How do you write a query letter for a novel?
Begin with the novel's title, genre, and word count. Introduce your protagonist, the inciting incident, and the stakes for that character. Include a bio paragraph if you have previous publishing credits or similar professional background. Be concise, follow the agent's specific guidelines, and customize it as appropriate. This is meant to pique interest, not summarize the entire novel.
How to write a query letter for a novel
A query letter is a brief business letter you send to literary agents to request that they read your book. A query should entice an agent to want to read your book but you don't have to tell them about every single chapter and event of your story.
Start with the basic information
The title, genre and approximate word count of the novel: The title of the novel is "Dance With Me," the genre is Romance and the approximate word count is 80,000 words. What follows is a short pitch of the main character, the situation, the central conflict and what she stands to lose. (If it's a hybrid genre, then make your description clearly convey your main market and potential audience.)
Keep the story focused
The story paragraph should typically follow your main character's goal and the challenges blocking him. State what he must choose, the peril, the secret, the aftermath. Finish on the main dilemma or a question of consequence. You don't have to tell the whole plot, and most query letters don't have to give away the ending unless the agent wants a synopsis.
Tell the agent about yourself
Add a brief bio paragraph here if you have any relevant publishing credits, professional experience in connection with the subject matter of the novel, awards, or any other kind of audience that you have assembled. Keep these details focused on the project. If you don't have relevant credits, don't apologize and don't invent any. Just focus on the novel.
Follow the agent's instructions
Double check that the agent does represent your genre, and that he or she is accepting submissions. Find out if they require sample pages, a synopsis or a particular format and follow the guidelines strictly. If you are emailing your submission, use a clear subject line and a simple font so it's readable.
Proofread your query and the manuscript pages on their own. A strong premise could be undermined by imprecise language, superfluous back-story, basic mistakes, or mailing your letter to the incorrect agent. You may even want to present the pitch to people who don't already know the tale. Their questions can give you insight into what should be clarified.