The Query Show

Romance means double the emotional arcs, double the stakes, and plenty of opportunities for hijinks. So: how information-dense should your query be? Can our beloved  cause-and-effect language ever lead you astray? How can you balance external plot, internal arcs, and, you know, that big ol’ relationship that’s at the literal heart of your book?

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Introducing worldbuilding while establishing character goal, motivation, and conflict—all that and magical Enchanteds, dreamwalkers, and the ever-present format for comp titles. Plus: are rhetorical questions as effective as statements? Two fantasy queries today with a lot to offer.

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

How long should a query be? When can you go deep on detail, and when is it just not relevant? Two excellent queries today that dig into this and more, as well as our old favorites: cause and effect, emotional stakes, and internal arcs!

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

The deceptively simple picture book query! How do you query a book whose text probably isn’t much longer than the manuscript itself? How can you make sure you convey the plot and the feeling of reading aloud? And how much of your bio paragraph should the query take?

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Timelines and query pacing and when it’s appropriate to say “I am seeking representation” and more! Stakes come up both for international intrigue and a romp through a woodsy divorcee retreat.

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

It’s a fantastic (literally) week on TQS, which means we’re getting deep into stuff like worldbuilding, showing vs. telling key plot elements, and infusing narrative style into the query itself. Plus: COMP TITLES. Always comp titles! Your fave and mine!

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Two middle-grade novels with high-flying high stakes today! We’re talking the crucial intersection of internal and external arcs, the difference between “is” and “becomes,” and a comp title extravaganza.

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

We have an agent success! Find out which fabulous featured author has secured representation. And two excellent YA queries to review today, and some deep dives into striking the balance between details of the plot, abstract emotional arcs, and synthesizing that crucial third paragraph.

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Ancient Egypt and Reformation Amsterdam are the settings of today’s queries. We’re digging into settings, stakes, and how to keep it emotionally relevant even when Big Stuff is happening in the world. Plus, how do you query a book that’s a companion to a self-pub novel, and add in comps when your subgenre is super narrow?

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Two queries about the hazards of love, finding yourself, and—as always—the electric currents of emotional stakes. Find out what you can cut from your query and why sometimes it’s okay to get unconventional.

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Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive