 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.  The Essentials Agents emphasize clarity, personalization, and a strong hook. Use their name in the introduction as opposed to ‘Dear Agent,’ ‘Dear Sir or Madam,’ or simply ‘Hello.’ This shows you’ve researched them. It’s also great to add a line about why you’re querying them in particular. If there’s something you admire about the agent, such as an interview they’ve done, or an article they’ve written, mention it. Maybe you love a book the agent has represented, or perhaps you have deep respect for the agency they work for. Be sure to mention those things! Adding a personal touch and specifics are always a good idea. Nathan Bransford, a former literary agent and author, echoes this in his guide to query writing: “Be as specific as possible about the plot, rather than descending into generalities. Key details about your characters and setting will make it come alive.” He adds, “Especially for fiction, try as much as possible to write the query letter so that it embodies the spirit of your project. If your book is funny, write a funny query letter. If your book is written with beautiful lyrical prose, write your query letter accordingly.” Another essential is mentioning your word count. Agents want to make sure that your book is within the guidelines for your genre’s book length. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for them to sell it to a publisher. Literary agents frequently get pitched novels that are 200,000 to 300,000 words. This tells the agent that the author hasn’t done their research.  Top Tips Jessica Faust of BookEnds Literary Agency suggests starting early: “Write your query before you write the book. The minute you have the idea, sit down and work on the blurb. The query blurb is essentially the key selling points of your idea. It can also be used as a broad outline for your book.” She also recommends feedback: “Get a query critique group. Before sending out any query, run it by a few trusted writing friends, but not those who’ve already read the book.” Kathy Green of Kathryn Green Literary Agency advises transparency: “My top tip would be to really convey the essence of the story or project in the query. Don’t be mysterious. Put it all in there, including anything relevant in your background or current life that adds to your platform.” Juliet Mushens of Mushens Entertainment stresses editing: “Get someone else to proofread your letter before sending it over. When you’re really close to something, it’s easy to see what is supposed to be there, but I lose track of the number of submissions that address me by the wrong name or have other big errors. You want to make sure you stand out for the right reasons.”  Pet Peeves Julie Gwinn of The Seymour Agency warns about basics: “My top peeve is when they spell my name wrong or I get the 'Dear Agent' query.” She also flags word count issues: “My top tip is to research word count. I get so many proposals and queries that are either too short or too long.” Lauren Bieker of FinePrint Literary Management lists several pet peeves: “Misspelling my name,” “Querying me with a genre that I have explicitly said I do not rep,” “Querying with a story that is 'unlike anything the world's ever seen'. If you can't find comparative titles for your book, neither will any publisher/marketing team,” and “Following up hourly/daily on a query (yes, this has happened).” Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency points out irrelevance: “Blatant disregard for the types of projects and genres that I’m looking for or interested in acquiring. You’re wasting your own valuable time as well as my own.” Gina Panettieri of Talcott Notch Literary Service agrees: “I think not paying any attention to what I actually represent and the requirements for a query are my biggest pet peeves because they waste so much of our time as a team.”  Looking Forward As these agents and publishing professionals illustrate, a great query letter should be concise, personalized, and compelling. Polish your query letter with these insights in mind, research agents thoroughly, and remember Nathan Bransford's advice: “Write the best query letter you can, be yourself, don’t overthink it too much, don’t sweat it if you realize the second after you sent it that you made a typo.” With persistence and the right pitch, your query letter will stand out and get your book the attention it deserves. Above all, always keep learning, develop a thick skin if you receive rejections, and keep moving forward. Enjoy the journey!  This post was complied by Brandy Vallance, a literary agent with Barbara Bova Literary Agency, an award-winning author, and a Story Consultant for Writing Day Workshops. Brandy is the winner of two national writing awards, one of which included a $20,000 prize. Her novel, THE COVERED DEEP, has been featured in USA Today & Writer’s Digest. WITHIN THE VEIL has been called “passionate and riveting” and Publisher’s Weekly encourages those who like sweeping Scottish sagas to dive in because “the journey is wonderful.” Brandy loves helping writers break the chains of fear and self-doubt. You can find out more at brandyvallance.com.  Attend a Writers Conference in 2026:
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