TRANSCRIPT

I've been talking about query letters in the last couple of videos. Like your manuscript, your query letter's first sentence needs to make your letter stand out from all the other manuscripts that agents and publishers are receiving. You can't explain how great your manuscript is. You have to make them believe it with your first sentence.

Look at it this way: What can you write in that first sentence that not only makes your query letter stand out, but also makes the agent's or editor's day a little better? Books are entertainment. What could you write that will entertain your reader?

For example, here's how I began my query for The Bad Book for Good Kids:

(Apologies, but the book insisted on writing this query.)

Dear Publisher Person,

See, this query is off to a bad start. Addressing you generically. So bad. But, hey, a bad book deserves a bad query.

Now I'm not saying this is the world's best opening line of a query letter, but it is different. A most importantly, it's different in a way that s completely relevant to the story. It's not different for difference sake.

Your query is an essential step in becoming a published author. The first sentence is the most important part of the query. Take your time to make it great.

And one other thing about queries, and maybe this should be an unpopular opinion videos, but I recommend using AI to help you perfect your query letter's first sentence. After you come up with a line you love, open up an AI platform that you like and write a prompt like, I need your help writing the first sentence of my query letter for a children's picture book. Here's what I have, then, you know, insert your line. Now add to the prompt: Provide me with three new opening sentences based on this sentence that will instantly capture the attention of an editor or agent.

Now chances are, you ll get a response that doesn't work great verbatim. But the responses could have a word or point of view that you hadn't thought of that could make your opening line even stronger.

And while we're on the subject of AI, I'm sure people have strong opinions. I look at it this way: AI is a tool to incorporate into your writing just like a thesaurus or rhyming dictionary. Use it as you would any other tool to make your writing be the best it can be.

I would love to get your thoughts on using AI. Be sure to leave a comment and, as always, thank you so much for watching. If you got any value out of this video, like it, subscribe to my channel and share the video with other aspiring picture book authors.