Does anyone know how much personal detail you should put in your query letter. One of these guide things said you should write one paragraph of personal stuff but I'm debating what to include in that.

The thing is, in letters I've sent out so far I've put in that I'm on career break from my job as an engineer. Truthful, but there are a lot of preconceptions about engineers and I'm wondering if it's off-putting to some agents. Do they think I'm some dull as ditch water maths obsessed geek? Or have the rejection letters have made me paranoid!

Gina.

I have to say that the writer's occupation is the last thing on my mind when I initially read a submission, unless it has some bearing on the text (policeman writing a crime thriller etc). A bit of info to give me an idea of where you're coming from is useful and I know that some places ask the author to supply a CV. Personally I'm happy with the basic details at this sort of stage and don't need to hear the author's life history! I think it's better to be brief in the first instance and you can always supply additional information later on if they request it. And why shouldn't an engineer write? You see, this is why I have such a thing for Leonardo da Vinci - one hell of an artistic engineer (even if most of his designs would never have worked...) I don't see why art and science have to be mutually exclusive, but then that's just my tuppence worth.
So don't worry Gina, I'm sure no one's taking exception to your mathematical expertise!

Katie

Hi Ginag,
I think the engineer bit makes you sound interesting. You might have a different take on things to someone who has followed a more 'classic' writing path ( if that exists!)

Anyway, it's your writing that counts the most!

Good luck
Elspeth

Hi Gina

I agree with Elspeth. Having taught creative writing, and now reading manuscripts by writers (though not as a literary agent) I'm not interested in people's working history or qualifications, unles it is relevant. In otherwords, does your book rely on a persons engineering knowledge, if so I want to know that they know what they are talking about.

Also as someone who proofreads and edits, I need to know whether that person can turn the thechnobabble into English. Too much detail in the story will loose readers. So people with such indepth knowledge need to bee careful. Don't blind the layman with science. Choice words and phrases are enough.

If you arw writing something like crime fiction, and the whole issue relies on a specific piece of knowledge you need to be able to explain it.

Put simply, be careful with putting a qualification in a writers cv. It needs to be relevant to that fact that you are a writer and what you have written.

Phelim

What about if your main character is a shelfstacker and you started writing the book when doing the dreaded nightshift at safeways. Does that count or would it just make the writer look very sad?

Dav

Hi all,

I have a question about query letters so this seemed like an appropriate thread. Now I know this is a silly question, but do you have to put the agent's address on your query letter as well as your own? Letter writing was never one of my talents! Thanks.

I always write letters with my own address in the top right, with the addressee's details below it on the left.

Habit from coresponding with solicitors, I think.

Me too. If nothing else, when you're doing multiple submissions, it adds that extra little frisson... will you put the right letter in the right envelope?

Seriously, what IB says is standard format for a business letter. And, if you want to become a publisehd writer, you have to approach stuff like this in a business-like way.

Good luck.

Dee
x

<Added>

which includes spelling 'published' correctly... !

x

Thank you both.

Now I have another silly question. I've only been able to find white padded A4 envelopes for my submissions, but I'm worried that white envelopes won't seem very business-like. Are white envelopes OK to use?

Most publishers seem to use white padded envelopes...
Katie