A Good Lesson
If you’re a writer who hasn’t visited Query Shark, then either a) you don’t really want to be published or b) you don’t realize what a great resource this web site is.
Forgive the shameless plug. I don’t know Janet Reid (and I’m sure other people) who read, slaughter, and post poorly written queries. But I wish I did! Not only does she completely obliterate their letters, but she does it with a great sense of humor. Her comments are critical and cruel, but totally honest and dead on.
My manuscript isn’t complete, but I wrote a practice query anyway. If you are writing a book, then you should write a synopsis for a query letter. This little exercise was so, so valuable! I compared my query against the good ones posted on her blog. It helped me identify which plot points needed to be strengthened and where the writing could be tighter.
So, thank you Query Shark! I look forward to being shredded to bloody bits when I’m ready to query.
Forgive the shameless plug. I don’t know Janet Reid (and I’m sure other people) who read, slaughter, and post poorly written queries. But I wish I did! Not only does she completely obliterate their letters, but she does it with a great sense of humor. Her comments are critical and cruel, but totally honest and dead on.
My manuscript isn’t complete, but I wrote a practice query anyway. If you are writing a book, then you should write a synopsis for a query letter. This little exercise was so, so valuable! I compared my query against the good ones posted on her blog. It helped me identify which plot points needed to be strengthened and where the writing could be tighter.
So, thank you Query Shark! I look forward to being shredded to bloody bits when I’m ready to query.
