The Iron Pillar: Women's Fiction Query (REVISED)
Posted: December 15th, 2010, 10:49 am
Please look for my newest draft, posted around 8 AM EST.
Hello, forum-ites.
I've quit obsessing about querying my first novel (The Iron Pillar) long enough to get a fresh perspective on it. I've reworked my query letter to strengthen the hook, provide more specific details, and lessen the verbosity (I hope). Once I get your invaluable feedback, I plan to send out a batch of five-ish queries. Later on, once draft #1 of novel #2 is written, I plan to re-revise novel #1 and query with a vengeance--makes sense, right?
Thanks for your help!
Dear Agent,
Although she is a talented painter, Daly prefers to live her life in black and white—her journey to India, the irrepressible land of color, just may change things a bit.
Throughout her life, Daly English has faced continual set backs including the death of one parent and the emotional estrangement of the other, abandonment by her long-term boyfriend, and unemployment. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Daly decides to numb herself to the world by locking any bout of emotional intensity away in her journal. Safeguarded from both pain and joy, this technique works well until Daly meets someone who cares too much to let her fade into the background of her own life.
A light-hearted charmer from India, Kashi is a firm believer in the power of destiny, refusing to take Daly on a date until they have met a chance total of three times. Comforted by his perennial optimism and carefree attitude, Daly allows herself to fall in love. Their romance unfolds quickly after a captivating first date at the zoo and a sensual second date at a starlit summit. Together they travel to the vibrant, enchanting city of New Delhi, where Daly must win the approval of Kashi’s family so that the two may wed. But finding happiness now would have been too easy for Daly. First she must face the ghosts of her past, if she is to build a future that she can live through.
THE IRON PILLAR is an 85,000-word piece of multicultural women’s fiction.
Like my protagonist, I have been captivated by India, my husband’s homeland. In our seven years together, Hitesh has taught me his cultural customs, religious philosophy, and even his mother tongue. When I’m not working feverishly on my second novel, I serve as the Lead Books Contributor for AnnArbor.com.
Thank you for your time and your consideration.
Sincerely,
Melissa LR Handa, MA
Hello, forum-ites.
I've quit obsessing about querying my first novel (The Iron Pillar) long enough to get a fresh perspective on it. I've reworked my query letter to strengthen the hook, provide more specific details, and lessen the verbosity (I hope). Once I get your invaluable feedback, I plan to send out a batch of five-ish queries. Later on, once draft #1 of novel #2 is written, I plan to re-revise novel #1 and query with a vengeance--makes sense, right?
Thanks for your help!
Dear Agent,
Although she is a talented painter, Daly prefers to live her life in black and white—her journey to India, the irrepressible land of color, just may change things a bit.
Throughout her life, Daly English has faced continual set backs including the death of one parent and the emotional estrangement of the other, abandonment by her long-term boyfriend, and unemployment. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Daly decides to numb herself to the world by locking any bout of emotional intensity away in her journal. Safeguarded from both pain and joy, this technique works well until Daly meets someone who cares too much to let her fade into the background of her own life.
A light-hearted charmer from India, Kashi is a firm believer in the power of destiny, refusing to take Daly on a date until they have met a chance total of three times. Comforted by his perennial optimism and carefree attitude, Daly allows herself to fall in love. Their romance unfolds quickly after a captivating first date at the zoo and a sensual second date at a starlit summit. Together they travel to the vibrant, enchanting city of New Delhi, where Daly must win the approval of Kashi’s family so that the two may wed. But finding happiness now would have been too easy for Daly. First she must face the ghosts of her past, if she is to build a future that she can live through.
THE IRON PILLAR is an 85,000-word piece of multicultural women’s fiction.
Like my protagonist, I have been captivated by India, my husband’s homeland. In our seven years together, Hitesh has taught me his cultural customs, religious philosophy, and even his mother tongue. When I’m not working feverishly on my second novel, I serve as the Lead Books Contributor for AnnArbor.com.
Thank you for your time and your consideration.
Sincerely,
Melissa LR Handa, MA