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Writing a query letter can be one of the most daunting aspect of the writing process for some writers. At BubbleCow we help writers to prepare query letters on a daily basis.

Here are three tips that we know will help you to write a better query letter:

A query letter is a sales document – The query letter is the first chance you get to sell your work. It is for this reason that you must give the publisher no chance to reject your manuscript before it has even been read. It can take years to write a book so the query letter is worth at least a couple of days of your time. However, you must ensure the letter is concise, relevant and mistake free. But above all else it must convince the publisher that it will make a saleable product.

You are selling a product not a story – It is essential that your query letter clearly outlines your intended market, as well as similar titles. This does two things. The first is to give the publisher a hint as to whether your book will fit into their marketing and distribution network. The second is to show that you, as a writer, have a clear understanding of the market for whom you are writing.

You are selling you – In the age of high tech, internet driven marketing the writer is almost as important as the book. In your query letter you need to highlight all the hard work you have been doing on building your writing platform (if you have 10,000 twitter followers then don’t keep it a secret!). Also the marketing department are going to be looking for a hook on which to hang their marketing plan. If you are a sky diving vicar or motorbike riding granny then say so up front. It all can help.