The following cover letter is pretty plain-Jane, but I thought I'd share it with you. This is what I submitted to my publisher for my latest manuscript:
Dear ******,
I hope this note finds you well. I have completed a new Book of Mormon novel, tentatively titled Alma the Elder—a sequel to Abinadi—comprising the scriptures found in the Book of Mosiah 17-24.
In this volume, Alma flees the city of Nephi and establishes a new colony at the Waters of Mormon. Hundreds of believers follow him, but before long, they are pursued by the wicked priest Amulon, under the direction of King Noah.
Back in the city of Nephi, turmoil erupts and Gideon tries to kill King Noah. At the moment of near-death, Noah sees Lamanites breaching the borders of the land. True to his cowardly and brutal nature, he commands the men of the city to flee and leave their wives and children behind. Eventually King Noah meets his own demise—at the hands of his own people—and in the fiery manner as prophesied by Abinadi.
Alma, unaware of all the unrest and change of kings in the city of Nephi, settles in a valley he names the land of Helam. For years they prosper and grow as a people of faith. But corruption creeps in and the Lord sees fit to chasten His people. When Amulon arrives in the land of Helam with an army of Lamanites, the people of Alma are put into bondage. It will take returning to the purity of their faith in order for the Lord to hear their cries and bring deliverance at last.
It’s my intention to write one to two more volumes to round out this series, continuing with the lives of Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah. Chapter Notes, Epigraphs, Preface, two-page map, and other details are forthcoming. This manuscript is approximately 95,000 words. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Heather Moore
11 comments:
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but it seems like you finished this up pretty dang fast. Way to go, very good query--good luck.
Josi, I started the book in July, so it's probably a case of when someone's pregnancy goes a lot faster than yours. LOL.
You still write nice letters with your submissions? Wow. I'm a shmuck. My submissions are more like this: "Hi ***, Here's the manuscript I promised. Hope you like it."
Yes, it's fun to write because I know that it will actually be read and not put in a slush pile :) Plus it helps me with writing a "blurb" and using it for marketing later. (probably more than you wanted to know)
I hate writing query letters. Maybe because I write humor and query letters are dead serious, so no one can tell how you actually write. Plus some of my plots sound cliche even though they're not.
Sigh.
Good job on the query.
By the way, thanks for dropping by my blog.:-)
You are amazing to have this done! Loved abinidi and cannot wait to read Alma
I must admit my letters are like Annette's. I usuallly write: here's my baby, please don't kill it.
Thanks for sharing, Heather. And congrats on the raving reviews. I love these characters in the Book of Mormon, so I can't wait to read your novels about them.
WOW! What a great blog! i'll be back again! How exciting, I love the way you pitched this letter. I have an agent, so I'm crossing my fingers on getting published, we'll see. Jenni
Thanks, Jenni, and everyone else for stopping by!
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