What do agencies mean by "Query letter only?"?

-I understand the process of SASE, but I don't know what they mean by "Query Letter Only" ? What does it contain? Do I include synopsis or a bit of personal info (as in my education) ?Query letter only means do not include a synopsis or sample chapters. Your query should include the "back cover blurb" of your book, and a little bit of biographical information to introduce yourself. Your first line should be a hook that entices the agent to keep reading. Bio information should be relevant to what you're offering.



Avoid all superlatives (this is the best book ever! or You need to read/represent this! type stuff).



Be sure you include all appropriate contact information, too.



And get ready to paper a room with the rejection letters. Everyone gets them. If you don't, you're not trying hard enough. :)Do not include your manuscript.

Do include a synopsis of your story. Your opening paragraph should tell the reader the genre of the story and, perhaps, your target audience (chic lit, young adult, children, etc)

If you include personal information, leave it to the end of the letter. Your education would probably only matter if the book is non-fiction. If it is non-fiction, your education would be mentioned in the opening paragraph.|||Firstly, research what a query letter is first. That's how you learn to write one. Query letter, synopsis, and cover letter are different things. A query is not a synopsis. The agent asked for a query, not a synopsis. If you want to get into publishing then you'll need to know the publishing jargon.



A query letter is a brief 2-3 paragraph summary of your story. It's used to entice them to want to read your manuscript. You tell them who the character is. What the character wants. What happens if the character fails. what's at stake. In your last paragraph you tell them the specifics of the story (it can be the first paragraph, too); word count, title (in all caps), genre, etc. You can include your personal bio if you want and think it's relevant and you also include a paragraph with your publishing credits. If no credits then leave it out. If you do have credits then name any books (with publisher) you've gotten published and any (professional) magazines your work has appeared in.



Queries are usually 250 words on average. Yes, that's short, so you can't put the whole plot into, nor should you. It can run a little longer. I've heard from one agent, just one, that anything over 400 would be too long, but 250 is the sweet spot. If it's too long or too short then your query is probably ineffective.



Only send the agent what they want. If they want a query, then only send the query and nothing else. Some might only want a synopsis, so you send a synopsis and nothing else. A synopsis is a rundown of the full plot, including all twists and the ending. It's usually a few pages in length. Query letters are one page, two at the most.



I suggest you read all the post on queryshark.blogspot.com to learn how to write a proper query. Get feedback and be prepared to go through several drafts.|||It means do not send a manuscript. Send a brief synopsis. The point is not to revel the plot of the book, but to whet the reader's interest. Write this synopsis in the same style as the blurb on the back cover of a bestselling paperback: it should draw the reader in and make them want to read the first page of the book. For or five sentences, maximum, highlight the best of your writing skills and the worthiest elements of your book.



Don't write about your education unless it's directly related to writing (an English degree, for instance). If you have previous publications, then add that. Don't spend more than 1 sentence on each.



This should be a VERY short letter. You have about 30 seconds to get the agent's interest. Remember, s/he reads hundreds of these things a week. What makes your book different/better than the rest of the slush pile?|||http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx



That pretty much gives you all the information that you need.