Discover more from Writing Rampant
My Query Letter
I’ve been querying agents the past few weeks. inside the databases I have access to, I’ve sorted them by response rate and started there, rather than doing them alphabetically or some other method of sorting. I’d rather here a ‘no’ rather than nothing for months on end.
Here is my query letter:
Mr/Ms/Mx AGENT,
Thank you for taking the time to review my query!
Warrior of the Dusk an adult fantasy, with a touch of horror and mystery elements, and a smidge of romance. I love speculative fiction and find inspiration in classic, female speculative voices, such as T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon, Anne McCaffery, and Diana Wynne Jones.
Warrior begins with the Choosing of a young woman to serve the Goddess Kotris, Lady of Death and Demons. She is now a Veil, destined to guide the dead across the Dusk, the realm of demons, or vyddos. She must now renounce all living ties, including her family and her betrothed.
Rhoden is a soldier serving Adros, God of Justice. He is assigned to aid the Veils of Auna City. Veils are being kidnapped and the priestess fears they will be used to summon and control demons. As he and Veil Brionne question both human and vyddos, they find evidence that this kidnapper is performing necromancy, stealing the souls of animals and humans alike, and using them to reanimate the dead.
The necromancer is merciless and driven by a passion neither can understand, but will sacrifice anything to stop, including their own lives.
Warrior of the Dusk is complete at 60,000 words. I intended for it to be a standalone novel, but as with most good things, cannot bring myself to give up Rhoden and Brionne quite yet. I can see this expanding into more stories exploring this world of demons and gods.
I have a self-published science fiction novel, Archer 887, which was a 2022 Indies Today Awards Contest Finalist. In the distant past (before kids and career changes), I won an Honorable Mention in the 2012 Writer's Digest Short Story Competition in the Romance category. I post both short and long-form fiction on my Substack, Writing Rampant. I also write a non-fiction Substack, This Is My Nurse Face.
Thank you again,
Anna Schroeder
Email: anna@annaschroederwrites.com
Links: https://linktr.ee/annaschroederwrites
Query letter basics include:
brief synopsis of the plot, including main characters and the main conflict.
information about genre, length, and if this is part of a longer series
any professional merits you have, like degrees, awards, etc.
any other platform information, like a thriving IG account or writing business
your contact and socials.
There are as many ways to structure this information as there are people giving advice. The reason for this seemingly rigid format is to allow the agent to quickly get a grasp of your writing, your idea, and what sort of project they would be taking on.
I am sure I could improve on this, but if I didn’t send until it was ‘perfect,’ then I would never send it out. And, really, a ‘perfect’ query letter is the one that gets you into the publishing house.
My first book, Archer 887, was a 2022 Indies Today Awards Contest Finalist, and is on sale now through online book retailers. Pick up a copy, leave a review, and let me know what you think!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing. I post original short stories, book reviews, and writing advice, as well as my process as I edit my newest novel (I still can’t think of a title…). I will be querying it for traditional publication; subscribe to follow along as I work through that whole process!
Paid subscribers receive access to my complete, full-length fantasy novel, The Lost Hero, the first in my fantasy series. Once it is through final design production, you can get a free copy, either eBook or print!
Follow me on socials (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest) and never miss a post!
I also write about my work as an RN on my Substack: This Is My Nurse Face. Crazy stories, advice, and vents about inpatient nursing. Blood, guts, snort laughing: all the best things.
Thanks for reading!