How to Write a Query Letter

Query letters are your resume. They are your one chance to impress, hook, entice. We receive a lot of queries from unagented authors (yes, we do accept unsolicited queries at this time), and 99.9% of them aren't good enough.

So what is a query letter? A query letter consists of the following things:

1. An introduction
2. A pitch paragraph (or two)
3. Information about your book

So, let's start. The introduction.

The key here, for us, is personalisation. Research who you are querying (and make sure they actually accept the genre you are querying them with), and personalise your query. If you don't like receiving letters that begin "Dear Whoever you are", then do not address your query in any of the following ways:

Dear Sir
Dear Editor
Dear Ma'am
Dear Scorpcorp Publishing

Know who you are writing to. Know who you are pitching to. Show that you have done your homework. Mention the reason you are querying. Name your book.

Next, the pitch paragraph. The meat. You want to present your novel in between one and three paragraphs. A good formula is introduction of main character and quest + problem/conflict. These are the bare bones. Remember, this is a pitch, not a synopsis. Your aim is not to summarise. Your aim is to get us to read more. To intrigue us.

Finally, the relevant information (word count, genre, relevant experience/credentials).

It's as simple as that.

Tips: Read your query letter. Read it again. Read it out loud. Proof it. Make it as spotless as your manuscript should be. For a writer to make a grammar or spelling mistake in a query letter is an immediate red light for any agent or editor reading it.

Common faux pas:
(I have put together a fictional (although not too far off from reality) query letter containing all of the mistakes we see on a regular basis)



Dear Editor,


I am writing you to about my book, FOREVER BLUE, a contemporary romance novel. [Note, we don't accept romance manuscripts] When complete, it should total 100,000 words approximately. [Always query with a finished manuscript (unless submitting a non-fiction proposal). Finished and polished to a high shine.]

Mary is a lonely widow, grieving for the loss of her sweetheart, who was killed in the second great war. She spends her days pining for him down at the lake of sorrows, where they first met.


One day she meets a travelling man and an unlikely romance begins. [Notice how vague and boring this sounds? Would this intrigue you?]

I have shown my book to all my friends and they love it and say they would buy it. [Um, okay.] I would like very much to know how much of an advance I can expect, and how long the book takes to be published. I have had ideas for a comic book too, which I think could do very well in Asia. [Yes, we really have received quite a few query letters in this vein.]

I can be reached at *telephone number* [No.]

Cheers, [Later, mate.]
Deanna Myers [Note, this name is fake]


Good luck with all your queries, guys!

Welcome to Scorpcorp Publishing's Blog!

A warm welcome to all writers, agented or otherwise. Here you will find a wide range of tips and tricks for snagging that elusive agent or book deal.

Writing is a craft, and a lot of our posts are going to center around writing professionally, whether it is fiction or non-fiction, tools for improving your craft, how to perfect query letters and make that important first impression, structure of the novel, research, networking, conferences, etc.

We are an independent publishing house specializing in literary and commercial fiction of high quality, narrative non-fiction (predominantly academic and business orientated), as well as intriguing memoirs and survival stories.

We welcome all submissions, but please visit our submissions page before you query.

We hope you enjoy our blog, and that you find success with your writing.