The shape

Paragraph one: title, word count, genre, and one sentence that makes the story impossible not to ask about. Comparison titles belong here if they are recent and honest.

Paragraph two: the book. Who wants what, what stands in the way, and what it costs them to fail. Two hundred words at most, present tense, no subplots.

Paragraph three: you. Publications, expertise that bears on this book, and nothing else. If you have no credits, say nothing about it — silence reads better than apology.

What gets a query deleted

Rhetorical questions as openers. Claiming the book will appeal to everyone. Comparing yourself to the biggest name in the genre. Explaining that you are not a professional writer.

Withholding the ending. An agent is not a reader you must protect from spoilers; they need to know the story resolves.

Before you send it

Read it aloud. Anything you stumble over, an agent skims past.

Send to agents who represent your exact genre and follow each submission page to the letter. One wrong attachment format is a rejection you never see explained.

The order of the work

1. 01Write the hookOne sentence: who wants what, and what will break if they fail.
2. 02Write the bodyTwo hundred words of stakes, present tense, ending with the real resolution.
3. 03Write the bioTwo lines of relevant credentials. No apologies, no filler.
4. 04Score itRun it through the Query Anvil and fix what the anvil marks.
5. 05Target itTen agents who represent your genre, each with their own submission rules followed exactly.

Asked and answered

How long should a query letter be?

Under 350 words of body text, on one page, with no attachments unless asked for.

Should I reveal the ending?

Yes. A query is a business document, not a teaser.

Do I need comparison titles?

They help when they are recent, real and modest. A bad comparison is worse than none.