Query letters are the gateway to traditional publishing, serving as your first introduction to a literary agent (unless you meet an agent at a Writing Day Workshops conference).

A well-crafted query can open the door to working with the agent of your dreams, but a poorly executed query will close the door, and the agent will never look at your manuscript's first page. 

But what do agents really want? Sometimes you hear conflicting information, and it’s hard to know what’s expected. Here are some quotes from literary agents about what they look for. Who knows—you just might find your dream agent within these lines. 

How does a literary agent define their dream client? This is an important question because it’s one that factors into an agent’s mindset before and after they sign you. 
 
Once an agent falls in love with your book, the next step is usually arranging a phone call or Zoom call. This is your opportunity to ask questions and see if the agent aligns with your vision, but the agent will also be doing the same. 
 
For an agent to fully invest and give you an offer of representation, they want to know if you’d work well together—and more. And every agent has a different set of requirements on their mind. 
 
Here are some thoughts from literary agents, which may be helpful as you’re thinking about sculpting your career. 
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