Literary agents are a bit like gold dust. For many writers, simply getting an agent is a bigger goal — and a bigger hurdle — than getting published. The trouble is that agents are incredibly busy. Most are utterly flooded with queries. Just acknowledging all the submissions can be a full-time job.
The quickest way to thin out the stack is to discard any query that has any notable imperfection, regardless of the content. That means most agents first read queries looking for any excuse to say no. Yes, they want great books, but they don’t have time to read a chapter of everything.
I’ll be direct: writing a query letter is an exercise in advertising, not writing. The goal is to make the agent curious, and get them to take a closer look — at which point, your fantastic manuscript can hook them. A query letter isn’t there to detail every aspect of your book, or explain how much you want to be a writer, or offer endorsements from second-hand friends. The only goal is to sell the agent on the idea of reading more.
Unfortunately, advertising is a very different beast to prose. Many of the great writers would never have been published, if they had been forced to compete for agent attention in the current publishing climate. The skill-set required is just too different, and a lot of authors just aren’t all that good at self-promotion.
I can help. Yes, I’ve written more than 100 books, and worked as a publisher, an editor, a proof-reader, and an agent. But I’ve also worked in advertising — poster campaigns, radio slots, newsprint ads, flyers, mailings, and so on. I know what’s needed to get agents to take your book seriously, and I have the ability to prepare all the material you need.
The Ghostwoods Writer’s Aid pack includes:
* A compelling query letter.
* A punchy one-sentence ‘log line’ that sums up your book.
* A half-page summary of your manuscript.
* A one-page synopsis.
* A selection of works that your book is comparable to, and the differences that make it stand out.
* Detailed information on how to target your query letter to individual agents.
Now that the introductory period is over, I’m afraid I’ve got to price the pack to reflect the work involved. You can get your Ghostwoods Writer’s Aid pack for £200 — somewhere in the region of $320 depending on the day’s exchange rate. Once you factor in reading the book carefully a couple of times, each pack takes several days to prepare and polish. Click on the paypal button below, and email your manuscript via the link beneath that. You can also get me at the same address if you have any queries.
WRITER’S AID PACK: £200
… and remember to email your manuscript:
Click here to email me at my gmail, which is ghostwoodsbooks.
