Amy asked 7 years ago
Dear Polly, Please can you advise on the length of the query letter? Mine is 350 words and i’m wondering whether that is viewed as too long? thank you!
Chelsea Eberly Staff answered 7 years ago
Hello Amy
Thank you for your question. 350 words does sound a bit long for a query letter. My advice is: the shorter the better.
Like any agent, I want to jump straight into your novel. If I’m interested in taking it further, I will ask you for any information I need. So, when it comes to querying, I’d suggest a very short introduction and a synopsis (no longer than one A4-size page, double-spaced) that gives the outline of your novel in a straightforward way, including any plot twists or spoilers. I don’t need ‘blurb’ or information about your background, unless there is something in your background that is relevant to your writing or to being published
One thing to be aware of though is that agents all have different submission criteria, so it’s worth taking the time to check each individually rather than doing a blanket query.
Hope that helps?
Polly