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| At elite Hilliard Prep School, the competition is fierce, the gossip is worse, and Blake has just arrived back on campus after an unexplained two-year absence. |
| Step behind the velvet rope with this powerful and hilarious field guide, and unlock the secrets to popularity and personality. |
I've heard it said (and I agree) that a good query letter could double as flap copy. That is,
the description of your book that you pitch to agents could wind up on the back cover.
Strangely, this is what happened with my query letter, written in 2004, and my flap copy,
written in 2006.
From my query (written by me)
If you take your IQ and multiply by 10, that’s what you’ll score on the SAT. Friendship is
more important than summer school. The guidance counselor is only good for a letter of
rec, and sometimes not even that. A bad reputation is harder to overcome than a missed
assignment.
These are things that rising seniors Charley, Marissa, Blake, and Skylar realize during
their first few weeks at the elite Hilliard Prep’s summer session. In my latest young adult
novel, "Better Than Yesterday," these four protagonists come together after a student
suicide and struggle to find purpose as they slip into a firm friendship. Then Blake
breaks down, leaves a cryptic note, and takes off for New York City. Skylar, Charley and
Marissa sacrifice their perfect transcripts when they ditch summer session to find him.
From my flap copy (written by my editor, Jodi)
If you take your IQ and multiply it by ten, that's what you'll score on the SAT's. Popped
collars are for preps, not fashionistas. Summer session isn't for slackers.
At the elite Hilliard Preparatory School, the competition is fierce, the gossip is worse,
and Blake Dorsey has just arrived back on campus after an unexplained two-year
absence. Skylar Banks has a hunch Blake’s in trouble. Skylar is the most likely
candidate for valedictorian, but she’s no stranger to tricky situations herself. She’s got a
reputation for taking her relationships straight from JV to varsity, and that rep is about to
catch up with her. Charley Morton doesn’t have time for Blake’s problems—not if he
plans to get into Harvard the way his parents expect, or to win over his dream girl (AKA
Skylar). But then Blake takes off for New York City, and Charley, Skylar, and her
roommate, Marissa, have no choice but to risk their perfect transcripts to find him. It’s a
journey that will change the way they see each other—and themselves—forever.
What can we learn from this? To write a good query letter, read flap copy of books
similar to yours. See how the publisher decided to spin the plot, and ask yourself why
they did this. One of the problems that most writers have with their query letters is that
they can't figure out how to have that letter echo their "voice." Instead of worrying about
voice, write the query letter as though it's going to be read by your target audience. For
YA, instead of writing to an agent, write to a fourteen-year-old. If you can't picture your
pitch on the back of a finished book, figure out why. Does it reveal too much? Too little?
Does it talk too much about plot instead of focusing on characters and how they feel
about that plot?
The feeling you've had in a bookstore by picking up a book, reading the description, and
saying, "Wow, I want to read this!" is the same feeling you want an agent to have after
reading your query letter. So remember: a good query letter can double as flap copy.
MORE ADVICE COMING SOON! <3
the description of your book that you pitch to agents could wind up on the back cover.
Strangely, this is what happened with my query letter, written in 2004, and my flap copy,
written in 2006.
From my query (written by me)
If you take your IQ and multiply by 10, that’s what you’ll score on the SAT. Friendship is
more important than summer school. The guidance counselor is only good for a letter of
rec, and sometimes not even that. A bad reputation is harder to overcome than a missed
assignment.
These are things that rising seniors Charley, Marissa, Blake, and Skylar realize during
their first few weeks at the elite Hilliard Prep’s summer session. In my latest young adult
novel, "Better Than Yesterday," these four protagonists come together after a student
suicide and struggle to find purpose as they slip into a firm friendship. Then Blake
breaks down, leaves a cryptic note, and takes off for New York City. Skylar, Charley and
Marissa sacrifice their perfect transcripts when they ditch summer session to find him.
From my flap copy (written by my editor, Jodi)
If you take your IQ and multiply it by ten, that's what you'll score on the SAT's. Popped
collars are for preps, not fashionistas. Summer session isn't for slackers.
At the elite Hilliard Preparatory School, the competition is fierce, the gossip is worse,
and Blake Dorsey has just arrived back on campus after an unexplained two-year
absence. Skylar Banks has a hunch Blake’s in trouble. Skylar is the most likely
candidate for valedictorian, but she’s no stranger to tricky situations herself. She’s got a
reputation for taking her relationships straight from JV to varsity, and that rep is about to
catch up with her. Charley Morton doesn’t have time for Blake’s problems—not if he
plans to get into Harvard the way his parents expect, or to win over his dream girl (AKA
Skylar). But then Blake takes off for New York City, and Charley, Skylar, and her
roommate, Marissa, have no choice but to risk their perfect transcripts to find him. It’s a
journey that will change the way they see each other—and themselves—forever.
What can we learn from this? To write a good query letter, read flap copy of books
similar to yours. See how the publisher decided to spin the plot, and ask yourself why
they did this. One of the problems that most writers have with their query letters is that
they can't figure out how to have that letter echo their "voice." Instead of worrying about
voice, write the query letter as though it's going to be read by your target audience. For
YA, instead of writing to an agent, write to a fourteen-year-old. If you can't picture your
pitch on the back of a finished book, figure out why. Does it reveal too much? Too little?
Does it talk too much about plot instead of focusing on characters and how they feel
about that plot?
The feeling you've had in a bookstore by picking up a book, reading the description, and
saying, "Wow, I want to read this!" is the same feeling you want an agent to have after
reading your query letter. So remember: a good query letter can double as flap copy.
MORE ADVICE COMING SOON! <3
FROM QUERY LETTER TO FLAP COPY:
