Lore & LilacQuerying literary agents: the letter, the synopsis and the list
A calm, practical guide to the query package, with a worked pitch for our sample novel and the red flags worth knowing.
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Related glossary terms
- Literary agentA professional who represents authors, submitting their work to publishers and negotiating deals, usually paid by commission on what the author earns.
- Query letterA short, one-page letter pitching a finished novel to a literary agent or publisher, meant to make them ask to read it.
- SynopsisA summary of a novel's entire plot, ending included, often requested by agents and publishers alongside a query.
- Comp titlesComparable titles: recent books similar to yours in audience, genre or feel, used to show agents, publishers and readers where it belongs.
- Revise and resubmitAn invitation from an agent or editor to revise a manuscript along suggested lines and send it back, without any commitment to take it on.
- Traditional publishingPublishing in which a publisher acquires rights to a book, pays the author, and funds editing, production, distribution and sales.
- Standard manuscript formatThe plain, conventional layout for manuscripts sent to agents, editors and publishers, designed for easy reading and editing rather than for looks.
- LoglineA one- or two-sentence summary of a story that conveys its protagonist, central conflict and stakes, used mainly for pitching.