Ode To My Query Letter

Oh query letter, sweet query letter
why must you pain me so?
I send you out into the world with love
and yet rejection is all you bestow

Query letter, precious query letter
how my depression grows
Without you, I’m lost!
and my dreams just can not flow

Letter of hope, letter of love
we will triumph I know!
I will revise you once again
and celebrate with a glass of Bordeaux...

Who-ha!

Query Letter - Take 5 (or was it 25?)

As promised, I've revised my query letter and have decided to post it here again for your lovely comments. Thanks again for everyone who commented last time - let me know if you think I've got it yet.

I'll skip out the boring parts and get right to the good stuff:

Dear Super Agent,

Every Beauty Secret representative knows two things: never come between a woman and her lipstick, and always keep your client’s secrets. Unfortunately Keira Diaz didn’t get that memo.

When her client’s playboy husband, Roger, goes missing, Keira finds herself quickly wrapped up in the mystery. Keeping track of her Southern socialite clientele wasn’t in this girl’s job description, but their clues are the key to solving this case.

And their secrets? Boy do they tell. If it weren’t for them, Keira would have never learned of Roger’s infidelity while his wife battled breast cancer, or set up her best friend with Savannah’s most corrupt businessman.

As the evidence builds, Keira vows to find Roger. What she wasn’t planning on was finding him dead—or befriending the murderer.

Multitasking Diva Here

My writing career is in full swing - Well, I mean minus the agent and whole publishing contract thing - but still, I'm busy!

First up, NaNo. It's the start of day two and I've currently got 2,727 words written. Awesome, go me. I'm loving LIP GLOSS & LIES and confession, it's already better than BEAUTY SECRETS - ahhhhhhhh!!! So, remember last week how I said I was done with BS, well, not anymore. I've thought of a couple slight tweaks that I hope will make my debut even more stellar (because it will be my debut I tell you!).

So that brings me to number two - make additional changes to BS, revise my query, and then begin submitting to agents worldwide!!!!

Let's see then: NaNo, BS changes, Query... Oh, I know, and blog. See I'm accomplishing stuff already.


Hi ho hi ho it's off to writing I go...

Whatcha Think? New Query

Once again I've revised my query letter and I'd love to hear your feedback/suggestions/opinions. I find the hardest part in writing this lovely letter is trying to fit EVERYTHING into a couple of paragraphs. Have I included the key plot points? Have I hooked you? Is it well written? Are interested to read more?

So, the following is my most recent attempt at my query for BEAUTY SECRETS. Enjoy!

Dear Mr. Agent,

Beauty Secret Representative Keira Diaz was out to sell lipstick, not solve a mystery. An early morning house call to client Marion Siebold changes that. Marion’s playboy husband, Roger, is missing and unknowingly Keira is the first to arrive at the scene of the crime. The Beaufort Police Department quickly dismisses the case; their resources are already stretched investigating a kidnapped little girl. What the police don’t realize is that one man is the key to solving both crimes.

Keira’s Southern socialite clientele hold the clues to propel the investigation forward. If it weren’t for them, Keira would have never learned of Roger’s infidelity while his wife battled breast cancer, or set up her best friend with Savannah’s most corrupt businessman. As the evidence builds, Keira vows to find Roger. What she wasn’t planning on was finding him dead—or befriending the murderer.

BEAUTY SECRETS is complete at 65,000 words. If interested, the full manuscript is available upon request. In terms of writing experience, I’ve worked as an editor for five years and I teach advanced writing courses at a local university. For more information about me or my writing, please visit my blog at http://www.stephdamore.blogspot.com.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Confession

I got my New Moon tickets today! Yes, I know, it's not hitting theaters for another month, but the show sells out fast and I didn't want to be left out in the cold (seriously, I live in Michigan. It's freezing here already). Yay! I'm so flippin' excited even though the book lacks literal merit (all those adverbs!) and Rob Pattinson can't act (but he looks hot!) and Kristen Stewart is just so socially awkward (she really, really, is!) - I still will be there on midnight with my fellow Twi-hards wearing my New Moon gear and screaming with delight.

In other news, I've been busy editing these last few days. It's more like adding as opposed to editing seeing I'm taking an agent's advice and bringing more of the beauty selling aspect into Beauty Secrets. I'm also adding to my query letter, which I'm planning on posting here and over at the PQS soon. All of your feedback will be mucho appreciated.

Thanks and Happy Friday.