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  • 1 Or 2 Day Seminar
  • Online: Zoom
  • Adult (18+)

How to Write Query Letters

No Longer Enrolling

  • $130.00 Non-Member
  • $110.00 Member

Class Description

In this six-hour seminar, we'll learn how to write a query letter—the publishing world's "calling card" for submitting any book, article, essay, or op-ed to agents and editors. By examining sample query letters that actually worked, we'll go over different strategies to make sure you're describing your project with catchy, sharp, focused, and original language. We'll look at how to customize queries to appeal to a specific editor or agent, and go over the top mistakes writers make when pitching their projects. Bring a rough draft of a query letter you're working on and/or a synopsis or summary of your project. (If you don't have these written, bring notes.) We'll do in-class exercises to help you fine-tune your query letter skills and revise the letters you bring with you. We'll also discuss any questions you have about communicating with editors and agents. By the end of the seminar, you’ll have a revised query letter ready to send out. (NOTE: This seminar is NOT about submitting poems, short stories, screenplays, or literary nonfiction to literary magazines.)

Part of GrubStreet's "Get Published" series, dedicated to helping writers navigate the publishing world. For more on this series' offerings, click here

Scholarships Format/Location

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Zoom Participation:

Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.

Zoom Accessibility:

We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!