Roger Said:

How to cite references for a business letter?

We Answered:

see if this will help you...

http://faculty.uml.edu/rsiegel/APA_Style…

Ida Said:

When Writing A Query Letter To A Publisher....?

We Answered:

I've recently released several query letters to agents. It's my first attempt at catching an agent's notice, but I've done a lot of research. If you want to be successful in your endeavors, please read on. Note: I may mention agents, but this is a guide for both agents and publishers. I would, however, recommend you research agents and contact one to represent your work. They work for free; all up until the moment you've offiicially sold your writing.


To write a query letter, you need to know a few things:

1: What is the approximate word count of your FINISHED manuscript?
--- Yes, you must have a finished manuscript. No agent wants to see a proposal or query for an unfinished book.
--- If it's finished, an easy way to find out your word count is to copy-paste your manuscript into Word (or some other word processor). Word -- especially -- has a handy tool for calculating word count. Find Tools, then select Word Count. Round this number to the nearest hundred. There you have it. (Example: 94,758 words turns into "95,000")

2: What genre does your work fit into? Of course, you can guess, but I'd highly suggest you figure this out. Even high-fantasy is different than epic-fantasy, and the agent WILL notice the mistake in genre-labeling.

3: Title of your work, author of your work (hopefully you), and your summary pitch.
--- Title; (example: Harry Potter and the...) use the full title, not the series title (if it's a series, which it certainly doesn't have to be).
--- Author's name; your real name or pen name. Whichever you choose, stick to it. If it's your pen name, it's always alright (and sometimes considered proper) to mention that it's a fake name you write under, and that your real name is ___.
--- A summary pitch is a quick description of your book. I'm not going to go through the details here; you can find an explanation somewhere else. (Google is useful!)



Now that you have all of these things, it's time to write out your query. That you're even asking this question is a big sign to me that you haven't done your research, BUT... that doesn't mean you should fail in your attempt to contact agents or publishers.


A query letter (different than a proposal) consists of the above information and your own gratitude. They need nothing else. though, if more has been asked for, you need to include it!

To start off -- and this may be of little help -- include your own header (either typed, stamped, or stickied (professionally). Typically, an agent or publisher will want to see all of your contact information and some of their contact information before reading the main body of a query. There are reasons for this: They want to know who you are and whether or not you can even be reached, and they need to know that this message has been sent to them FOR them and not anyone else. Some people choose to include this sort of information at the left side of the page, stacked on top of itself in two groups (your info, agent/publisher's info). It's all up to you. Just make sure it's not cluttered and that the agent/publisher doesn't have to look everywhere to find your info.

Next!

Now, from what I've read, it's best to keep in mind time constraints. The agents, "publishers," and editors reading your query want you to get to the point. You have to include the most important information in a short amount of time. Try something like this:

First paragraph: Introduction ("It's a pleasure to be speaking to you... name is ____, writing under the pen name of ____...")
--- This should be your shortest paragraph, if included. Get the introduction over with in two or three short sentences. In this paragraph, include your story's name and approximate word count (don't use the word approximate; it's a pet peeve of many an editor and agent). When you're done, move to the next step.

Second paragraph: Your summary ("Set in the bla bla of bla bla, ____ follows the life of a..." or, even more interesting, "___main character___ has died from a bloody rape." This is called a hook, and no matter how silly it may sound, it will get an agent or editor to read the entire message. You don't always need a hook, but it's recommended. Also, it doesn't have to be about a bloody rape. ;) Make it something about your story.)

Third paragraph: Closing (details-->)
--- In your closing, you want to thank the person reading for their time (briefly!). You'll also want to make sure they know you have an SASE enclosed (self-addressed, stamped envelope), and that you're ready to send them an entire copy of your manuscript if they haven't already received it (along with anything else you have prepared).

When all is done, exit with your key-leave-line (made up the term; like "Dearly yours," or "Best of wishes," or "Looking forward to hearing from you," etcetera) and close the message with a footer including a list of ANYTHING enclosed. ("Enclosed: One sample chapter; Synopsis; SASE")


Damnit, too long.

Denise Said:

What do vs. rif/ns. rif stand for in an Italian Business letter?

We Answered:

Your ref(erence), Message of (date)
Our ref(erence), Message of (date)

Monica Said:

How, specifically, should I format a letter to a judge?

We Answered:

The Honorable (Name)
(Judge's Office Address)

Your Honor:

(Body of Letter)

Business format