I am not an expert on query letters, although I am getting a lot of practice. I thought someone might want to learn along with me. Lesson #1: Finish your manuscript This may seem obvious, but it is the first step. At least for fiction. Non-fiction projects have their own set of rules, and if I ever travel down that path, I will include them in my lessons learned. For now, I am focusing on fiction queries. What do I mean by “finish your manuscript?” Have a complete story: beginning, middle, and end—but that’s not all. Do not start sending out queries after your first draft. There is a reason we call them first drafts. They need to be polished. So, once you have your beginning, middle, and end, then go back and edit. Edit as many times as it takes to get it right. Give it to someone else to read. Someone you trust to be honest, even if they don’t like it. Join a critique group. A good group is hard to find, but oh so valuable. It takes a village to write a good book. I’ve worked as a legal secretary for 20+ years. I was lucky enough to have a mentor who taught me 3 basic steps in the editing process of any document.
Again, seems simple enough, but everyone—EVERYONE—will misspell a word somewhere, sometime. You can have 10 different people read your work, and misspelled words will still slip through the cracks. The goal is to send out the most professional looking work possible. Polish until you can see your face in the reflection.
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AuthorMy dad has a copy of a story I wrote when I was 9 or 10 years old called My Life as a Clothes Hanger. I thought if I ever wrote a memoir, that would be my title.Then it hit me, I have a blog I never use... Archives
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