Free Query Letter Generator
Draft a properly structured letter to literary agents in minutes, then polish it with the conventions that actually govern the slush pile: one page, a hook that earns the next sentence, honest comp titles, and a bio that stays out of the way. Everything below reflects standard industry practice — individual agents' guidelines always win.
Query Letter Generator
Get a professional query letter template tailored to your genre. Fill in the brackets and send to literary agents.
Your Query Letter Template
💡 Query Letter Tips
- • Personalize every letter. Mention why you're querying this specific agent.
- • Keep it to one page. Agents read hundreds of queries. Be concise.
- • Lead with the hook. Your opening line should make them want to read more.
- • Use recent comp titles (published within the last 3 years) in the same genre.
- • Follow their guidelines exactly. Each agent has specific submission preferences.
- • Don't oversell. Let the story speak for itself — avoid phrases like "the next Harry Potter."
Quick answer: how do you write a query letter?
Write one page, 250–350 words, in three movements: a hook paragraph that presents your protagonist, conflict, and stakes without spoiling the ending; a metadata paragraph stating title, genre, word count, and two recent comparable titles; and a short bio noting relevant credentials. Address a specific agent, follow their submission guidelines exactly, and send in researched batches of eight to twelve.
Query letter format: what agents expect to see
The form is rigid so the content can shine. A standard email query reads top to bottom like this:
Subject line & salutation
Most agencies specify a subject format ("QUERY: Title — Genre"). Use the agent's actual name, spelled correctly — "Dear Agent" letters tend to be deleted on sight.
The hook (one to two paragraphs)
Protagonist, want, obstacle, stakes — rendered in the manuscript's voice. This is jacket copy for an audience of one professional reader, and it should raise a question only the full pages can answer.
The metadata paragraph
Title (in caps or italics), category and genre, rounded word count, and comp titles. One sentence of personalization fits here if you have a genuine reason this agent is the right reader.
The bio & sign-off
Two or three lines: publication credits, relevant expertise, or profession — and nothing apologetic. No credits? Skip the padding; debut authors are signed constantly. Close with thanks and your contact details.
Comp titles and word count: the credibility signals
Agents read your metadata paragraph the way a lender reads a credit report. Comparable titles prove you know where your book sits on the shelf — the sweet spot is two books from the last handful of years that performed well without being lottery-ticket phenomena. Cross-media comps ("the sibling rivalry of Succession in a culinary setting") work when they communicate tone faster than book comps would.
Word count answers a production question: can this be printed, priced, and shelved in its category? Debut adult fiction clusters around 70,000–100,000 words, with genre-specific stretch (epic fantasy runs longer, category romance shorter). Numbers far outside the band tell an agent the manuscript likely needs structural editing before it is sellable — a conclusion you do not want reached in paragraph three.
Querying strategy: batches, tracking, and the waiting game
Build a researched list
Use agency websites, deal announcements, and databases to find agents actively acquiring your genre. Verify each one's open/closed status and wishlist the week you send — both change often.
Send in waves
Batch of 8–12, wait for signal, revise, repeat. Requests but no offers? The pages need work. No requests at all? The letter does. Data first, despair later.
Handle offers professionally
An offer of representation starts a clock: notify every agent holding your query or manuscript, give a stated decision window (one to two weeks is customary), and interview the offering agent before saying yes.
And a guardrail worth repeating: money flows toward the author. Legitimate agents charge no reading fees and earn only commission on sales. Anyone selling you "guaranteed agent review" is running a different business than publishing.
Querying is one path. You can also just publish.
Plenty of authors query and self-publish in parallel — different books, different strategies. When you want the direct route, Automateed takes a project from outline to finished files with 16+ structured book creators, a free preview before you enter any card details, free PDF export (EPUB and DOCX on premium), a step-by-step KDP wizard, and a marketplace for selling direct. Plans: $25/month for 8 book generations, $50/month for 30.
Query letter FAQ
What exactly is a query letter?
A one-page business letter asking a literary agent to consider representing your book. It compresses three things into roughly 250–350 words: a pitch that makes the premise irresistible, the vital statistics (title, genre, word count, comparable titles), and a line or two about who you are. Its only job is to earn a request for pages — not to tell the whole story.
How long should a query letter run?
Aim for 250–350 words of body text; going past a single page is the classic rookie signal. Agents triage large volumes of queries quickly, so a letter that respects their time by being tight and specific already stands out from the pile.
How is a query different from a synopsis?
The query teases; the synopsis tells. A query withholds the ending and sells the hook in a page. A synopsis is a separate one-to-two page document that walks through the full plot — ending included — and is only sent when an agent’s guidelines request it. Mixing up the two is one of the most common submission mistakes.
Can I query multiple agents at once?
Yes — simultaneous querying is standard practice today, and agents assume it. The etiquette points: never send one mass email with visible recipients, mention “this is a multiple submission” only if an agent’s guidelines ask, and if one agent offers representation, promptly notify the others still holding your materials.
How many agents should be in my first batch?
A common approach is 8–12 carefully chosen agents, not your entire list. The first batch is a test flight: if you get zero page requests, the letter (or opening chapters) needs revision before you burn through the remaining names. Track every send, response, and request in a spreadsheet or a tool like QueryTracker.
How long do agent responses take — and what does silence mean?
Posted response windows commonly range from a few weeks to three months, and many agencies now operate on “no response means no.” Check each agency’s stated policy before nudging; a polite status check is acceptable after their window passes, or immediately if you receive an offer elsewhere.
Do legitimate agents charge reading or submission fees?
No. Reputable agents earn a commission — customarily 15% on domestic deals — only when they sell your book. Professional codes of ethics in the industry prohibit charging writers to read manuscripts. Treat any “reading fee,” “marketing fee,” or paid critique funnel as a bright red flag.
Must the manuscript be finished before I query?
For fiction, yes — agents expect a complete, revised novel, because a partial can’t be sold. Nonfiction plays by different rules: it is typically pitched with a book proposal (overview, market analysis, chapter outline, sample chapters) rather than a full manuscript, and your platform carries significant weight.
What word count should my book be to query?
Commonly cited comfort zones: adult commercial and literary fiction around 70,000–100,000 words, epic fantasy stretching above that, young adult roughly 50,000–90,000, and middle grade shorter still. These are conventions rather than laws — but a 210,000-word debut thriller makes rejection easy, so know the norms of your shelf before submitting.
What makes a good comp title?
A book (or occasionally a show or film) that shares your audience, published recently enough — ideally within about five years — to prove there is a current market. The strongest comps are mid-list successes rather than genre-defining megahits; “Harry Potter meets Gone Girl” signals unfamiliarity with the market, not ambition.
Should I personalize every query?
Personalize where it is true and useful: the agent’s stated wishlist matches your book, they represent an author you legitimately comp, or you met them at a conference. One genuine sentence beats a paragraph of flattery. When you have no real connection, skip it — a strong pitch needs no small talk.
If I use this generator, will agents notice a template?
The generator gives you professional structure — hook placement, metadata paragraph, bio order — but the details that sell a book are yours: the premise, the stakes, the voice. Treat the output as scaffolding and rewrite every sentence in the manuscript’s own energy. Agents reject generic letters, not structured ones.
Tools for the submission package
Draft the synopsis agents request alongside the query.
Sharpen the bio paragraph that closes your letter.
The same pitch skills, aimed at readers instead of agents.
A stronger title makes a stronger first line.
Make sure your sample pages read as clean as your pitch.
Outreach templates for after the book exists.
Don't wait six months for a form rejection
Build and publish the book yourself — the preview costs nothing and needs no card.