Query Letter

Step 1

**What Is Your Why?**

To keep pushing yourself through this long journey, your secret weapon is knowing your why.

In one sentence, tell me why you write.

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Step 2

Channeling Your Fears Into Motivation

Writer’s fear can be a great motivator to make you a better, more productive, hardworking writer. So don’t deny your fear, acknowledge that it’s valid and let it humble you and motivate you to always do your absolute best.

Write out what scares you and why you’re right to be scared.

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Step 3

What Writing Your Book Will Do For You

Tell why you ABSOLUTELY must write your book.

List your reasons

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Step 4

Your Writing Schedule

You’ve accommodated your obligations and even scheduled procrastination. Check your plan regularly and stay on pace, and you’ll hit your deadline!

If you need, print out this calendar that you can modify yourself.

What will your weekly schedule look like?

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How many pages do you aim to complete per week?

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List your preferred writing pace. How many pages will you aim to complete per week?

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Roughly how many pages will your novel be?

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Divide your total number of pages by your pages per week.

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What are your benchmarks—the bite-sized goals for your book?

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How will you celebrate each benchmark?

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On which calendar will you post all these mini-goal dates and your deadlines?

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Step 5

Books to Read

Writers are readers; good writers are good readers; great writers are great readers.

List five books in your genre you plan on reading

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List five books on writing you plan on reading

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Step 6

Before and After

One of the best ways to build confidence is to review how far you’ve come. Use this area to post a before-and-after of 300-500 words from your manuscript. See how well you’ve ferociously self-edited it.

Copy and Paste Your "Before"

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Copy and Paste Your "After"

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Step 7

Reader Profile

Every word you write should have your READER in mind.

Who is most likely going to benefit from your book (gender, average age)?

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What do you want to communicate to them?

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What do they strive for?

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What's their socio-economic status?

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What are their struggles?

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What are their hopes and dreams?

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Step 8

Local Writing Groups

Check with your library, your community center, Meetup.com, and Word Weavers International to find writing groups in your area.

List local writing groups and include when they meet.

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Step 9

You want to grab an agent or publisher’s Attention by piquing their Interest in your book and making them Desire it by telling them why you believe it would work in the marketplace — including why you’re the person to write it — and finally spurring them to Action by asking them to respond positively.

Paste your Query Letter Here

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List the five publishers or agents to whom you will send your query letter

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