Why You Should Write the Query Before You Write the Book

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

I follow various agents on Substack, as well as on other social media, because they usually have good advice not just about what they are looking for, but about the publishing industry as well. 

Since they see so many queries - and so many that don’t work - I pay special attention when they talk about query letters. 

Query letters are the bane of many a writer’s life. How do you tell your brilliant story in just a paragraph or two? How to condense thousands of words into a few hundred? Your mind brims with character arcs and plot details. The longer and more complicated the story, the harder it feels to narrow it down to an enticing hook and paragraph.  

Most writers wait until they feel the book is ready to write the query. But writing the query before you write the book can be a great strategy, whether you are planning to traditionally publish or not.   

An agent on Substack recently wrote: “To save time and disappointment, consider writing your query letter at the idea stage. Query letters quickly expose a weak premise or one that’s difficult to pitch.”

Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the specific agent, but it’s not the first time I’ve heard this advice. Writing the query letter first allows you to test your premise, and see if it has legs. 

If it’s weak, it may not be strong enough to carry a full novel. If it’s lacking in stakes or consequences, it will be dull. If the main character doesn’t want something, or doesn’t change as a result of the story, readers won’t be invested. 

The key to creating a great query is to be specific. Not just “A girl survives a tornado and has to find her way back home,” but “When Dorothy survives a tornado and is transported to the strange land of Oz, she learns she has to risk her life against a wicked witch in order to go home again.”

Your query/premise check should answer the following questions:

WHO is the main character?

WHAT do they want most?

WHAT stands in their way? 

(See also this post: How to Nail Your Story Premise).

You need to flesh it out beyond the hook, of course. Write a paragraph or two expanding on the premise. Make it clear who Dorothy is, and what is at stake if she doesn’t get home. What are the complications that arise? 

For some excellent examples of great queries, (as well as what not to do) see the old Query Shark website. Look carefully at the queries that work, and why. How do they show emotional stakes, as well as external stakes? What makes you excited (or not) to read the story?

I know some writers are very protective of their idea as they’re developing it. That’s fine! Maybe you’ve done some thinking about the idea, you have specific characters and scenes in your head, and now you feel ready to roll. You think that doing this will be a way of strengthening your premise, and making sure you don’t get lost in the weeds. You like the idea of having a strong throughline to follow.

Or maybe you’re a pantser, and you want to bash out a first draft before anything else. You prefer to figure out the story as you go, even if you hit some dead ends. You don’t want your creativity to be boxed in too soon.   

Or you’re a perfect plotter, who likes to outline or storyboard everything first, and have a strong roadmap to follow as you write. 

You can write your query before you write a word, after you create your outline, or even after you create your first draft. You can refine it as you go. 

It doesn’t matter if you are planning to query agents or self-publish. You still want to test your premise, and make sure the character and plot arcs are clear. You want to make sure there is something at stake. A query letter is meant to entice the reader to read the opening pages. Think of it as back-jacket or front-flap copy. How will readers be drawn in to read the book?

Nailing down your premise, your hook, and your one-to-two paragraph summary are crucial tools for refining the story you want to tell. Take the time to do this early on, and save yourself months (or years) of wondering why your story isn’t working.

If you like this, head on over to the Contact Page and sign up to get my monthly newsletter featuring tips on creativity, productivity, and the writer’s craft.