The Query and the Hook
A query letter may be the most important thing you'll write, so make certain it is your best writing. After all, it's your initial contact and amounts to the first impression you are making on an editor or agent. Whether you'll be asked to send your book proposal, manuscript, or essay or be given an assignment depends upon the effectiveness of your query.
Because editors, agents, and publishers receive hundreds of queries a week, they don't read every one from beginning to end. If their interest is not piqued by the end of the first paragraph, they are not likely to read on. Therefore, the most crucial portion of the query is the first few sentences, sometimes referred to as the “hook” because this is where you “hook” the reader in. Other elements of a good query are:
Be concise and compelling. The query can be single spaced but only one page.
Tell why your work should be published and why it will attract readers or interest the current readers of the publication.
Summarize your project in a paragraph or two.
Explain why you are the one to write it. Discuss your expertise and other qualifications.
The tone of the query should reflect the tone of your work.
Indicate how long your project is and when you predict you can have it complete.
