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How not to write a query letter

Bondi Beach ๐Ÿšซ

The advice at Query Shark on how to write a good query letter is as funny (and useful) as his examples of what not to write.

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Replies:   Vincent Berg
Vincent Berg ๐Ÿšซ

@Bondi Beach

Forget the "Query Letter", his advice is spot on for writing a story blurb.

Replies:   Joe_Bondi_Beach
Joe_Bondi_Beach ๐Ÿšซ

@Vincent Berg

Oops. I used the wrong pronoun. It's a "she."

I agree about the blurb: indeed, the not-very-sub subtext is that writing a good query reveals very quickly problems in your story.

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Replies:   Vincent Berg
Vincent Berg ๐Ÿšซ

@Joe_Bondi_Beach

I agree about the blurb: indeed, the not-very-sub subtext is that writing a good query reveals very quickly problems in your story.

Forget the story, how many times have you seen a typo in a story blurb and figured 'this guy's just not serious' and never considered another of their stories. Not putting the effort in reflect poorly on you as a writer in general (says he who rarely edits what he says in these forum discussions!)

richardshagrin ๐Ÿšซ

In my incarnation as reviewer, I don't always point out particular technical errors. In a aggregate way they affect the Technical score. But I do tend to mention typos in the story discussion because they are seen by so many potential readers. I have sent emails to authors pointing out those kinds of problems. Even harder to justify are errors in a story title. Even the best or most popular of authors make these kinds of oops. A. Kind and his Queen is a recent one, quickly corrected.

Replies:   sejintenej
sejintenej ๐Ÿšซ

@richardshagrin

Even harder to justify are errors in a story title. Even the best or most popular of authors make these kinds of oops. A. Kind and his Queen is a recent one, quickly corrected.

I'm not sure I would actually point such criticism effectively naming the author; that could have been a typo (and most of us do those).
What I haven't yet understood is the full stop / point after the first letter. To me that indicates it is the first element in a list. I suppose it could be the initial of the central figure but why?

Replies:   richardshagrin
richardshagrin ๐Ÿšซ

@sejintenej

The title quoted has a period after the A. The title is "A. King and his Queen". Sorry if you expected B. (something). I agree we seldom see that punctuation in a title, but its authors choice, as the story goes on there may be A. reason.

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