tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588509537601105804.post8204495676653180068..comments2024-01-26T08:04:08.517-05:00Comments on The Public Query Slushpile: Non-Fiction Proposal- Canary in a Coalmine: How One Southern State is leading the Nation to a Renewable Energy FutureRick Daleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05173516899130463413noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588509537601105804.post-29723353813749910392010-05-18T09:37:35.451-04:002010-05-18T09:37:35.451-04:00A query should be short and pithy. This one is lon...A query should be short and pithy. This one is long and rambling. Is your book about what happened in 1933? No? Then leave it out.<br /><br />It's not customary to include links in queries. Maybe one link at the end, to your own website, but not a whole slew of them. <br /><br />Try to come up with a single brief paragraph explaining what your book is about.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588509537601105804.post-70963043295487619182010-05-13T14:58:13.460-04:002010-05-13T14:58:13.460-04:00You've thrown a bunch of facts out there, but ...You've thrown a bunch of facts out there, but you're missing what should be the real focus: why anyone would care. <br /><br />Get your facts down to a single sentence (or short paragraph), e.g., now is just like the days of FDR, in terms of unemployment, etc., and just like then, my state is leading the recovery with X, Y and Z. <br /><br />Then explain why anyone cares. If this is going to be a general-interest book, rather than a niche book, you need a thesis, along the lines of "aspiring entrepreneurs will be inspired ..." or "environmentalists will take heart from ...." or "people who think environmental and employment issues are mutually incompatible will learn ...." or whatever it is. <br /><br />You may be so close to it that you're thinking, "Well, of course, people will want to read it because it's fascinating," but you need to define why it's fascinating, state it explictly, and focus your pitch around that. It's not really about facts (unless it's a reference book, but generally it's assumed you'll have the facts to back up your work), it's about the story, the lesson, or whatever reason a READER, who doesn't know any of these facts, will see the cover and the back cover copy and think, "Hmm, I really do need to read that." It's the angle, not the facts, per se.<br /><br />So, turn it on its head. Not "here are the facts," but "here is why YOU (and readers generally or within your niche) would care about these facts."gjnoreply@blogger.com