Query the Query Shark
What do editors do when we’re not reading and rejecting manuscripts?
We stop by The Query Shark, of course. Got a novel you’re ready to submit to the tender mercies of the Manhattan Publishing Machine? The Query Shark will show you the many, many mistakes you can make in your cover letter – and why your cover letter can make all the difference.
Trust me, you don’t have time to make all these mistakes yourself. It’s far better to learn from other people’s mistakes first.
Interesting site; helpful and entertaining. But come on, John. We all know that when editors aren’t reading and rejecting manuscripts, you’re playing through WoW campaigns.
-Matt
I can’t play WoW until I finish playing Icewind Dale!
– John
Another great resource is the book The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit by Elizabeth Lyon, which uses samples of queries that sold and interviews with agents and publishers about what grabbed them about particular queries.