Review: The Writer’s Digest Guide to Query Letters
June 22, 2009 by Lillie
The Writer’s Digest Guide to Query Letters
Wendy Burt-Thomas
Writer’s Digest Books, an imprint of F+W Media Inc.
Copyright 2008
ISBN: 978-1-58297-566-5
Paperback, 228 pages, $14.99
Non-fiction
I have a confession to make. When Wendy Burt-Thomas contacted me about her blog tour for The Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters
Surprise! I enjoyed reading the book. Wendy has a great sense of humor and uses it well. I expected The Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters
The book is worth reading for the examples of “bad” query letters alone, but there’s much more of value. You’ll find advice on how to query an agent—even on whether you need an agent. You’ll learn how to write a novel synopsis or a nonfiction book proposal as well as other forms of correspondence. You’ll know how and when to follow-up on your queries and where to find more information. Whether you need to write query letters for magazine articles, a nonfiction book, or a novel, you’ll find tips and examples to help you write a better query and enjoy it more.
I guess you never know what you’re going to read. If you get a bad review of a book you might end up liking it. It’s like a movie or book that gets 2 stars but when you’re done you see something the critique didn’t and you end up liking it.
Vic,
I try very hard to give an objective review and tell why I like a book and what, if anything, I didn’t like about it. I don’t post reviews of books I didn’t like, but even if I like a book it doesn’t mean I agree with everything. I also try to give an idea of who the book is appropriate for.
Your point is valid, however. I’ve read reviews of the same book from different reviewers that were at the opposite end of the spectrum. However, I think a good reviewer will always give enough information about their reasons for praising or criticizing the book that the person reading the review can determine if they are likely to have the same opinion. Not all reviewers are good, though.
Lillie,
The degree of your forthrightness and honesty with regards to your initial reaction to the idea of agreeing to take a look at the book is truly refreshing.
I would certainly imagine that the process of writing query letters would be one toward which many writers would experience a fair degree of apprehension, and no doubt a good book which provides detailed guidance with respect to such a process would represent an invaluable resource in this regard.
Andrew´s last blog ..America and climate change – messy action beats no action
Andrew,
I always try to be forthright—even when I know people will disagree (though that wasn’t the case here).
Thank you for such a nice review!!
Wendy,
As I said in earlier comments, I always to be forthright in what I write. The book deserved a nice review.
Hi Lillie – Thanks for recommending this book. I have no idea where to begin with a novel synopsis, so this will be useful. I have read a few Writers Digest books and they’ve always been great quality.
But first, I need to finish the novel, which is a huge task, as you know.
Cath,
I’m rooting for you to finish that novel. I want to read it!
I like the fact that this book includes examples of bad query letters because I always am scared of making an error like that. Very helpful to know it will help you write a query letter to an agent!
C,
Sometimes bad examples teach most effectively. It’s always easier to see something is wrong when someone else does it than when we do it ourselves, and Wendy does an excellent job of pointing out the errors.
C McCoffee,
Some of the bad query letters may seem over the top to more experienced writers, but the fact is that all of the mistakes are based on REAL query letters that I’ve seen. And while I might NOW know to put them in the book because I’ve been writing for 15 years, I can promise you that I was making these exact mistakes when I first started! (And probably all of them in one query letter. My apologies to every editor I wrote to in the early ’90s.)
Wendy,
Oh, I could identify with those bad query letters, just as I can identify with all kinds of bad writing. I didn’t put any dialogue in my first novel until a friend read the manuscript and asked why my people didn’t talk.
I’m rooting for the novel too. Someday I want to do NANO, that “write a novel in a month” program. Just something about a deadline that makes me write quickly!
Wendy,
You’re right about the deadline. NaNoWriMo is great for that.
I’m working on the sequel to Dream or Destiny now, but I’m not making as much progress as I’d like. I was most productive when I was in a critique group and felt compelled to have a chapter for each weekly meeting so I wouldn’t be embarrassed that everyone else had written and I hadn’t.
No dialogue at all? That’s hysterical! I seem to recall researching this very subject for the book I’m working on now. something about Thoreau’s “Walden” have no dialogue for very little…??
Wendy,
Not a word of dialogue.
I summed up conversations in narrative: Jake told Debbie that … Debbie said that …
Hysterical now, but at the time, I didn’t realize what I was doing.
After my friend pointed out the lack of dialogue (about halfway through the book), I started writing dialogue but decided not to revise the first part until I finished the complete manuscript. My mother was an avid reader though she didn’t know anything about writing. She read the manuscript when it was finished but not edited. She said, “I don’t know what the difference was, the second half of the book was a whole lot better than the first.”
Though it was a dumb beginner’s mistake, this has been a valuable tool for me through the years as an editor. When I point out my client’s mistakes, I can always tell them, “At least you didn’t write a romance novel with no dialogue.” It makes them feel a whole lot better about their own writing.
I don’t remember whether Walden Pond has dialogue or not; in fact, I don’t remember reading it.
Regarding your sequel, my advice is to create an accountability group. It’s NOT a critique group. I created an accountability group for writers and artists years ago. We’d meet once a week and go through our accountability sheet. In fact, Christina Katz (who wrote “Get Known Before the Book Deal”) put my accountability sheet in her first book, “Writer Mama” and you can probably access it on Amazon if the “search inside” section. It’s got directions and works even if you don’t have an accountability partner or group.
Wendy,
Thanks for the great suggestion. I do a good job of this when working with clients but tend to give less priority to my own writing. I’ll check out the list.
So what is this book telling me how to do? To write query letters to aspiring writers asking if they’re looking out for an editor? Or query letters in general? I think I’d be quite capable of holding down an editing job, I just don’t think I’m cut out to be a writer.
EDIT: I used the dreaded keyword and it didn’t get blocked!
Stephen,
The book isn’t telling you to do anything.
It’s filled with advice for writers who need to send query letters.
The comment about an editor writing a query for an editing job was a joke. Maybe my humor doesn’t across as well as Wendy’s does.
Stephen,
It’s about how to write query letters for magazine articles, agents and book publishers. Do’s and don’ts, samples of good and bad queries, how to submit emails queries, what agents/editors like and don’t like, etc.
Thanks for asking.
Wendy
Wendy,
And it does all those things very well.
Lillie, thanks for taking one for the team!
I would have expected great information too but am pleasantly surprised to read that it’s also enjoyable. It’s really nice when a business book also delivers on style. I plan to pick this one up and put the tips to use. Thanks Lillie!
Karen,
I have no idea why your comment went into moderation. One of the mysteries of life …
How about finishing your novel so you can use the advice in the book to query publishers?
I bought this book a couple of days ago and let me tell you: it is incredibly well-written and so enjoyable to read.
And it’s a great resource as far as query letters go, I loved it.
Eduardo,
I’m glad you agree with my review. But if you already bought the book, I guess it wasn’t my great review that convinced you.
Thanks for the review and recommendation. I hadn’t heard of this book. I gotta get out more!
Helen
Straight From Hel
Helen,
I hadn’t heard about it, either, until Wendy e-mailed me about her blog book tour. You often have things on your blog I haven’t heard of so we can help each other get out more.
It is nice to visit lillieammann dot com. This is my first time reading the review of this book. And It sounds to be an interesting book. I would love to know more testimonials later on before deciding to buy. Thank you for writing the review for this book Lillie;-)
Best Regards,
Nurul Azis, Just Another ordinary blogger who likes to read and write
blogger´s last blog ..21 Cara Dahsyat Darren Menulis Pro Blogger Artikel
blogger Nurul,
I appreciate your including your name in the body of your comment. It would be nice if you also put it in the name field. If you write Nurul@blogger, I can address you as Nurul, and you will still get your keyword link.
You can find more positive reviews at Amazon.com.
Sometimes bad examples teach most effectively.
Linda,
You’re right. If we know what not to do, we can better understand what to do.
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