We have officially reached part ten in the querying guide (an update that wasn't part of the original guide)! When I first published this guide, I was in the middle of querying myself. But in May, I signed with a new agent: Jessica Faust at Bookends Literary. We went on submission shortly thereafter, and she sold my book within three weeks (!!!!!). It comes out in fall of 2025.
I also received one other offer for representation and had a few agents bow out because the turn around time was too tight (standard two weeks), though they were interested. In the spirit of transparency and helping others who are looking to get traditionally published, I wanted to share that query letter!
I included some notes about the query in bold brackets! Just a note that there is one little spoilery thing in the very last sentence of the fifth paragraph. I’ve put the text in white so you have to highlight it to read it. It’s not like a huge spoiler for the book, but if you’re planning to buy the book (which…thank you???) and don’t like any spoilers at all, maybe skip that.
Hi Jessica,
I recently amicably split with my literary agent and am in the process of seeking new representation. I saw that you’re actively seeking speculative fiction and magical realism, and that When Women Were Dragons and Sarah Addison Allen are favorites of yours. [Here’s the personalization specific to this agent] I write in a similar space, and while my latest project is a little bit darker, I think it could be a good fit for your list.
[This part is what I would call “the pitch.”] Two estranged sisters must find a way to come together and heal from generations of trauma as the clock ticks down on a thirteen-year curse. Told in interwoven timelines of the sisters and the witches who came before them, Honeysuckle House combines the dark, magical mystery of Spells for Forgetting with the haunted family history of Mexican Gothic. It would appeal to readers of Emma Törz’s Ink Blood Sister Scribe. [Did I mean to rhyme mystery and history? No, do I love it? Yes. Anyway, these are the comps. I was trying to convey story, audience, and tone.]
[Then this is the meat of the query] Florence and Evie Caldwell come from a long line of witches whose candle magic burns their desires into being. With each lit wick, their power infuses the places they call home, quite literally bringing them to life, including Honeysuckle House—the old Victorian where they grew up—and the enchanted bookstore on Main Street. But that magic has come at a cost. For more than seventy-five years, the family has been haunted by a curse. Once every thirteen years, someone dear to the Caldwells dies.
After the death of their abusive mother, Florence wants to abandon the house to protect them from the curse, but to Evie, the house is family. She won’t leave it behind. They turn to tarot for guidance, and the reading leads the sisters to two very different conclusions. Florence believes they should give up their magic, while Evie thinks they must use their magic for good, sharing it with the town. This drives a wedge between them. Until, thirteen years later, the sisters must contend with the curse once more.
Now a single mother of thirty-three, every year Evie draws tourists to Burdock Creek for a fall festival that culminates at their childhood-home-turned-bed-and-breakfast. While Florence has avoided the festival in year’s past, this October that isn’t enough. In four short days, the curse will be upon them. Florence tries to convince Evie to cancel the festival, but Evie refuses to give in to her sister’s wishes, convinced her good will has put an end to the curse. But when Honeysuckle House starts behaving dangerously, she begins to doubt her resolve. It’s not until the house catches fire four days before October 13th that Evie admits the people she loves are in danger.
This project was sent on proposal to my previous publisher as my option book, which they passed on. The manuscript is now complete at 112,000 words. [Y’all, this is the longest book I’ve ever written. A note that it is quite a bit shorter now in the draft I turned into my editor. It’s 95k (for now). I wouldn’t recommend querying a project that is this long for new authors. Try to keep it under 100k!]
[Lastly the bio!] My debut, In the Shadow Garden, was featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show and was named one of Reader’s Digest’s most anticipated books of 2022. My second novel, The Other March Sisters, is slated for publication in 2025 with Kensington and is a PW Buzz Book. It was co-written with two other authors and is a queer feminist take on the lives of Jo March's sisters, set in the world of Little Women.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Liz Parker (she/her)
IN THE SHADOW GARDEN | Out now!
THE OTHER MARCH SISTERS | A Buzz Books pick | Coming 2/25/25
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I hope that helps! This is the formula I tend to use for my queries and for my pitches in general:
Intro + Personalization (and any pertinent information such as if you have been agented before)
1-3 Sentence Pitch (including comps)
Query
Word count
Bio
Best of luck on your querying journey.