Writing a good query letter shows book editors your ability to think precisely, use language efficiently, and advance your query in a seemingly simple yet elegant way.

Before writing a query letter, study the book market to find out which publishers may be interested in your topic. It’s a waste of time for you and the publisher if you send your fishing book inquiry letter to a publisher that only publishes romance novels.

A well-constructed inquiry letter might consist of the following parts: 1) an opening sentence describing the category of your book, such as sports, cooking, romance, mystery, how-to, travel, or other; 2) a statement describing the premise of your book; 3) a short list of especially good credits that qualify you to write the book (no lengthy biographies, please); 4) a list of his books or book contributions from him; 5) a statement of how his book will be distinguished from similar titles; and 6) a formal closing: Thank you for your attention and your name.

Do not use paragraph indents in your inquiry letter. Single-spaced and double-spaced paragraphs between them are standard. By no means use a fancy, hard-to-read font. Easy-to-read fonts like Times Roman or Arial, 12 point, are best. If you want to email your letter, create it in MS WORD and attach it to an email note so the editor has your email address for easy response. MS WORD is standard document creation software that all publishers have on their computers. Using other software may prevent publishers from opening your attachment.

Create a simple letterhead for your inquiry letter that includes your name, postal address, email address, website address, and phone number. Date your letter, send it to the appropriate editor, and make sure the editor’s name and address are correct. If you’re printing the letter you’re mailing, use professional-weight paper (8/12 x 11) in the brightest white and print at a high-quality resolution. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to facilitate the editor’s response. If you don’t include the SASE, you probably won’t hear from the publisher.

Carefully review your inquiry letter to clear the document of errors. Nothing turns an editor off faster than misspelled words and grammatical errors, which the editor can associate with the book they set out to write. Remember, writing a good inquiry letter is your first introduction to the book publisher and your first chance to make a good impression. Making a good impression improves the chances that a book publisher will ask you for a longer proposal in the future. Chill out. It may take several weeks before you receive a response.

Book publishers take their positions seriously and continue to view formal inquiry letters more favorably than the casual email notes that many of us are getting too used to in cyberspace. Due to their instant nature, emails are sometimes hastily composed, which invites sloppy language, missing punctuation, and misspelling. Emails riddled with errors will not attract the same attention and consideration as prudently crafted formal inquiry letters. Remember, book publishers base their decision to review your book proposal on your inquiry letter. To learn how to start your query and write headlines, see You can write amazing headlines.