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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/40796
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/40796
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I suggest you find, buy and read the book "Get a Literary Agent" by Chuck Sambuchino; (on Amazon or Barnes & Noble) it is a good start and also a good antidote to much online advice. If your queries are not getting answered, **there is something wrong with your query.** Not necessarily something wrong with your book.

That said, it sounds to me like you wrote for the wrong reason, at least the wrong reason to get sold. That may come through in your query, as well. Agents want non-fiction if you are teaching, and only take fiction that is **entertaining** , because entertainment value is what sells books and (perhaps) movie tickets.

If you are pitching your book as a wake-up-call, agents will turn you down immediately. And if you have queried 500 agents, you shouldn't query them again.

No matter what your motivation for writing, you **must** pitch your book as an entertainment _and nothing else_, with a plot. Don't tell the agent how much you researched it, they don't care. You get about 3 lines for your bio, in which you can mention your qualifications to write such a story, that will help sell it and tell the agent you probably haven't made any ridiculous mistakes.

Your query letter text is 85% relating the plot (with a couple lines for setting if needed) and something about one or two main characters: a setup, the Act I inciting incident, the first complication, that's it! You don't reveal the ending or what else happens. This is much like jacket copy; it is a teaser to see if the agent wants to read further.

Sell your book as a story (and if need be rewrite to BE a story). All the research is "backstage", your plot and character actions should stay true to the research, but you put as little as possible into the book; you should only detail elements that directly influence the plot or actions or complications.

Do not query very many agents at once. Query 10, if you get no responses, work on your query again. Personalize the query to the agent.

Get the book and learn how to do it right!

Original score: 8