The Query process

In order to get a book published the traditional way, an author needs to have an agent. The way agents "interview" authors begins with a query letter, and they recieve thousands of them. This letter is like a resume for your book, and authors spend hours working on them.  If an agent is intrigued by your query they may request a partial [usually three chapters] or the full manuscript. For Life as Opinion I had 18 versions of my query. Here's one of them.

Dear Ms. --------

Blaine Buchanan and his brother Boyd are late and it’s getting dark.  Afraid of their mother’s abusive boyfriend, they hurry along the train tracks―but what if one of them were to get hurt?  Then they’d have an excuse for being so late.   

Recently discharged from the army, Blaine is drawn to the Connecticut coast of his youth.  He buys a lobster boat from an old fisherman with a connection to his past.  Soon he meets Samantha and is immediately attracted to her and they eventually begin to date.  The healing powers of the open ocean and perhaps love give him a newfound sense of belonging. 

Blaine must come to terms with his unspoken secret before losing Sam and the new life he has created.  A sudden recall to the military and serious injuries in Afghanistan leave him doubting that happiness was ever his fate.  His return to Mystic brings a sacrifice that delivers a long deserved redemption from the abiding power of the past. 

An upmarket commercial novel, Life as Opinion is complete at 70,000 words. I believe Life as Opinion will have appeal to fans of Mark Mills and Nicholas Sparks, and have included the first ten pages for your review.  I am currently working on my second novel.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

As I discussed in an earlier post, I probably queried with my first novel too soon--before it was completely polished, which apparently is a common mistake. I'm not making that mistake with Into the Middle Distance, and when I'm done, and published, I plan to go back to Life as Opinion and try again, and then, if the query intrigued you, you'll get to meet Blaine and Sam.