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How to Write a Query Letter
What a query letter is, how UK and US conventions differ, what every element must contain, and the mistakes that produce immediate rejections, with a worked example.
Introduction
The shortest document with the longest consequences
A single page, read in under two minutes, that decides whether your manuscript is read at all.
A query letter is a single page. Most agents read it in under two minutes. It will determine whether your manuscript gets read at all. This guide explains what goes into one, and ends with two query letter examples to learn from.
Why it matters
That is the reality of the query letter, and it is worth sitting with before you write a word of it. The months or years you spent on your novel count for nothing if the query letter does not do its job. A good manuscript with a poor query letter will be rejected. A great query letter for a poor manuscript will eventually be rejected too, but it will at least get read. The query letter is the door. Everything else is behind it.
A definable document
The good news is that the query letter is a definable document. It has a clear structure, a limited set of requirements, and a set of conventions that agents across the major English-speaking publishing markets broadly agree on. Learn the conventions, and the document becomes manageable. Ignore them, and you signal to the agent that you have not done your homework.
What this guide covers
This guide covers what a query letter is, how it differs between the UK and US conventions, how it differs between fiction and non-fiction, what every element must contain, and the most common mistakes that produce immediate rejections.
UK and US
UK versus US: understanding the difference
The fundamentals are the same. The weight the letter carries is not.
Two markets, two conventions
The query letter as a form originates in the US market. In the US, the query letter is typically sent alone, without sample pages, as a cold pitch to an agent. If the agent is interested, they request more material. The letter therefore carries significant weight: it must hook, pitch, and persuade entirely on its own.
In the UK, the standard submission package works differently. UK agents typically ask for a cover letter accompanied by a synopsis and the first three chapters of the manuscript. The cover letter does not need to carry as much weight as a US query letter because the agent has sample pages alongside it. Some UK agents read the pages first and turn to the cover letter only if the writing has already interested them.
Despite this difference in emphasis, the fundamentals of both documents are the same. Both require a clear pitch, the basic book information, and a brief author bio. The UK cover letter is a leaner version of the US query letter, not a different document in kind. Writers querying both markets should build a full-length query letter as their master document and know how to compress it for UK submissions.
Feature
US query letter
UK cover letter
Sent with sample pages?
No: pages requested after
Yes: first 3 chapters usually included
Typical length
250 to 400 words
150 to 250 words
Hook paragraph essential?
Yes: carries full weight
Less critical: pages do some of the work
Comparable titles expected?
Yes, strongly
Less common but increasingly expected
Agent reads letter first?
Almost always
Often reads pages first
Which market should you query?
In general, writers should seek an agent local to their primary publishing market. US agents sell primarily into US publishing; UK agents sell primarily into UK publishing. The practical implication is that where your book’s natural readership lies should guide your first approach.
Writers in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and other English-speaking markets outside the US and UK are not bound by geography. The question is simply which market the book belongs to: its setting, its voice, its cultural reference points, and where comparable books have sold well. Most debut writers in these markets begin by querying UK or US agents, since both markets have broader international reach than local publishing ecosystems.
Nothing prevents a writer from querying both markets simultaneously, provided the submission package is adapted for each. Some agents have a presence in both territories, and some agencies operate transatlantic lists. The Authaurus Directory lists agents by territory and specialism, which makes it a practical starting point for identifying who to approach.
Fiction and Non-Fiction
Fiction versus non-fiction: a critical distinction
Fiction pitches a finished manuscript. Non-fiction pitches a proposal.
The query letter is primarily a fiction tool
For fiction writers, the query letter pitches a completed manuscript. The agent is assessing whether the story is compelling and commercially viable enough to submit to publishers. The writer’s credentials matter far less than the quality of the pitch and, ultimately, the pages.
Non-fiction works differently
For non-fiction writers, the process is fundamentally different. Non-fiction authors are not expected to provide a completed manuscript in the way a novelist would. Instead, they present a book proposal: a detailed document of fifteen to fifty pages covering the book’s concept, market positioning, chapter outline, sample chapters, and the author’s platform. The query letter in non-fiction functions as an introduction to the proposal, not as a standalone pitch.
The question non-fiction must answer
The question a non-fiction query must answer is not what happens in this book, but why does this book need to exist, and why are you the person to write it. Platform and credentials carry much more weight in non-fiction than in fiction, because the author’s authority is part of the commercial proposition.
Type
Manuscript needed?
Proposal needed?
Platform critical?
Fiction
Yes, complete
No
No
Memoir
Yes, usually complete
Sometimes
Less critical
Narrative non-fiction
Often
Yes
Yes
Practical non-fiction
Not always
Yes, essential
Yes, essential
A note on memoir
Memoir sits between fiction and non-fiction. It has more in common with fiction than other types of non-fiction because of its narrative structure, and does not always require a large author platform to attract interest. Many agents now require a memoir to be complete before submission, in the same way they would require a novel to be complete. If you are writing memoir, check each agent’s submission guidelines carefully: some will consider a proposal with sample chapters; others want the full manuscript.
The remainder of this guide focuses on the fiction query letter. Non-fiction writers should read this guide alongside Writing Non-Fiction: How the Rules Change (Guide A6, The Planning Room, available with a Ticket), which covers the book proposal process in full.
Structure
The structure of a fiction query letter
Four components, one page, 250 to 400 words.
The four components
A standard fiction query letter has four components, usually in this order: the opening logistics, the pitch, the comparable titles, and the author bio. Some agents prefer a personalisation sentence at the very top, before anything else. Every component is covered below.
The whole letter should fit on one page, or the equivalent in an email. The target length is 250 to 400 words. Some letters are shorter and work perfectly. None should be longer.
1
The opening logistics
State your book’s title, genre, word count, and the fact that you are seeking representation. This information anchors the agent before they read the pitch. It tells them immediately whether the book falls within what they represent, and whether the word count is commercially viable for the genre.
Do this in one or two sentences. Nothing more is needed here.
I am seeking representation for [TITLE], a [word count]-word [genre].
Do not explain what inspired the book. Do not apologise for anything. Do not reference the submission guidelines you have read.
2
The pitch
This is the core of the letter and the hardest part to write. It should run to two or three paragraphs at most, and it must do three things: introduce the protagonist and what they want, establish the central conflict and the stakes, and give the agent a reason to keep reading.
A query letter is not a synopsis. One of the most consistent mistakes agents report is letters that read as a sequence of events: this happens, and then this happens, and then this happens. That is a synopsis, not a pitch. Save the plot exposition for the synopsis and focus instead on the substance of the story: the central conflict, what the protagonist stands to lose, and why it matters.
Think of the pitch as the copy on the back of the published book, but slightly more explicit about the emotional stakes. It is not trying to contain the whole novel. It is trying to make the agent want to open the manuscript.
3
Comparable titles
Comparable titles, also called comp titles, are recently published books that are similar to yours. They serve a commercial function: they show the agent that a market for your book exists right now, and that you understand where your book sits within it.
The comparable titles in your query letter should be recently published. Within the last two years is best; most agents would not recommend titles published more than five years ago. Avoid blockbuster titles: books that have become cultural phenomena have benefited from factors that have nothing to do with quality alone, and claiming your debut resembles a franchise property signals that you do not understand how comp titles function.
Two comp titles is the standard. Three is acceptable if your book blends genres clearly. The most effective format is specific: name the titles, name the authors, and briefly state why the comparison is accurate.
My novel will appeal to readers of [TITLE] by [AUTHOR] and [TITLE] by [AUTHOR].
Or, for genre blends:
[TITLE] combines the [specific quality] of [COMP 1] with the [specific quality] of [COMP 2].
Do not comp to films or television unless you are also comping to a book. Do not comp to a book in a different age category without explaining the specific reason for the comparison.
4
The author bio
The author bio is a brief paragraph, usually two to three sentences, giving the agent a professional snapshot of who you are. For fiction writers, it matters far less than the pitch. For non-fiction writers, it is close to the most important thing in the letter.
For fiction, include any writing credits you have: short stories published in paid markets, competition wins or long-listings, membership of recognised writing organisations such as the Society of Authors, the Crime Writers’ Association, or the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Include any professional experience that is directly relevant to the book: a nurse writing a medical thriller, a lawyer writing a legal thriller, a pilot writing an aviation thriller. These connections are worth one sentence.
If you have no credits and no relevant professional experience, keep the bio short and honest. One or two sentences written with the same confidence as the rest of the letter is the right approach. Do not pad the section. Do not mention that this is your first manuscript. Do not mention that friends and family loved the book.
Personalisation
Personalisation
Whether and how to address the agent specifically.
It depends on the agent
Many guides treat personalisation as essential; others treat it as optional. The honest answer is that it depends on the agent. Some agents state publicly that they value it; others say it makes no difference to how they read the query. Check the submission guidelines and any public statements before including it.
When it works
When it works, personalisation demonstrates that you queried this specific agent for a specific reason, rather than adding their name to a bulk submission. It is not flattery. It is evidence of research. There is a consistent pattern in agent feedback: writers who personalise their queries well tend to be the same writers who have done their research more broadly: who know their genre, who have read their submission guidelines carefully, and who have taken the time to understand the market.
Keep the personalisation to one sentence, placed at the opening of the letter before anything else. It should say something that could only be said about this agent, not something that could apply to any agent in the genre.
What works
A specific book the agent has represented, and why it is relevant to yours
A specific comment from an interview or public wish list that matches something precise about your manuscript
A panel or event where something the agent said resonated with the book you have written
What does not work
Telling the agent they are one of the most respected in the industry
Saying you have followed their career for many years
Noting that they represent your genre without naming a specific title or reason
The Hook
The hook: your opening sentences
Who the protagonist is, what they want, and what stands in the way.
The hook is the opening one or two sentences of your pitch paragraph. It is the single fastest and most impactful way to communicate what your book is about. If an agent reads only the hook before deciding whether to continue, it needs to establish three things: who the protagonist is, what they want, and what stands in the way.
Finding the right level
A hook that is too vague loses the agent before they reach the pitch. A hook that is too specific gets lost in plot detail. The target is the level of a strong back-cover blurb: clear enough to understand immediately, compelling enough to want to know more.
Common hook failures
A question directed at the reader: “What would you do if everything you loved was taken from you?” This produces no useful information about the book.
An abstract statement about theme: “This is a story about love and loss and what it means to be human.” Every novel is a story about what it means to be human. This says nothing.
A logistical opening: “Set in 1940s London, this novel follows…” Setting is context, not a hook. Start with the character and the problem.
An over-compressed summary: trying to fit the entire plot into two sentences produces a list rather than a hook.
A workable template for building a hook:
[Protagonist], a [brief identifying detail], [wants / must / faces] [central goal or problem] when [inciting event or opposition].
This is a starting point. Use it to find the core of the pitch, then revise until it sounds like your book rather than a formula.
Common Mistakes
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Most rejections at the query stage are avoidable.
Mistake
Why it fails
Opening with the backstory of writing the book
Agents want the pitch, not the origin story
Describing events instead of pitching the story
A list of plot points is a synopsis, not a hook
Withholding the genre or word count
Makes the agent’s job harder; signals inexperience
Using blockbuster comp titles
Signals unrealistic expectations; undermines credibility
Padding the bio with irrelevant credentials
Wastes space; can read as anxious rather than professional
Apologising for the letter or the book
Never apologise in a query letter for anything
Telling the agent the book will make a great film
Irrelevant at this stage; always reads as naive
Attaching the manuscript without being asked
Follow submission guidelines precisely; unsolicited attachments are ignored
Querying before the manuscript is fully revised
The letter may succeed; the pages will not
Sending an identical letter to every agent
Generic personalisation is worse than none
Writing the letter in third person
Query letters are written in first person
Comparing your book to a classic without justification
Only cite classics if the comparison is precise and earned
Formatting and Submission
Formatting and submission
A professional document, presented like one.
What the query letter should look like
The query letter is a professional document and its presentation should reflect that. Whether submitted by email or through an online submission portal, the same principles apply.
Keep it to one page, or the email equivalent. Never send more than 400 words.
Use a standard font and size in the email body: no decorative fonts, no unusual formatting.
Address the agent by name. Check the spelling. If the guidelines do not specify a salutation preference, use their first and last name: Dear Jane Doe.
Do not attach the query letter as a document unless the guidelines specifically ask for this. Paste it into the email body.
Do not attach the manuscript unless the guidelines ask for it. In the US, most agents want nothing attached to the initial query. In the UK, the first three chapters are usually included as a separate document.
Close professionally. Thank the agent for their time and note that the full manuscript is available upon request.
Online submission portals
Many agencies now use submission management systems such as QueryManager or Submittable rather than email. These systems present the query letter as a form with separate fields for the pitch, the bio, the comp titles, and so on. The content requirements are the same; the format is different. Build your query letter as a complete document first and then adapt it to the fields the portal presents.
The Companion Documents
The companion documents
Before you send it, the rest of the package needs to be ready.
The query letter is one part of a submission package. Before you send it, the other components need to be in equally good shape.
The synopsis
Agents who request a synopsis alongside the query letter need it to show the full structure of your novel, including the ending. How to write it, what it must contain, and how to adapt it to different length requirements is covered in full in How to Write a Synopsis That Does Its Job (Guide G1, The Submissions Room).
A Worked Example
Query letter examples: what a finished letter looks like
An invented novel, built from the structure and templates above.
The letter below is for a book that does not exist. It follows the order in this guide: a personalisation sentence, the logistics, a two-paragraph pitch, comparable titles and a short bio, in a little over 200 words. In a real letter, the comparable titles would be two named books published in the last two years.
Dear Jane Doe,
I am querying you because you represented [TITLE], and my novel shares its interest in ordinary working lives caught up in crime. I am seeking representation for THE SALT LEDGER, an 88,000-word historical mystery.
Ada Pennock, a widowed bookkeeper at a failing Whitby shipping firm, must find out who has been falsifying the company's cargo records before the owners blame her for the losses. When the ledgers show that a ship reported lost at sea is still sailing under another name, Ada realises the fraud reaches far beyond the counting house.
The deeper she looks, the closer the trail leads to the man who gave her the job, and to the night her husband drowned. To clear her name, Ada must expose the people who have protected her, knowing the truth could cost her the only work that keeps her and her daughter out of the workhouse.
THE SALT LEDGER will appeal to readers of [TITLE] by [AUTHOR] and [TITLE] by [AUTHOR].
I spent twenty years as an auditor, which is where I learned how numbers can be made to lie. I am a member of the Society of Authors and live in North Yorkshire.
Thank you for your time. The full manuscript is available on request.
Yours sincerely, [Your name]
A Second Example
A non-fiction query letter
For non-fiction, the letter's job is to get the proposal read. Here is the same structure doing that job.
The book below does not exist. Notice what changes: the pitch is about the idea and its angle, and the author's platform does far more work than it would in a fiction query.
Dear Jane Doe,
I am contacting you because you represent [AUTHOR], and my book shares her interest in history told through ordinary objects.
I am seeking representation for WHAT THE TIDE LEAVES, a narrative history of the British coastline told through twelve objects found on its beaches, from a Bronze Age axe head to a lost container's worth of plastic ducks. The full proposal and two sample chapters are ready to send.
Most coastal histories are about ships, ports and wars. This book is about what the sea returns: each object opens a story about the people who made it, lost it or found it, and together they show how the coast has shaped who we are. The finished book will be around 85,000 words.
I have been a beachcombing guide and museum curator on the Norfolk coast for fourteen years. My weekly column on shoreline finds runs in [REGIONAL NEWSPAPER], and my newsletter on the same subject has 9,000 subscribers.
WHAT THE TIDE LEAVES will appeal to readers of [TITLE] and [TITLE].
Thank you for your time. I would be glad to send the proposal.
Yours sincerely, [Your name]
What this example shows
The logistics line says the proposal is ready, because that is what the agent is deciding whether to request. The second paragraph sells the idea and its angle, not a plot. The platform paragraph gives numbers an agent can check. And like the fiction example, it stays under 250 words.
Before You Close This Guide
Clear, specific and one page long
The query letter opens the door. The manuscript has to do the rest.
An agent will give your query letter a couple of minutes. In that time it needs to tell them what the book is, who it is about, what is at stake, where it sits in the market and who wrote it. Build a full US-length letter as your master copy, cut it down for UK cover letters, personalise only when you have a real reason, and follow each agent's guidelines exactly. Then make sure the manuscript behind the letter is ready to be read.
What to do next
Where you are: Ready to publish, guide 4 of 16
Your hook, in one sentence.
1. Do this now
Draft your hook in one sentence, using the template in this guide.
2. Read next
G3: How to Find the Right Literary Agent for Your Book (Open). Next on your path. A good query sent to the wrong agent goes nowhere.
G1: How to Write a Synopsis That Does Its Job (Open). The synopsis usually goes with the query. Write it next.
G4: What the First Page of Your Manuscript Tells an Agent (Ticket). The query promises a book. The first page has to deliver it.
3. Not sure?
Writing non-fiction? A6: Writing Non-Fiction: How the Rules Change
Hook will not come? A3: How to Find and Develop Your Story Idea
Not sure about traditional publishing? H1: Self-Publishing vs Traditional: A Practical Comparison
← Previous on this path: G1: How to Write a Synopsis That Does Its Job
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