Review: A Detailed Reference Book on Writing a Query Letter
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 10, 2012
"How to Write a Great Query Letter" by Noah Lukeman is an excellent reference guide for how to write an effective query letter. Lukeman is a long-time literary agent, so he knows what agents want to see in a query letter. He is very detailed about how to properly construct a query letter and he covers all the bases.In the book, Lukeman talks about the importance of preparation by thoroughly researching agents. He discusses the best and worst query letter formatting techniques. Then he breaks apart the query letter paragraph by paragraph and explains key features to include and mistakes to avoid - for both fiction and nonfiction. Lastly, he goes over final issues, including common mistakes writers make with their query letters. The end of the book includes a checklist for writers for when they craft their query letter.Even though I'm a self-published author, I can see how this book is a great resource for new writers interested in seeking an agent or publisher. It is evident, that by following the suggestions in the book, the writer will develop a highly effective query letter that is clear, concise, direct, full of the important traits that agents are looking for, and free of nonessential information. I highly recommend this book to writers to read before they query any agents or publishers.