After
you write a novel with an engaging storyline, your next job is to compose a
well-formatted query letter to a potential literary agent. In this case, your
query letter is the representation of a fiction manuscript. To ensure that your query letter is
written in the right format and structure, you have to follow a few important
guidelines.
Break
the letter into three most crucial paragraphs following four criteria. First,
you begin the letter with your contact details, i.e., your full name, phone
number, address and email on the top left-hand corner of the page. Then, you
start with the first paragraph where you put the crux of the story of the novel
in three or four sentences (approximately 100 words). The idea is to intimate
the agent what your book is all about and what is most unique about it.
The
second paragraph offers an in-depth glimpse of what is inside the book, i.e.,
the length, title and genre. This paragraph is composed of an approximate 300
words and includes a mini-synopsis of the book. Undoubtedly, the last paragraph
says it all about it, viz., your educational highlights, and your publishing
credit, awards that you have won pertaining to your writing and lastly, mention
why you deserve to be chosen by the agent.