Product Description

Make That Crucial, Positive First Impression

Anyone who's researched the marketplace knows: The path to publication begins with your query letter. If your query is weak, unfocused, or uninspired, an editor or agent won't even bother to request your article, novel manuscript, or nonfiction book proposal. But a well-crafted, compelling query sent to the right editor or agent is an essential sales tool for fiction writers and the most effective way for nonfiction writers to pre-sell your idea.

In this book, professional freelance writer and magazine editor Wendy Burt-Thomas shares practical advice on how to craft persuasive letters that connect with editors and agents and ultimately generate sales for you. You'll learn how to:

• Conduct targeted research to find suitable editors and agents
• Hook an editor with a tantalizing lead and shape a summary that compels editors to buy
• Select the strongest slant for your book or article
• Use research and interview shortcuts that keep your query prep profitable
• Make your query rejection-proof by weeding out subtle mistakes that can sabotage your project
• Communicate your author platform and sell yourself as the best writer for the subject

Complete with dozens of sample queries - some that landed article assignments, agents, or book deals, and others that never stood a chance - this book offers you a comprehensive strategy for presenting your writing ideas in a way that will increase your chances of publication. Though the title may lead some to believe it's strictly to be shelved as a reference manual, The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters is a smooth read from cover to cover.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #62064 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781582975665
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Wendy Burt-Thomas is the author of more than 1,000 published articles, reviews, essays and short stories. Her work has appeared in such publications as NewYorkTimes.com, MSNBC.com, The Writer, Family Circle, and many others. She is the author of Oh, Solo Mia! The Hip Chick's Guide to Fun for One, and Work It, Girl! 101 Tips for the Hip Working Chick.

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Customer Reviews

Fabulous tool for writers
My copy of this book just arrived two days ago. It is so worth the few bucks I spent on it. In a very conversational, easy-to-follow fashion, the author takes readers through the querying process...for magazines, novels and non-fiction. I suppose I could've spent a million hours on the internet and found out some of this stuff myself, but it's much nicer having it all in front of me, with plenty of "in-the-know" examples. It's like I paid a really great researcher about a penny per hour to dig the info up and write an entertaining, useful report for me.

Five stars for sure.

This is the One to Own!!
Burt-Thomas has written an excellent resource for any writer, those that are new to freelance writing and those with years of experience. Her book is informational and yet fun to read. As a beginning freelance writer, I read every book about the industry that I can find; there are very few that I recommend. Burt-Thomas's book is one of the exceptions, the ease in which she breaks down query writing and publication into realistic and accomplishable steps for any author is unmatched in other query writing books. If you are going to buy one book about query writing, make sure this is the one!!

A clear, easy to understand, witty, helpful Gem.
One of the country's most in-demand non-fiction writers has shared her knowledge with the rest of us, and what a gem this book is. I read it in one sitting and found myself both informed and entertained. A non-writer friend picked it up from my coffee table and, after an hour's reading, commented how easy it was to understand, how clearly it was written (even for novices and non-writers), and how the humor made a potentially boring topic come alive. Now that friend wants to buy Wendy Burt's two chick-lit humor books, O Solo Mia and Work It, Girl! This Guide to Query Letters is a dynamite resource book that can help both inexperienced and established writers see where they've sometimes missed the boat, and more importantly, it will help them fix it so they make more sales.