Query Guru: A "Creative" Query

A non-conventional query letter makes the same old mistakes

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Today’s Query Guru post:

Welcome to another Query Guru post! Today we’ll look at a query letter which the author labeled as “Creative Query Letter.”

A query letter is essentially a business letter giving an agent information about your book, so how do we feel about getting creative and writing something unconventional? It could make your letter stand out from the crowd, but it could also be a real turn-off. Most agents advise against using anything but the standard format, but there are always unconventional query letters that get an agent’s attention (in a positive way). For example,

Karin Gillespie

gives an example of a voice-driven query technique that’s “risky” but can also work really well.

Let’s see how we feel about this “creative” query. Personally, I don’t think it works, in part because of the unconventional way it’s written, but moreso because, ironically, this query makes the same mistakes that I see in many queries of the regular variety.

By the way, if you would like a chance to receive feedback on your query letter and first page, fill out the following Query Guru form. You do not have to be a paid subscriber to receive feedback, though you do have to be a paid subscriber to read the feedback I give to others.

And, if you’re looking for a comprehensive guide to how to write a query letter in the first place, check out my in-depth post: How to Write a Stand-Out Query Letter. Now, on with the feedback…

Here’s the “creative” query: