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Query Letter: Do I really have to
write one?
by Patrice Michelle
| Why do I have to learn to write a query letter? My writing alone will sell
my book, right? Eventually your writing may sell your book, but you have to
get to that point first. And how do you get to the point where the editor requests
to see a partial of your manuscript? You write the best query letter you can.
The query letter is the editor's very first glimpse into you as a writer.
If you write the query letter well, it tells the editor two things: you've
studied the industry and you know how to grab her attention in just a few short
paragraphs.
See below for the query letter for my book A TASTE FOR PASSION
January 22, 2003
Ms. Martha Punches
Elloras Cave Publishing
Dear Ms. Punches:
I've always read every bit of sensual romance I could get my hands on
and have found that my taste in reading reflects in my writing as well. MaryJanice
Davidson has reviewed my work and recommended I submit to you, as she feels my
manuscript would be a good fit. Per your guidelines, enclosed please find the
first four chapters as well as a synopsis of my 35,000 word erotic vampire romance,
A TASTE FOR PASSION.
We all know our senses can bring a vivid memory slamming back. The afternoon
sun shining through the window, reminding you of a memory from childhood; an old
song playing on the radio, bringing back a certain time period in your life. But
can your senses also elicit desire?
They can if you're a vampire. Lucian Trevane knows more than anyone how
much his heightened senses can make him feel desire, because that's exactly
how he reacts when he finally finds the woman who has purchased his ring-a
ring his fiancé wore before her death seventy years ago. Lucian knows only
his reincarnated fiancé would be attracted to the scent the ring emanates.
And although the ring's new owner, Rana Sterling, may respond to his lovemaking,
she is proving resistant to becoming his wife. Even though the vampires need his
leadership, Lucian insists he won't take the Vité position without
his mate by his side.
Rana Sterling misses her vivacious grandfather-a man who'd lived
his life to the fullest and encouraged her to do the same. Even though she tries
to discourage Lucian's advances, he haunts her dreams until she succumbs
to his seductive lure. When Rana finds out Lucian is a vampire, she runs from
him and is hit by a car. Rana isn't prepared for the turn of events that occur
after the accident, but divine intervention and circumstances throw Lucian and
she together again. In an intimate setting where danger and sexual desire abound,
will she be able to resist his magnetic charm without becoming a creature of the
night?
I'm a member in good standing of the RWA. My writing credits include
an eHarlequin Blaze Writing Round Robin, and I recently sold a short story to
Affair de Coeur magazine. As above, I am sending my first four chapters and synopsis
for your review. The full manuscript is available upon request. Thank you for
taking the time to consider my work. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Patrice Michelle
So how do you write a great query letter? What are the key elements? Let's
break them down in just a few simple but very important pieces.
1) Make sure you address the correct editor. Call the publishing house if you
need to. There is no excuse to sending a query letter to the wrong editor. It
speaks volumes to the editor if you didn't take the time to get it right.
2) If you have a connection to the editor, mention it in your first paragraph.
Relationships won't sell your book, but they can differentiate you. For
instance, I had a connection with an established writer, so I used that. You might
have met the editor at a local conference. That would be worth mentioning in this
paragraph. This is also the place to discuss the length of your book and if you're
sending a partial along with the query letter.
Here's the introduction paragraph in my query letter for A TASTE FOR
PASSION
I've always read every bit of sensual romance I could get my hands on
and have found that my taste in reading reflects in my writing as well. MaryJanice
Davidson has reviewed my work and recommended I submit to you, as she feels my
manuscript would be a good fit. Per your guidelines, enclosed please find the
first four chapters as well as a synopsis of my 35,000 word erotic vampire romance,
A TASTE FOR PASSION.
3) Always start your letter with a great opening hook. A hook is a sentence or
two that basically grabs the editor's attention and makes her want to read
more. You've only got those first few sentences to draw her in and keep
her attention. Sometimes editors stop reading after the first three sentences
so make the most of them!
A hook can be a question, a statement that elicits emotion, or an action...anything
that jumps up and grabs the editor's attention.
Here's my 'hook' opening in my query letter for A TASTE
FOR PASSION.
We all know our senses can bring a vivid memory slamming back. The afternoon
sun shining through the window, reminding you of a memory from childhood; an old
song playing on the radio, bringing back a certain time period in your life. But
can your senses also elicit desire?
4) Did that opening paragraph make you want to read more? That's the
whole point, so let's move on to the next part of your query letter. This
main section can really be broken into two pieces. First, introduce your hero
or heroine, whichever you prefer first. In doing so, speak briefly about his/her
internal conflict. Be sure to tie this paragraph into your opening hook.
Here is my hero Lucian's introduction.
They can if you're a vampire. Lucian Trevane knows more than anyone
how much his heightened senses can make him feel desire, because that's
exactly how he reacts when he finally finds the woman who has purchased his ring-a
ring his fiancé wore before her death seventy years ago. Lucian knows only
his reincarnated fiancé would be attracted to the scent the ring emanates.
And although the ring's new owner, Rana Sterling, may respond to his lovemaking,
she is proving resistant to becoming his wife. Even though the vampires need his
leadership, Lucian insists he won't take the Vité position without
his mate by his side.
Second, introduce the other main character along with his or her internal conflict.
Also, be sure to weave in the external conflict that is keeping your hero and
heroine apart.
Here is my heroine Rana's introduction along with the external conflict.
Rana Sterling misses her vivacious grandfather-a man who'd lived
his life to the fullest and encouraged her to do the same. Even though she tries
to discourage Lucian's advances, he haunts her dreams until she succumbs
to his magnetic lure. When Rana finds out Lucian is a vampire, she runs from him
and is hit by a car. Rana isn't prepared for the turn of events that occur after
the accident, but divine intervention and circumstances throw Lucian and she together
again. In an intimate setting where danger and sexual desire abound, will she
be able to resist his seductive charm without becoming a creature of the night
herself?
5) Your closing paragraph should include any writing credentials you have,
or if you don't have any published writing credentials, then put in any
Romance Writers of America writing contests where you have placed. Secondly, include
any writing organizations you belong to. This shows the editor how serious you
are about your writing career, ie that you've joined organizations to learn
the industry and to be up to speed on the latest trends.
Here is my closing paragraph for my A TASTE FOR PASSION query letter.
I'm a member in good standing of the RWA. My writing credits include
an eHarlequin Blaze Writing Round Robin and I recently sold a short story to Affair
de Coeur magazine. As above, I am sending my first four chapters and synopsis
for your review. The full manuscript is available upon request. Thank you for
taking the time to consider my work. I look forward to hearing from you.
6) Finally, and this is critical, always make your query letter one page and
no longer.
I hope you found this essay Query Letter: Do I really have to write one?
helpful. I'll be writing a follow up essay entitled Synopsis: Can't
I just send my book? in the future.
Copyright © 2002 -2006 by Patrice Michelle. All rights reserved.
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~~~
Synopsis: Can't I just send my book?
by Patrice Michelle
|
NOTE: This article is a follow up to my first
article, "Query Letter? Do I Really Have to Write
One?"
So now you've written the query letter. Then what?
You can't stop there. You still need to write a synopsis for your
novel. I'll bet you're wondering: Why do I have to write a synopsis?
Why can't I just send in my whole novel?
A synopsis is a
written summarization that gives all the major plot points of your
book in the most succinct format possible. The reason you need to
know how to write a synopsis is the same reason you needed to write
a query letter. You need to be able to write an attention grabbing
document that gives pertinent information about your novel without
overloading the editor. Remember, editors receive hundreds of these.
Therefore, you need to do the best you can to make your book's
synopsis stand out in the crowd. A tall order, eh? Not if you can
break the synopsis down into several key elements.
When
preparing to write your synopsis, keep these few points in
mind:
DO
· Your best to 'tell'
and not 'show' in your synopsis. This may seem counter intuitive,
but the synopsis is a summary. You summarize by telling, but you
have to make it interesting, using the language of the characters
and the tone of the story.
· Write your synopsis in present
tense. By doing so, you bring the reader closer to your
characters.
· Make sure you use an opening 'hook' to draw the
editor in and keep that momentum and pace throughout your synopsis.
· Include 'setting' key points: time, place, world,
etc.
DON'T
· Just as you would
avoid clichés in your novel, don't include them in your
synopsis
· Avoid unnecessary detail. It bogs down the pace of
your synopsis and unless it's absolutely necessary the editor needs
to know the hero's eye color, leave it out.
· Keep key points
hidden or end your synopsis with a cliff hanger in hopes the editor
will want the rest. The editor has to know how the story follows
through to its completion. That's the whole point of a
synopsis.
Now that you understand the basics of what to
include and what to avoid in your synopsis, let's break the synopsis
down into its key elements. There are basically eight key elements
that are needed for a thorough synopsis.
Synopsis Outline:
1)
Introduction/opening hook
2) Internal conflict
3) First
Meeting
4) External conflict
5) Intimate Moment(s)
6) Black
Moment
7) Resolution
8) HEA (a.k.a. Happy Ever
After)
I have taken those eight basic key elements
and further broken them down in an outline for you to follow; these
key elements will help you to outline plot, character growth, and
the all-important development of the romance. Think of it as a guide
to keep you on track as you're writing your synopsis.
1) Introduction/opening hook: Start with a
story question that hooks the editor! You can even use the opening
line from your book if it's short and catchy. (This 'hook' is
critical - it sets the tone for the rest of your synopsis)
2) Internal
conflict:
2a) Introduce the heroine (and her internal
conflict)
2b) Introduce the hero (and his internal
conflict)
3) First Meeting : Show what brings
the H/h together
4) External conflict : Show
what's keeping them apart and/or why they are so wrong for each
other
4a)
Show the H/h having to work
together
4b) Show
the H/h being pulled part (a.k.a. the external
conflict)
(note: Steps 4a&4b
are what you'll repeat a few times for a longer novel
synopsis)
5) Intimate Moment(s): Show the H/h
finally getting together (first intimate moment, sexually, etc)
6) Black Moment: Show the H/h being pulled
apart, ie, it'll never work out between them
7)
Resolution: Show how the H/h resolve their black moment
issues
8) HEA - Wrap up your story with a Happy
Ever After
Below I've included my synopsis for A TASTE FOR
PASSION and I've labeled it with the outline descriptions beside the
appropriate paragraphs.
A Taste For Passion ~
Synopsis
by Patrice Michelle
"When all logic fails, trust your senses, Rana, my
girl. Hell, for that matter, trust your senses first,
they'll never let you down." ~ Jack Rodgers (<---1
Attention grabbing opening line, ie The Hook! Here I used
dialogue. You can also use action (a fight scene, a chase
scene) or emotional scene.anything to grab the editor's
attention)
For twenty-eight years, Rana
Sterling had a special bond with her grandfather, Jack, one that
transcended the normal, grandparent-grandchild
relationship. Now that her advisor and confidant has
passed away, Rana has to figure out what her vibrant grandparent
meant by his favorite phrase, "Taste the passion life has to
offer." (<---2a Intro and heroine's IC)
Lucian Trevane has spent the last seventy
years looking for the reincarnation of his fiancé, who was killed in
a riding accident. Now he's faced with a decision to
become Vité, leader of the vampires-a position that has been vacant
too long, allowing vampires to run rampant, killing at
will. Lucian's aware the vampires desperately need his
leadership, but he knows he can't take the position without his mate
by his side. (<---2b Intro and hero's IC)
When Lucian's sister tells him a human woman
named Rana Sterling bought his ring from her antique shop, he knows
the pieces of his life have finally fallen into place, because only
the reincarnated version of his fiancé would be able to detect the
delicate scent the ring emanates (<---3 What brings
H/h together)
Lucian seeks out Rana and is
shocked to find himself more emotionally drawn, more physically in
tune with this woman, than he'd ever been with his
fiancé. Rana's scent magnifies ten-fold the love and
desire he'd felt seventy years ago.
Rana is totally
enthralled by the man in her bookstore; he seems so achingly
familiar. But her strong attraction to this complete
stranger confuses her. She refuses his dinner offer,
knowing her grandfather's recent death makes her too emotionally
vulnerable to start a relationship, no matter how connected she
feels toward the man. (<---4 What's keeping H/h
apart)
While he woos her during the day,
Lucian visits Rana's dreams at night, seducing her, loving her,
drawing her into the circle of seduction he'd missed every day for
the past seventy years.
Rana finally surrenders to Lucian's
charm and agrees to go dancing with him at his
nightclub. (<----4a Show H/h
together) While dancing to the seductive music, Rana
realizes what Jack meant: Life is too short, enjoy
it. Taste the passion. She plans to make love
with Lucian that night, but before they leave the nightclub,
(5<---Intimate Moment.first decision to be with
Lucian intimately) Rana is attacked by Lucian's rival
for the vampire Vité position. (<---4b
What pulls them apart - ie External Conflict)
Frightened out of her mind when she discovers Lucian is a vampire
during the fight, Rana runs for her life, right into an oncoming
car. (<---6 Black Moment for Heroine)
Now Rana's dead, but The Gatekeeper between
heaven and earth won't let her die. He tells her she must
go back, that she needs to help Lucian decide to take the Vité
position. He explains that Lucian's leadership is
critical to maintain the delicate balance between vampires and
humans. But The Gatekeeper issues a caveat; while on
'borrowed time', she must not let Lucian make her a
vampire. (<----4b Another External
Conflict)
When Lucian almost dies due to his
refusal to feed while trying to protect her, Rana agrees to go back
with him to his home. Once there, she falls into
Lucian's seductive web. They make vivid, passionate love
and Lucian takes Rana's blood in the first steps to making her his
mate. (<---5 Intimate
Moment) While both take delight in this deeply
intimate act, Rana vows to never let Lucian taste her blood
again. She must keep her distance-remain pure for
Lucian's sake.
Lucian doesn't understand Rana's
resistance. He knows she cares for him and is infuriated
when she uses her discovery of his fiancé as an excuse to push him
way. He tells her his fianceé may have been why he sought
her, but Rana is his true mate; no other has been so stubborn or
fired his passion like she does. At the end of their
passionate argument, they make love while in a steamy, hot shower.
(<---5 Intimate Moment)
Rana
promises to become Lucian's mate after the Vité
ceremony. Once Lucian has taken the oath of Vité, Rana
sees The Gatekeeper standing beside him. Before she loses
consciousness, she tells Lucian she loves him. (<---7
Resolving the 'love' issues)
Lucian is beside
himself. He has taken the Vité position and learns Rana
is dying. Alone in their bedroom, he gathers Rana's dying
body in his arms, mourning his loss once
more. (<---6 Black Moment for
Hero)
The Gatekeeper appears in Lucian's
bedroom and tells him Rana died during the car accident-that she
only came back to help him become Vité. He tells Lucian
to make Rana his wife but to remember his promise to keep the
balance between vampires and humans.
With love soaring in
his heart, Lucian takes Rana's blood, making her his vampire wife
and mate for life. (<--- 8
HEA!)
* * * * *
As you can see, there aren't any hard and fast rules
with synopsis writing. For instance, I used the Intimate Moment
several times in my synopsis because I was targeting an erotic
romance publisher. I also included two Black Moments; one from the
hero's point-of-view and one from the heroine's point-of-view, and I
didn't make my synopsis follow the outline steps 1-8 in order.
Instead, I wrote the synopsis the way the story flowed. One way to
write your synopsis to the flow of your story is to consider the
'key point' or 'pivotal moment' of each chapter and let that be your
guide to writing your synopsis.
The ultimate goal in writing
a synopsis is to grab the editor's attention. You do this by
describing your story in the most succinct way possible, yet at the
same time, you touch on all the main plot points/pivotal moments in
your story.
Your well-crafted synopsis can help open the
door for your book, just as it did for mine. A Taste for Passion
sold to Ellora's Cave and became the first book in my award-winning
Kendrian vampire series.
Copyright © 2002 -2006 by Patrice Michelle. All
rights reserved.
~return to
top~ |
~~~
|
Why are we drawn into the vampire world so
easily? What is it about these creatures of the night that
reaches out and grabs our attention, holding us transfixed until we
finish that last page?
The
dark and mystical world of the vampire is built on myths and
folklore. Could it be real? Many stories exist, but what do we
really know for certain? With each new vampire fiction novel
we read, part of the attraction is in discovering what aspects of
this latest new release will follow traditional vampire folklore and
what parts will deviate. The unknown path alone is
intriguing.
Just
how different are vampires from you and me? There are many
types of vampires in fiction today, but one thing does separate them
from us.they aren't human. The why, where, when and how they
became vampires usually differs, but, because vampires are
supernatural, we know when we pick up a novel we can willingly leave
all our inhibitions behind and "fall" into this new vampire
world.
Other
than the sexy bad-boy/different-from-us allure, vampires also offer
many levels of seductive intimacy that aren't readily apparent in
other paranormal creatures.
Let's
get a little bit closer.
Unlike
many other supernatural creatures, the vampire must get close to the
heroine to get what he wants/needs. In most fictional stories,
he's powerful enough to use mental coercion, but what makes him
irresistible is that he enjoys the game of seduction, the dance of
sexy hunter and first time prey. Nothing is more captivating than a
willing participant or a vampire determined to seduce.
Fangs
verra much.
Would
you like a little bit of pain with your pleasure? Not only does the
hero's fangs make him dangerous in a forbidden sort of way, there's
something about the excited anticipation the heroine experiences as
she tilts her head and holds her breath, waiting for his bite that
keeps us turning the pages. She knows intense pleasure will
follow.and so do we.
Will
a pint do ya?
Without
blood pumping through her veins, the heroine would perish, yet she
offers some of her life's-blood to the hero, willingly. For a
hero to take the heroine's blood, he had to have wrapped his arms
around her, inhaled her scent, melted into her warm body.and felt a
deep, connected response from the entire act. So while it's
true the heroine's blood nourishes him, what makes the whole idea
romantic is the fact that the hero discovers her blood satiates him
on a deeper, more intimate level.
Who
couldn't use a good power trip?
There's
nothing quite like having the ability to bring a supernatural being
such as a vampire to his knees. If the knowledge that the hero
needs her blood to survive doesn't intrigue the heroine, the
melt-her-heart realization that "she's" his weakness would be enough
to make most women putty right there on the
spot.
Beyond
the romantic "love" talk, there are a few practical aspects that
make the vampire so appealing.
He-man
powers are all well and good, but older is definitely
wiser.
Not only is the hero supernatural, but, in most
vampire fictional stories, he's either immortal or lives a very,
very long time. Since he's lived for centuries, the hero
should've learned a thing or two about how to please a woman.
Not to mention the fact this very experienced man, who's had many,
many women, has now settled on just one woman.the
heroine. Hmmm, a man who knows how to please us, who won't age
on us and who has eyes for no one but us? Who wouldn't be thrilled
with that!
Vampire
romantic fiction offers many varied storylines, but the factors
described above are often present in each of them.and those
aspects are what make the "lure of the vampire" unique and
irresistible.
Patrice Michelle currently has three books available in
the Kendrian vampire series. A TASTE FOR
PASSION, A TASTE FOR REVENGE and A TASTE FOR CONTROL
are all available in print
.
Copyright © 2005 -2006 by Patrice Michelle. All
rights reserved.
~return to
top~ |
~~~
Why read an anthology?
by Patrice Michelle
|
You've
been looking at the latest new book releases and you see some
anthology books. Maybe you're wondering if you should try one.
If you're like me, you usually go for the longer stories, figuring
that the characterization probably won't be as deep in a novella
length story. But I'd like to offer up few reasons you might
want to give an anthology a try.
Exposure to several new authors
An
anthology is usually comprised of at least three authors' novellas.
You might be familiar
with one author's work, but you've never read anything else by the
other two authors. An anthology is a great way to check out
new authors without investing too much money or reading
time.
A little was great, but more is better
If an
author can really grab your attention in a novella, imagine what he
or she could do in a full length novel where word count wasn't an
issue. In a longer novel, the author will give you
much deeper characterization, a more complicated plotline
and a lot more characters.
Limited reading time
Most
novellas range around one hundred and twenty five pages. In
today's society, where time is precious, a novella may be the
perfect fit for your hectic schedule. You can read one story
and go back to the others when you have another chunk of reading
time.
Something in common
Did you know
that some anthologies include linked stories? Linked is
different from "themed". Some anthologies are "themed" in the
sense that the novellas don't really have anything to do with each
other except they share a similar theme, i.e., all the stories are
paranormal or all the stories are set inIreland,
etc. What do I mean by linked? Linked stories
truly do share a common thread. For instance, in two of the
anthologies I'm in, Cajun Nights and Hearts are Wild, all three
stories in both anthologies have a common thread throughout each
novella. Characters in
each novella have cross-interaction with characters in the other two
novellas. A prologue and epilogue are also included that
ties all three of the stories together. Linking can
help those three novellas mesh, giving the book a full length
novel "feel" all while providing the reader a flavor of
different writing styles and voices.
If
you've never read an anthology, I hope I've offered you some reasons
to consider giving one a try.
Copyright © 2005 -2006 by Patrice Michelle. All
rights reserved.
~return to
top~ |
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