Millions of prospective writers send out their manuscripts and article ideas every day to newspaper editors, magazines, and literary agents around the world in hopes that they can become the next great best seller or columnist. However, of the nearly 5 million unsolicited manuscripts, letters, and columns received each year (estimated by a 2006 issue of Writer's Digest), only a small percentage - less than half of one percent - are even read when they reach their destination. And most of the problem lies in the lack of a coherent query letter.
This book was written for any potential writer looking to effectively write and send a query letter that will grab the attention of the editor or agent to whom it is addressed. You will learn the basics of writing to someone in a letter, including the etiquette and format that apply to printed text that you may not know from using email. You will learn how to address writers and editors and what specific things should be in a query letter, from the format of the first paragraph, to describing yourself as an author to the editor or agent. You will read numerous sample query letters to see how they should and should not look and will learn what ten major mistakes to avoid in all query letters. You will learn how to format a nonfiction book query and proposal as well as one for a novel. 
Dozens of interviews were conducted with both writers who have successfully written query letters and editors who routinely read them to develop a walkthrough of everything that does and does not work. You will learn how to format and write the perfect cover letter and what the etiquette is for numerous different letters between you and an editor. Finally, you will learn how to start formatting your query letters in email as the preferred new format for many editors. No matter whom you are contacting and what you are trying to pitch, this book will provide detailed information to help you get your writing picked up.