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Writing and Publishing, Part 59:
Becoming your own publisher:
A Query Letter:
Last week I promised to discuss what I believe to be a good Query
letter. To be sure, this essay is out of place. It should be way
back in the writing part of this series. At that time I did not
have an example of a good query letter. Here is the first one
I have ever received. I receive lots of the other kind. I have
not change this letter except to replace identifying information
with generic. Because it came in an e-mail, I also had to reformat
it.
Dear Submissions Editor,
I write to you today to ask if you would consider my new novel
for publication. The (Name of book) is a contemporary, mainstream
fictional work that explores the personal growth of a troubled
physician while exposing the inner workings of a medical practice
and a health maintenance organization.
(Lead Character), a chemically impaired physician, is given one
last chance to salvage his career by establishing a remote, rural
practice. Vowing as a youth to never return to a small town, Dr.
(Lead Character) is placed into a situation where he must face
his past failings, his disrupted relationship with his father,
and fight his addictions. The main character's life is changed
as he deals with managed care's influence over his patient's health
care, and he helps a loved one cope with breast cancer.
This book which has approximately 137,000 words has wide appeal.
The two leading female roles are strong and have their own obstacles
to overcome. Managed Care's influence on health care delivery
and breast cancer are two topics which affect both men and women.
In this book I have blended realistic medical situations with
humor and small town charm to create an endearing story.
As a practicing physician, I have the experience necessary to
write realistically about these topics. I have served as a clinic
administrator, been on care oversight committees, and also serve
on the board of directors of a major health maintenance organization.
I have enclosed my CV for your reference.
I have enclosed a synopsis of (Name of book) and would be delighted
to send you the entire manuscript at your request. I thank you
for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
(Author), M.D., Ph.D., MBA
First, notice what is in this query. We have a very brief overview of the story which did not weary me to read. In that he gives me the general plot of an addicted doctor coping with his problems. Notice also that he offers his theme, an insider's critique of the managed care industry. Next we have the author's qualifications for addressing the issues of the story. He seems to be eminently qualified to write about things medical. We can also notice that the author thinks it is a very good marketable story. I would not want to try to work with someone who did not think that about his work. In this case, it comes over as confidence rather than bluster.
The other point to notice is that the author is articulate. He is not careless. He took the time to present himself well. Carelessness is my biggest complaint about the queries I receive. It would cause me to reject a query out of hand even if I were looking for material. If your query is carelessly written, why would I want to look at your manuscript? These are just simple things.
Now, notice what is not here. This whole thing took less than a minute to download with my 56K modem. There is no long winded synopsis or outline of the story. The author has attached a brief synopsis if I want to look at it. The key is that it is brief. If you want to really tick off an editor, assume he has broadband and dump you whole manuscript down on him. That has happened to me many times. Some of them take ten to fifteen minutes to download. I assure you, that does not endear the author to me.
Another thing to point out here is that I have not said that this is a good book. I don't know if it is or not. To learn that, I would have to read a few chapters. Since I do not have the resources to publish someone else's books, I did not ask for the manuscript. However, If I were looking for a book to publish, I would have. This person is articulate and thoughtful. He may well be a fine author. If so, I hope he finds a publisher. If he doesn't, I hope he becomes a publisher.
One last point. There may be other editors who would disagree with my evaluation of this query. An interesting thing about this business is just that diversity. The point is, if you don't like my verdict, just like in medicine, get another opinion.
Next time, I will pick up some loose ends. These are things
which I forgot to include in the appropriate place or which are
too short for an entire essay.
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