Episode 25: A Query Letter Deconstructed
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Show Notes:
This week Nicole Rivera, host of Stop Writing Alone, shares the query letter she wrote for her YA novel GIRL UNPLUGGED that she is currently sending out to agents seeking representation. She shares what she has learned from numerous courses and webinars on query construction and uses her letter as a template to describe the various building blocks of a good query including comp titles, pitch, and relevant personal information.
Mentioned in this episode:
*Any links to Amazon are affiliate links. Using any of these links to make any purchase on Amazon will support STOP WRITING ALONE.*
- Find Your Glee With Dinah G — Take the Half-Way-Through-The-Year Challenge with Me https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/13-take-the-half-way-through-the-year-challenge-with-me/id1451375805?i=1000443860348
- The Pitch Wars GIRL UNPLUGGED pitch page (with agent responses) http://pitchwars.org/pw-315-young-adult-speculative-fiction-girl-unplugged/
- First Query webinar Nicole took (no longer available) https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/find-success-with-your-query-letter-getting-beyond-form-letters
- Interview with instructor from Nicole’s second query webinar: https://www.writersdigest.com/successful-queries/successful-queries-agent-katie-shea-boutillier-and-the-art-of-falling
- Nicole’s comp titles:
- ELIZA AND HER MONSTERS by Francesca Zappia https://amzn.to/2XCSdiv
- LIFE AS WE KNEW IT by Susan Beth Pfeffer https://amzn.to/2NMpEKE
- Austin Aslan’s (Nicole’s PitchWars mentor) books:
- ISLANDS AT THE END OF THE WORLD https://amzn.to/2LLWAQT
- TURBO RACERS: TRAILBLAZERS https://amzn.to/2XFSufm
- IHRF – organization with details and fundraising for her disease Intracranial Hypertension: https://ihrfoundation.org/
- EPISODE 23 of the Stop Writing Alone Podcast The What If Prompt https://stopwritingalone.com/2019/06/27/episode-23-the-what-if-prompts-writing-together/
- Freesound – Nicole’s source for so many awesome sound effects and jingles https://freesound.org/
- Buy Nicole a coffee (AKA support the podcast!) https://ko-fi.com/stopwritingalone
Places to connect to the STOP WRITING ALONE community and introduce yourself:
- Stop Writing Alone FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/stopwritingalone/
- Join the Stop Writing Alone with Nicole Rivera FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2205774733034348/
- Stop Writing Alone website: https://stopwritingalone.com/
- Join the Stop Writing Alone email list: https://mailchi.mp/fcbe414431f5/tawgiveaway
- Nicole’s Instagram (be prepared for lots of #momlife exposure!): https://www.instagram.com/nv_rivera/
- Nicole’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/nv_rivera
- The Stop Writing Alone voice number (call to introduce yourself!): (646) 907-9607
The EVERYONE CAN PODCAST crew. Here’s a list of podcasts made by my classmates coming out of Cathy Heller’s ECP course. This is one inspiring, creative, and informative bunch:
- The Soul Mammas Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-soul-mammas-podcast/id1393133041?mt=2&fbclid=IwAR1tjUxnEcrG1q_5m35ZzCduaS4fZJT2cYHl53CaWevMuRlcuvxBI6AFb3s
- How in the HELL Did I Get Here? https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-in-the-hell-did-i-get-here-the-podcast/id1448137091?mt=2&fbclid=IwAR2GyOaw93q3IplQLaF3_GZyzbgwEoxZFzB-uNQAoThKKghAKKCrVKYYohQ
- Creativity School https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/creativity-school/id1447571085?fbclid=IwAR28GwcZ9Tu81dH7aLtxFoX68-yYEisH3socPrcjmbN0Xk-YY3REgQ9L1Fc
- The Ready Pause Go Career https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ready-pause-go-career/id1446761976?mt=2&fbclid=IwAR0GXU0O9TjFUcpTTIx_qfypkV1oizQwE_nBjD8hAW4G7x6PXq9PYwgs5IY
- Food Tribe https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/food-tribe/id1440417232?mt=2&fbclid=IwAR0dADVs36_TgBDzSHIBmFB5JhY6wgag9RpnaX5B8NWjVvB1QTB7Cz5tkjU
- The DaddyBe Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daddybe-podcast/id1447237794?mt=2&fbclid=IwAR1wUDvNi9dl3vvWzuGPlGydgxiU7evJWKYJrjY-cgrfaWRPRF_xsralitU
- I Have Dreams Dammit! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-have-dreams-dammit/id1449508412?fbclid=IwAR0hmiKzF2ABgaqGwQVskxF-OQTV14v9uj1kTlLydvqFvST3kySb76YrKVw
- Lessons from a Quitter https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lessons-from-a-quitter/id1412305413?mt=2
- Do the Damn Thing https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/do-the-damn-thing/id1437481006?mt=2
- Creative Cravings https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-cravings/id1451813556?mt=2&fbclid=IwAR3pbdpDTUdZHiowOls8Ixf03l4XraMUaB4bS66F3b9LQYrBe-p3uA6XpMo
- Elder & Wiser https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/elder-wiser/id1453289708?fbclid=IwAR34ZTDVUcdIcHtt9tA1b67Z-WhmDtzM2GnTC8x4huJaS-YOowi1ij1Od2o
- Hustle Heartbreaks https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hustle-heartbreaks/id1453207903?fbclid=IwAR2NAhma5OpBfR7P-XjMymAvDJhWVcvnizb5TqjZ5IncJIH4e8U49ai9nh0
- Find Your Glee With Dinah G https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/find-your-glee-with-dinah-g/id1451375805?mt=2&fbclid=IwAR1_c5kV2wvsaFxwDe7zCMpyx047mtHl4eqskA0rc-FaPoIw-Hi8p84TYH0
- Fiercely Human https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fiercely-human/id1458152113?mt=2&fbclid=IwAR2naSYYKVM_alyHraRPfggoxpA_UrRVVTw8HhIW8X5PT76bJxYUaqgEIOE
And our teacher…
- Don’t Keep Your Day Job https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-keep-your-day-job/id1191831035?mt=2
Stop Writing Alone 
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