Should You Personalize Your Query Letter?
To personalize or not to personalize? It’s much simpler than you think.
“Should I personalize my query letter?” I get asked this question a lot. In almost every interaction I have with querying writers, they want to know if their query letter is personal enough or if they need to include something more personal so they can stand out.
How personal should you get in a query letter?
Not that personal! It’s still a business letter. Personally, I don’t care if there is personalization in the query or not. I’ll admit that it’s always nice to see someone mention a podcast I’ve been on or my newsletter resources, but I don’t pay any less attention to queries that lack personalization. I consider all queries in my inbox and put thought into each one. So I will say that for me, it’s not a make-or-break. I’m mostly interested in the pitch. Most agents will likely say the same thing.
But I can tell you why I like getting a personalized query when I do get one. A personalized query shows me two things:
That you’ve done your research on who I am and my work, and actually think we’d be a good match.
It gives me further insight into why you think I would be a good fit for you.
I will also say this: It’s always better to not personalize a query than to say something that isn’t true. It’s not a good look to personalize for the sake of personalizing. I’ve received queries that mention my “long track record” or my “long history working with established authors” when I’d only been an agent for six months. I haven’t announced any deals yet! Something like that is a clear giveaway that the writer either hasn’t done their research or has copied and pasted the same query to all agents without checking their work. It’s also a sign that they’re not seriously looking for the right agent for their work.
If you want to personalize your query letter, here are a few easy ways you can do that:
“I’ve listened to you speak at X.”
“I’ve taken your workshop on Y.”
“I follow you on [social platform] and find your posts on X, Y, Z compelling.”
“I also love [insert shared interest that relates to your project].” For example, if the agent publicly talks about their love for apothecaries and you’re writing a book set in an apothecary.
“Because you’re looking for books that [insert wishlist item that corresponds to your book].”
“I saw your wishlist call out on [insert social platform or website] asking for [X] and I think my book would be a match for you…”
“Your wishlist mentions that you’re looking for books like [insert book], which is one of the comps for my book.”
“I’m a big fan of [insert book or author the agent represents] and was inspired by their work in writing this novel…”
It’s very simple, really! What personalization should do is let the agent know where you came across their work, why you thought of them as a fit for your book, and why you think they’re the right person to champion it. It’s not meant to be a compliment-fest. We’re not expecting you to stroke our egos; we’re looking for signs that we’d be a good fit for your work. It’s actually very similar to personalizing your cover letter for a job application.
At the end of the day, a well-crafted pitch matters most, but a thoughtful personalization in your query letter can make an impression and show that you’ve taken the time to understand the agent— just make sure that your personalization is genuine and relevant.
