How to Hook an Agent with Your Query Letter OnDemand Webinar

Traditional publishing and self-publishing are two legitimate distribution channels for literature. Whether you are pursuing an agent and a book deal or intending to go it on your own, you must understand how to pitch your book. Write a spectacular novel and then get it read! A superior pitch (in a superior query) is what you need to seal the deal.

What makes a pitch "hot"? What does the ideal query letter look like? What to include and what to avoid – it's a skill that includes more than just "make it short."

In this webinar, Sara will examine how to compose an effective query letter and how to use this tool to pursue publishing.

What you will learn:

• How to write an effective pitch: An author writes because s/he loves the art of literature. Publishing, though, is a business. And the number one tool an author needs to pursue publishing is the ability to clearly and concisely pitch their work in a way that attracts attention.
• How to use that pitch in traditional publishing models AND in self-publishing models: The publishing industry is changing under the momentum of the self-publishing/e-publishing revolution. Whether a writer wants a traditional book contract or a self-published novel, the pitch is the hook used to attract agents, editors and ultimately readers. Learn how to make yours competitive!
• How to mold that pitch into a query letter that stands out in the slush pile: What agents and editors look for in a query letter is simple and yet difficult to master. We will go, point by point, through a compelling query letter and finish up with a list of places to go for critiques, sample query letters and further resources.
• How to avoid common red flags and problems: Does your query open with hypothetical questions? Is it too long? Is it confusing or chaotic? Learn how to identify and avoid these common mistakes.

Speaker:
Instructor Sara Megibow has worked as a literary agent at the Nelson Literary Agency since 2006. Sara has successfully sold projects in a variety of genres and is doing very well at helping debut authors break in to the market. A few deals from 2010 include the debut young adult novel SCORE by Miranda Kenneally and debut erotic romance THE SIREN by Tiffany Reisz. Nelson Literary Agency is a member of: AAR, RWA, SFWA, SCBWI. Find Sara on Twitter as @SaraMegibow and online at nelsonagency.com.

Who should attend?

• Writers who feel they are ready for an agent to see their book and want to know how to get past the slush pile
• Writers who are interested in learning more about how an agent reviews query letters
• Writers who are actively submitting query letters and are curious about the reasons it may have gotten rejections
• Writers who are curious about self-publishing vs. traditional publishing and how they can make their novel stand out in the crowd in either model

OnDemand webinars do not include a critique.