Friday, August 29, 2008

Queries (not the SQL kind)

I have begun drafting a query letter for Chivalrous. It might need more critique, more edits, more pizazz. I don't know. But I've never been the last to hand in a test, and I like to listen to my first instincts on a lot of things. They're usually right. Re-editing for a long time would be bad--I think I would end up muddying the waters of my story. My first novel may not score me an A, but I'm ready to hand it in anyway, and accept the C (or maybe a B-? I could live with a B-...)

If anyone else is at that stage, you should check out the Query Shark blog written by literary agent Janet Reid. She's been posting query letters, and explaining exactly what she does and doesn't like about them. Don't know that it's really helpful advice, as I can't always predict what she's going to say. But sometimes they're just really really funny. Take this letter. I love it! Then again, I'm a fan of Space Balls and The Naked Gun, and similar satire/comedy. Come to think of it, someone ought to hook Mel Brooks up with that query letter...I think it would be great on the big screen...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good luck with your query!! And thanks for the links. That letter was hysterical.