How to write a query letter to a literary agent

Query letters are the first step to getting a literary agent, so you need to know the best way of writing one. One of the most common questions asked by writers is how to write a query letter to a literary agent.

Here, I’ll explain what a query letter is, how to write one, some tips for formatting a query letter email, and provide both a template and a sample. This is an ideal resource for anyone who’s writing their first query letter.

If you need more information on querying, check out my other blog posts on querying literary agents.

What is a query letter to a literary agent?

A query letter, also known as a submission cover letter, is a way of introducing yourself and your novel to a literary agent. It’s the first thing an agent reads when they receive your submission. It should answer all of the following questions:

• What is your novel about?
• Why do you think this literary agent should be interested in your novel?
• Who are you?

Query letters are your first opportunity to grab a literary agent’s attention, not just with what your novel is about but also with your writing. It’s a showcase of how you write, and even your knowledge of the book industry.

How to write a query to a literary agent

Querying literary agents can be a time-consuming process, and many writers take shortcuts where they shouldn’t. Writing an effective query letter to a literary agent gives you the best chance of impressing them early on.

To write a query letter, you first need to find a literary agent and understand what they’re looking for. Make sure you’re only submitting to agents who are interested in the genre you’re writing in or are looking for writers like yourself.

I recommend creating a query letter template that you can adapt for different agents, filling in extra information as needed. Make sure to answer the questions above. Every literary agent needs to know what your novel is about, why they’re the literary agent to represent it, and who you are.

You can find a query letter sample further down, but here’s a template you could adapt:

Dear [NAME],

I’m writing to you to seek representation for my novel, [TITLE], a [GENRE] novel of [WORD COUNT] words. I saw that your [SOURCE – an agent profile, interview, blog post] mentioned that you’re looking for [SPECIFICS], which I think you’ll find in my novel.

[TITLE] has the [TROPE/TONE] of [COMP TITLE] and the [TROPE/TONE] of [OTHER COMP TITLE], and would appeal to readers of [PUBLISHED AUTHOR].

[HOOK OF YOUR NOVEL – 2 or 3 sentences to hook the agent in and introduce your novel premise.]

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION – relevant information about your novel that gives more of an idea about your novel and its tropes, especially those that the agent is looking for, or its characters.]

[AUTHOR BIO – tell the agent who you are, what your writing experience is, if you’ve been published in magazines or won any competitions. Include relevant information that connects you to your novel.]

I enclose the [EXCERPT – either first 3 chapters or up to a certain word count of the beginning of your novel] and a synopsis for you. I hope you’ll enjoy what you see and I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]

A query letter doesn’t have to be formatted exactly like this, but the template above gives you a starting point. The important elements you need to include are in brackets.

• Novel title, genre, and word count – important information that introduces the agent to your novel. The genre could be ‘romance’ or more specific like ‘urban fantasy’ or ‘cosy mystery’. Your word count should be rounded up to the closest 1000, so a 83,373-word novel would be 84,000 words or ‘approximately 84,000 words’.
• Source – where you found information about what the agent is looking for. Common sources include agent profiles on the agency website, interviews on websites or in magazines, webinars or events they attend or host, blog posts they’ve written, or social media posts from their account.
• Comp titles – ‘comps’ are comparative titles, books that have been published that share similarities with your novel. Common comparisons include tropes and tones, like ‘found family dynamics of’ and ‘dark and foreboding tone of’. You can substitute one comp title for a comparative TV show or movie, but always make sure to have at least one book published in the last 5 years, as this shows you know the market your book fits in. If your writing or potential audience is similar to a prolific author, you can also include the line ‘would appeal to readers of [PUBLISHED AUTHOR]’.
• Hook of your novel – a brief hook of your novel is essential for telling a literary agent what your novel is about. It should convey who the characters are, what the plot is, and any genre-specific details (like location for crime novels or dystopian novels).
• Brief description – you can go into a little more detail about your novel here. For romance novels, you’ll want to introduce your characters more, while in fantasy novels you’ll want to add more details about what the journey of your characters is going to be. Don’t spoil the ending here, but try to draw your agent in so they’re interested in finding out what happens.
• Author bio – an introduction to who you are and why you wrote this novel. If you’ve been published anywhere, such as literary magazines, or been shortlisted for a writing competition, tell them. You should also include why you’re the best writer for this story; if you’re writing an LGBTQ+ novel, it can be good to include your queer identity.
• Excerpt – pay attention to submission guidelines, because some literary agents will ask for the first 3 chapters and others will ask for the first 5,000 or 10,000 words of your novel.

You can find a sample of a query letter further down that uses this template to give you a guide on how to write a query letter for a literary agent.

Query letter email format

The format of your query letter might depend on whether you send it as an email or in a submission form. When it comes to emails, you don’t need to worry too much about formatting. There are some common formatting tips people abide by though.

Generally, the title of your novel should stand out. You can format this in all caps – TITLE OF NOVEL – or in italics – Title of Novel.

Some people also include comp titles in the same format. You could also use the opposite formatting for comp titles so your novel title stands out more – for example: TITLE OF NOVEL and Comp Title.

Short paragraphs are best for readability, so try not to go over 4 sentences per paragraph. You want to be punchy and interesting, not long-winded and rambling.

Finally, always make sure to start and end your query letter well. No literary agent wants to read ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’, or worse ‘Dear Sir/Madam’. Use the first name on their agent profile, or check if they’ve asked you to address them in a particular way. You can choose whether or not to include your surname, but always say thank you.

Literary agent query letter sample

Here’s a literary agent query letter sample using the template above for a dystopian fantasy novel. Use this sample to inspire your own cover letters!

As you can see, the sample answers the questions of what the novel is about, why the literary agent should be interested in it, and who the writer is. It could be improved, by being more relevant to the literary agent and why they’re the best fit, but it’s a good first draft.

To improve the query letter, the writer should ideally get some feedback from other writers. If you don’t know any writers who can do this for you, ask on social media or consider getting feedback on your whole agent query pack.

Check out more tips on writing query letters.