Comments on: The Successful Query Letter: Exhibit A http://www.dystel.com/blog/2014/04/the-successful-query-letter-exhibit-a/ Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:15:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.15 By: stephen seager http://www.dystel.com/blog/2014/04/the-successful-query-letter-exhibit-a/comment-page-1/#comment-37875 Tue, 08 Apr 2014 22:28:58 +0000 http://www.dystel.com/?p=10097#comment-37875 A great query letter indeed. But, of note as well, is the terse, economical and elegant style of Jessica’s comments. From experience I can say what a joy it is to get a thoughtful, well-written, stylish letter from an agent. Two fine examples of excellent writing. And I’m thinking of lentils…

]]> By: sharon http://www.dystel.com/blog/2014/04/the-successful-query-letter-exhibit-a/comment-page-1/#comment-37861 Fri, 04 Apr 2014 13:42:13 +0000 http://www.dystel.com/?p=10097#comment-37861 Jumping in to say that, though I may be in the minority, lentils definitely DO make ME swoon! Can’t wait to read this one.

]]> By: DGLM http://www.dystel.com/blog/2014/04/the-successful-query-letter-exhibit-a/comment-page-1/#comment-37860 Fri, 04 Apr 2014 12:56:23 +0000 http://www.dystel.com/?p=10097#comment-37860 Hi Bill and Lynn,

You both point out something important here. Queries are WILDLY subjective. Especially in the subject driven world of nonfiction, picking the right agent is crucial. For example, I have limited expertise in books on sport, so I’m not sure how able I would be to recognize something fresh. I would not say categorically that lentils make me swoon, but the idea that they could was intriguing. A query letter is only effective in as much as the manuscript bears out the proposal of the pitch.

This book straddles food politics, narrative science, and economics in a very lively and engaging way–and those are all subjects that interest me. Thanks for your input, and Lynn, I promise to better at interacting!

Jessica

]]> By: Lynn http://www.dystel.com/blog/2014/04/the-successful-query-letter-exhibit-a/comment-page-1/#comment-37858 Fri, 04 Apr 2014 11:31:38 +0000 http://www.dystel.com/?p=10097#comment-37858 I have to admit, Bill, lentils do not have me swooning with excitement either, but I do believe Liz had a point. Her sentence, “My book is the first to chronicle farmers who are changing our food system….” is her point.

This is also a great example of doing your homework and targeting the right agent. Jessica’s interest in health/self-help, e.g., healthy eating was right for her.

Thank you, Jessica, for your insight in what worked for you in this example. I’ve been refining my query for the past year, as I finish my WIP, and I do have it slightly under 250 words. Still, it’s good to know that there are agents who are not so rigid in wanting that one page query.

I look forward to the fiction query next week!

]]> By: Bill Appleton http://www.dystel.com/blog/2014/04/the-successful-query-letter-exhibit-a/comment-page-1/#comment-37855 Fri, 04 Apr 2014 05:43:04 +0000 http://www.dystel.com/?p=10097#comment-37855 Goes to show what I know. I lost interest at the end of the second paragraph. Didn’t seem that she had any real point to make. Sigh. Guess I’ll keep me day job….

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