more query letter woes

[ritaxis]

I really thought I had solved the problem. Tell about Chuy, what's interesting about him and his culture. The reason for the book. But I feel I have to tell a little of the story too, and the damn thing is a page and a half without headers and things, and I haven't figured out the concluding sentence or paragraph or whatever. It's 900 words! By dog, that's too many!

Anybody want to take a look at this current version?

Also I keep wanting to mention the hard sf background but when I describe the story it looks soft to me (being that the science is mostly social in the story itself -- the engineering, biology, medicine, and ecology, etc., are in the setting mostly). So it looks like I'm lying.

Not much writing going to happen this week -- the nice fellow's off, and so are the kids, and they demand computer time (yes, Frank does too, apparently he can't be away from the Gaming Den for more than a couple of hours without touching base and seeing how the discussions are developing -- not like anybody we know, right?) and they demand me. But there's a deadline next week and I mean to make it.

Comments

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you need to use a query letter, synopsis, and then the book or sample chapters. Move the stuff you think you need to describe but is too voluminous for a query letter into the synopsis, which can be multiple pages (Pamela has been told it needs to be enough pages to rattle together convincingly at the editorial meeting). Then use the proper, classic, query lettter which says "Here is my book. Please buy it." Well, okay, list professional sales if they won't know about them, might be worth mentioning a major writing workshop if you've attended one.