{{Refimprove|date=December 2009}}
A '''query letter''', or '''query''', is a formal letter sent by a writer to literary agents, magazine editors, and sometimes publishing houses or companies, to propose writing ideas.<ref>{{cite web | title=How to Write a Darn Good Query Letter | publisher=NY Book Editors | date=2 November 2023<!--from page source-->| url=https://nybookeditors.com/2015/12/how-to-write-a-darn-good-query-letter/ | access-date=17 January 2024}}</ref>
Query letters are the standard format for unrepresented authors' submissions to potential agents; as such, '''querying''' is often a writer's first professional interaction with the publishing industry, with success furthering their steps on the traditional publishing path.
A standard requested format for a manuscript query letter to a literary agent could be approximately 200–400 words expressing the following information: * The topic of the work * A short description of the plot * A short bio of the author * The target audience The literary agent would then decide whether to contact the author and request to see the manuscript, based on the contents of the query letter.
==See also== * Publishers Marketplace
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://queryshark.blogspot.com/ Query Shark], query critique site by well-known literary agent Janet Reid * [https://janefriedman.com/query-letters/ The Complete Guide to Query Letters], by industry consultant Jane Friedman
Category:Publishing terminology Category:Book publishing Category:Business documents Category:Letters (message) Category:Proposals
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