How to write a Query letter for an agent
Posted: March 23rd, 2022, 1:58 am
I didn't see the answer in the video so I hope this is in the correct forum. My question is a 3 part. In your video, “How to write a query letter,” with respect to genre and word count, you said to shoot for the section of the book store where it would be placed. My first fiction book – 1 of 15 – does share many elements, bears a word count under 22,000 and my target demographic ranges from 6-12 with 9/10 being the primary focus.
My issue is that I lack the word count to be fantasy, my primary protagonist is made up of inanimate objects and without making it complex or boring I did my best to explain within the chapter; so it will require illustrations to compensate for what the imagination can not produce. The context of the story can easily be told in a graphic novel format which currently is a lot of words for that category or simply with an image of an event at the beginning of each chapter for some guidance and have the words tell the rest. I was going to lean towards an agent's advice once we cross that bridge.
Originally, I envisioned this to be animated but as the idea continued to grow, the vision evolved from what I initially intended to a fully fleshed out book series. Lastly, my primary character's full arc plays out over the course of the series because as the secondary characters emerge and they assemble as a team, their challenges as a team will lead him to complete his growth.
My questions:
1) What should I consider the proper genre because I would consider it to be children's fantasy, possibly pre-middle school?
2) The query submission requirements are pretty specific so with what was mentioned, how do I go about submitting illustrations while respecting what their procedures are?
3) How do I inform the agent that the characters, “Hero’s Journey,” (Joseph Campbell) is to be covered over the course of 15 books?
Thank you for taking the time to read my questions.
NP
My issue is that I lack the word count to be fantasy, my primary protagonist is made up of inanimate objects and without making it complex or boring I did my best to explain within the chapter; so it will require illustrations to compensate for what the imagination can not produce. The context of the story can easily be told in a graphic novel format which currently is a lot of words for that category or simply with an image of an event at the beginning of each chapter for some guidance and have the words tell the rest. I was going to lean towards an agent's advice once we cross that bridge.
Originally, I envisioned this to be animated but as the idea continued to grow, the vision evolved from what I initially intended to a fully fleshed out book series. Lastly, my primary character's full arc plays out over the course of the series because as the secondary characters emerge and they assemble as a team, their challenges as a team will lead him to complete his growth.
My questions:
1) What should I consider the proper genre because I would consider it to be children's fantasy, possibly pre-middle school?
2) The query submission requirements are pretty specific so with what was mentioned, how do I go about submitting illustrations while respecting what their procedures are?
3) How do I inform the agent that the characters, “Hero’s Journey,” (Joseph Campbell) is to be covered over the course of 15 books?
Thank you for taking the time to read my questions.
NP