R. James Dailey

Ryan James Dailey writes speculative fiction that probes belief, humanity, and the elusive forces shaping our world, blending philosophical depth with wonder.

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Querying the Path to Traditional Publishing

If the AWP convention had a panel specifically dedicated to querying I missed it. But my first interaction with another writer at AWP26 was the inciting incident of all that comes now. While riding the escalator down to the main floor my partner for this literary excursion, Lance, started up a conversation that I quickly appropriated. MJ Huntsgood, who I later found out was the queen of rejection in the world of literary submission, put me on the spot and asked me what my current project was about, appropriately asking for an escalator pitch. I had nothing. What was my story really about? What parts should I focus on?

It wasn’t only an elevator pitch I was missing. All through the convention this a theme appeared. And keep in mind, AWP is more literary than mainstream. I didn’t know those were even things until then. I had a lot to learn. I learned I have to be able to describe my work succinctly in a short span of time. And while there is no replacement for a well written book, in the current mainstream market you must learn the fine art of the query letter.

Querying, the path to traditional publishing.

I’m new to the query letter battlefield but I’ve collected some notes and am relating them here so we can go on this quest of development together.

So far as I understand the query letter there are 4 essential parts. The greeting and departing lines are self explanatory and wont necessitate the level of care and attention that the others will. The query letter in total should be between 200-400 words by the time we’re done.

    1. The blurb:
      • Your work’s title.
      • The genre and age category.
        • Your genre tells the agent which editors they can approach with your manuscript.
        • Try to stick with one genre, sub-genres are okay but must exist.
        • Shoot for a single sentence.
        • The genres you should choose from are:
          • Action/Adventure
          • Book Club
          • Chick Lit
          • Commercial
          • Contemporary 
          • Crime/Police
          • Erotica
          • Family Saga
          • Fantasy
          • General Fiction
          • Gothic
          • Graphic Novel
          • Historical
          • Horror
          • Humor/Satire
          • LGBTQ+
          • Literary Fiction
          • Military/Espionage 
          • Multicultural
          • Mystery
          • Offbeat/Quirky
          • Poetry 
          • Religious/Inspirational 
          • Romance
          • Science Fiction
          • Short Story Collections 
          • Speculative
          • Thrillers/Suspense 
          • Upmarket
          • Western 
          • Women’s Fiction
        • The age categories you have to choose from are:
          • Adult
          • Young Adult
          • Middle-Grade
          • Childrens
      • Word count rounded to the nearest 1k.
    2. Description:
      • Should be 150-300 words and 3-4 paragraphs.
        • Paragraph 1:
          • Introduce the protagonist. What is their name and age?
          • What is the setting?
          • What is the setup?
        • Paragraph 2:
          • Describe the inciting incident.
        • Paragraph 3:
          • Describe the ensuing conflict.
            • What does the protagonist stand to gain/lose?
      • Cliff hangers are good. Don’t spoil the ending. You only need to cover the first quarter of your book.
      • Theoretically this part will read like the back of a comparable title. Use these to inform your description.
      • Remember to write your description in the same tone as your novel. If there is a light-hearted tone, include that.
    3. Comparable titles:
      • Choose comps that have come out within the last 5 years.
      • Find comps that sell well and read them.
      • Choose traditionally published comps.
      • Your comps need to be in the same genre and age category.
      • Relevant TV and movies are reliable, but don’t neglect written works.
    4. Your author bio:
      • Relevant writing credentials.
      • Previous publications.
      • Relevant education.
      • Affiliations.
      • Awards.
      • Conventions/Workshops.
      • Where you live.
      • What you do for a living.
      • Keep it to 1-5 sentences.

    A few additional notes when it comes to building a great query letter:
    Learn and follow specific agent instructions. Don’t focus on personalization, but if it is requested, it is best to honor the request.
    When it comes to personalization ask yourself why you are querying this specific agent. If you know about or are passionate about a specific agent it is appropriate to dedicate a short paragraph before your blurb about how you would be a good fit.

    For lack of having my own query ironed out I will leave you with links to some examples, and you can also read successful queries on QueryTracker.

    Reddit user timmy_ks:
    “Dear AGENT,

    Elsie was never fond of regular paintings. She is, however, very fond of limnings—paintings that have come alive. As a custodian in a gallery for limnings, she watches over fantastical creatures and sentient portraits. One of them, especially, has captured Elsie’s interest and maybe her heart: Theodore Quill, an enigmatic aristocrat who hides within his paintings from all but Elsie.

    When robbers raid the gallery, Elsie can’t bear the thought of Theo’s portrait being stolen, so she does something with questionable legality. Something only a limner—a painter of magical paintings—can do. Elsie reaches into the painting and frees him.

    But Theo is no painting, and he never was. Over a century ago, he became trapped within a limning, rendering him a mere spectator of the real world. Now stranded in 1899, Theo has no home to return to, and Elsie welcomes him into the house she shares with her grandmother, hiding Theo’s true origin. Even from herself. For the truth would make her the one thing her grandmother despises: a limner.

    Lies about Theo’s background and Elsie’s newfound ability pile up until the truth ultimately spills out. Feeling shunned by her only family, Elsie joins Theo on his search for remnants of his past. But she discovers more than she bargained for. The corrupt gallery owner has taken an interest in Elsie’s ability; Theo’s entrapment wasn’t entirely accidental, and he’s keeping a fatal secret. Theo is dying. Elsie must race against the clock—evading the gallery owner’s notice—to save the man she’s fallen for or lose him forever.

    THE PORTRAIT OF THEODORE QUILL is an 83,000-word adult romantic fantasy standalone about a tragic love story set in the late Victorian era. It will appeal to fans of the melancholic and bittersweet ending of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, the historical setting of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, and the tragic whirlwind romance of Titanic.“

    This amazing sample by Monika Kim:

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