How Much Should You Personalize a Query Letter?

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When I worked astatine a mid-size commercialized patient (from 1998-2010), 1 of my superior responsibilities was acquisitions. I evaluated queries and proposals coming successful and besides recruited writers I wanted to activity with.

Whether nan materials were difficult transcript aliases digital, 1 point was nan same: very fewer were addressed to maine personally unless they came from a literate agent. And moreover less seemed to show a bully knowing of what types of books my institution published.

Whenever thing came successful that demonstrated nan writer aliases supplier understood what we published—and could explicate why nan projected book was a bully fit—I instantly paid adjacent attraction and put much thought and attraction into my response. If it was a rejection, I tried to explicate nan honorable specifications of why and, furthermore, if I could spot a measurement to successfully reposition nan book for our needs.

This is why I often counsel writers to personalize their query letters, whether they are approaching an supplier aliases an editor. It shows you’ve done your homework and you’re selecting nan recipient pinch immoderate care. It’s overmuch amended salesmanship to person immoderate level of customization that demonstrates appreciation of nan recipient’s needs and wants.

However, immoderate agents (and editors) person spoken retired against customization aliases personalization, going truthful acold arsenic to opportunity such methods backfire. When I speak aliases activity pinch writers, location is understandably immoderate disorder arsenic to really to champion proceed. Personalize aliases no?

The reply tin beryllium analyzable and is based connected nan pursuing factors.

1. If nan supplier aliases editor has said publically they don’t for illustration personalized queries, don’t do it.

This is simple: you’ll ever beryllium a amended income personification erstwhile you’re aligning your transportation pinch nan stated desires aliases submission guidelines of nan recipient.

2. If your personalization is weak, don’t bother.

Some group customize their queries by saying thing like, “I spot from Writer’s Market that you’re looking for thrillers.”

Well, truthful what? That’s not peculiarly convincing aliases absorbing accusation to nan agent. It doesn’t opportunity thing astir you aliases your activity that they wouldn’t prime up from nan remainder of nan query.

Some writers will effort to spell a measurement further, look astatine nan agent’s submission guidelines, website, aliases blog, and past insert nan agent’s ain connection into their query arsenic a measurement to personalize nan letter. Again, you’re telling nan supplier thing they already know. At best, it’s astir apt neutral information; astatine worst, it could beryllium annoying.

However, location tin beryllium ways to do this that are charming aliases effective. For instance:

“I travel your blog and cognize you are presently looking for paranormal romances—without vampires aliases werewolves—and want to connection my caller for your consideration.”

There’s a spot of a wink and a motion here, and it’s improbable to beryllium annoying to an supplier who apt appreciates personification is paying adjacent attention.

3. Avoid being excessively individual aliases chummy.

Sometimes it’s awesome to unfastened pinch a paragraph that acknowledges that you met nan agent, conversed connected societal media, aliases had immoderate different benignant of interaction. When you mention this benignant of thing, you chiefly want to do it to spark their memory: “Oh, right, I retrieve this personification from nan San Francisco transportation event.”

But it’s imaginable to spell excessively acold and evoke a coziness that isn’t really appropriate. For example:

Avoid

“We chatted concisely astatine nan San Francisco Writers Conference reception, wherever I bought you a solid of merlot. I dream your 2 schnauzers didn’t miss you excessively much—I can’t carnivore to beryllium distant excessively agelong from mine. It must beryllium difficult to recreation truthful overmuch for your work.”

Better

“We chatted concisely astatine nan San Francisco Writers Conference reception and later I sounded you [such-and-such work]. I’m pursuing up pinch nan requested materials.”

There aren’t immoderate hard-and-fast rules arsenic to what’s “too much,” but don’t effort to impact an intimacy that doesn’t exist. Especially if you’ve ne'er met nan personification successful question, tread carefully—it’s easy to travel disconnected arsenic creepy if you’ve been stalking personification online and recovered specifications they wouldn’t want aliases expect you to reference successful a query. (“I spot 7 years agone that you went connected a agelong vacation in Italy pinch your family. My caller is group successful Italy…”)

4. Do mention circumstantial books represented aliases published, but don’t overly flatter.

It’s difficult to find an supplier aliases editor who doesn’t for illustration it erstwhile you show knowledge of their clients aliases list. It’s perfect if you tin reference specified activity successful narration to your own, aliases definitive enthusiasm for it successful immoderate measurement that mightiness link it to nan activity you’re pitching. But it’s not mandatory.

However, debar buttering up aliases flattering nan supplier to a grade that makes you look silly aliases subservient. Talk astir their database aliases their clients successful a measurement that shows you person knowledge of nan literate scenery aliases that appreciates their spot successful it. This useful champion if you tin beryllium specific, alternatively than saying thing that could beryllium lifted and placed into immoderate query missive for immoderate agent/editor. (“You’re nan top and person nan champion clients!”)

In fact, that last spot is simply a bully norm of thumb for immoderate personalization: The much you could perchance assistance that connection and insert it successful immoderate query, sloppy of who’s receiving it, nan little meaningful it is.

The bare minimum

At nan very least, reside nan supplier by name. And spell nan sanction correctly! Avoid first sanction only, since it whitethorn travel disconnected arsenic excessively casual.

For much thief connected queries

• How to Write a Query Letter: Novels
• How to Write a Query Letter: Nonfiction and Memoir
• I besides connection a master people connected query letters, pinch a critique component.