice. There's no right or wrong way to do it—it's more about finding a style that feels authentic to you and matches your project. In terms of anything gimmicky, try to aim for “less is more.” You don’t want to distract from the book idea you’re pitching.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that you'll want to strike a balance between providing enough detail to pique the reader's interest, without overwhelming them with information. You'll also want to avoid cliches and overused tropes—unless, of course, you’re writing a romance novel, or working in another category that relies on tropes. Remember, literary agents and traditional publishers are reading dozens (if not hundreds) of query letters every day, so you want yours to stand out.
Finally, it's important to combine a sense of your character and plot in your query meat. While it may be tempting to focus solely on the plot of your story, keep in mind that readers connect more strongly with your protagonist than they will with a plot point. So, in addition to giving a brief overview of your narrative arc, be sure to introduce your main character and convey a sense of their personality, objective, and motivation.
Crafting the perfect query is no easy task, but with some careful thought and planning, you can create a letter that stands out from the rest. Remember, the key is to be both concise and compelling—focus on the most important parts of your story, and try to convey a strong sense of your writing style and tone. You’ll also want to establish your genre, target audience, novel word count, and any comp titles that you want to use, as well as include a short author bio.
And if your first attempt doesn't get the results you're hoping for in the slush pile, don't be discouraged. Query letters (and the publishing industry as a whole) are notoriously subjective, and what works for one agent may not work for another. Keep refining your letter, and keep pushing forward, even if you encounter writing rejection. With enough determination and hard work, you'll improve your writing craft and get your pitch across the finish line.
Click here to purchase Successful Query Letters, my book on query letters, including over forty examples with comprehensive notes on each one. There’s a ton of submission advice, best practices, and insider information in these pages, and you’ll really enjoy seeing what other writers are doing in the slush.