# Grabbing the agent with one line in your query.



## Art Man (Aug 22, 2019)

I thought it odd that most professional sources say that you should sell your book to a lit agent using a one-liner at the top of your query, as though most agents won't look past that first line. I find it preposterous to be expected to sum up a whole full-length novel plot synopsis with one line, doing so with a short paragraph is difficult enough. What is your advice on query designs and knowing literary agents, what is your experience with what gets an agents attention?

To tell you the truth, if I were a lit agent I wouldn't limit myself to the top line of each query sent me. Being the reader I am I would have to make a real effort to not read each query beginning to end. I guess that's just me. I like the idea that an agent would be willing to read more than one single line of a query.


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## luckyscars (Aug 22, 2019)

Art Man said:


> I thought it odd that most professional sources say that you should sell your book to a lit agent using a one-liner at the top of your query, as though most agents won't look past that first line. I find it preposterous to be expected to sum up a whole full-length novel plot synopsis with one line, doing so with a short paragraph is difficult enough. What is your advice on query designs and knowing literary agents, what is your experience with what gets an agents attention?
> 
> To tell you the truth, if I were a lit agent I wouldn't limit myself to the top line of each query sent me. Being the reader I am I would have to make a real effort to not read each query beginning to end. I guess that's just me. I like the idea that an agent would be willing to read more than one single line of a query.



I don’t know that ‘most professional sources’ say that...

If they do, yes, that seems a little silly. Sure if you have a real zinger you could start a query with a one liner, sure, but I agree that most agents probably aren’t going to wet themselves over another “They say you can’t go home again...” or “Pat Bacon is a wanted man” tagline just because it’s there. 

I think its it’s important to remember that advice is always based on what HAS worked in the past, and that what has worked in the past by necessity runs in opposition to the quest for originality, which is primarily the thing an agent is looking for in any query - originality. I’m not saying that means one should disregard the salesmanship aspect when it comes to format, only that it’s probably better not to prioritize style over substance too much, because ultimately substance is what actually matters. 

It’s my belief that a genuinely great story will pass the query stage pretty much no matter how stylistically unglamorous it is. Queries are (or should be) pretty short so I agree most agents will probably read the whole thing UNLESS you give them a reason to stop - typos, red flags, general indicators this is definitely not for them. So, try to worry more about communicating the salient, interesting details of you and your work and less about polishing turds with corny, cliche or otherwise facile bullshit. A professional agent doesn’t give a crap about your ability to craft shallow one liners. They care about your actual ideas.


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## RLBeers (Aug 22, 2019)

Perhaps I am not the one to be commenting on lit agents as I find them to be of less value and honor than a prostitute. At least with a hooker, you know up front why she wants your money. Most agents are looking for the next yacht, the next JK Rowling they can retire upon, rather than seeking to build a relationship. If you find one willing to work with you, grab hold and do not let go as that is a jewel far more rare than metallic hydrogen.


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## Ralph Rotten (Aug 22, 2019)

It's called a hook, or an elevator pitch. It's that sentence or two that makes the reader say "Oh, that sounds interesting..." and keep reading.

Here is one from a book I am working on:

In 2016 the Magenta Project sent digital messages to the twenty nearest stars.
Now one of them has answered.

Then after that would come the blurb.
Hook first, then the blurb.


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## luckyscars (Aug 22, 2019)

Here's a good article from a reputable source on query letters that includes some successful, famous samples of how they open.

Here is another one

None of them appear to start with a one-liner. It's also not mentioned as necessary in the article.

So, again, I don't believe it's recommended, and certainly not required. Maybe some agents like them, but clearly a good chunk don't.

Be careful whose advice you take.


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## Bayview (Aug 22, 2019)

It's been a while since I queried, but when I did, my letter didn't have a hook. And it wasn't an endless string of brilliant prose, either... it was just solid and professional. And it got me interest from agents that turned into a couple offers of representation.

I think we can go pretty crazy trying to make our queries absolutely perfect - most people I know with agents sent queries that were just good, not great. (The key is, I think, to have a story that the agent thinks she can sell. If your query is brilliant but is clearly for a book with no market, you'll have no success. If your query is solid and for a book with a good chance of selling, you'll likely get an agent. IMHO.)


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## rodrigoborges (Aug 3, 2020)

Today's agents are a whole new "animal." They want short 100-paged novels, etc. About the one-liner, you had better have an attention-getting title.


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## FrancisD (Aug 12, 2021)

The one line factor is not to get an agent, but to peak their interest to read the next para. It is not mandatory.  I say use one if you have a good one. I also believe the process of writing that one sentence that carries the essence of the story is a valuable exercise when it comes to composing a query.


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## noisebloom (Aug 16, 2021)

Hopefully this helps:

I've heard some agents will read through your query letter, but others will just look for the pitch blurb first within your letter to determine if they even want to entertain it.

This implies that agents know the blurb won't necessarily be the opening line of your letter, but they'll look for it. My book pitch is basically the second paragraph of my letter, and it's two or three sentences. I was able to get a full manuscript request on the basis of that premise, so I'm thinking my approach is not terrible...

Ultimately, you can't control how much an agent will or won't read, but I think it would be a very low value approach for an agent to make an assumption that your pitch is the first line.


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## Ralph Rotten (Sep 8, 2021)

noisebloom said:


> Hopefully this helps:
> 
> I've heard some agents will read through your query letter, but others will just look for the pitch blurb first within your letter to determine if they even want to entertain it.
> 
> ...



We cannot control how much they read, but as writers we can certainly *influence* how much they read. 
It's called good writing.

And if your story has a great hook, then use it up front. Typically, agents use interns to go through their slush pile, and they have so much material to get through that they will be merciless with their rejections. If you can grab their attention right at the beginning, then do so.
But if your story has no intriguing hook...then find another way to interest them.


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## TKent (Oct 6, 2021)

I don't think it is "limiting" themselves to the teaser, but it can definitely get someone to read on. Log lines, elevator pitches, teasers ... they all have a purpose and a good one is both informative and a hook. If you can't back up a good one with a good book, then that's a problem too. I always think about the "elevator pitch" for Aliens:  Jaws in space. Jaws was a blockbuster, so right there, you've set the tone for what kind of audience, and that there is a vicious predatory entity, and you've established the setting, space. For someone in the industry who would LOVE to have the next Jaws-like blockbuster, that line would certainly make them want to know more. If you haven't already, #pitchwars on twitter is a fun way to see how agents respond to authors posting their log lines! 



Art Man said:


> I thought it odd that most professional sources say that you should sell your book to a lit agent using a one-liner at the top of your query, as though most agents won't look past that first line. I find it preposterous to be expected to sum up a whole full-length novel plot synopsis with one line, doing so with a short paragraph is difficult enough. What is your advice on query designs and knowing literary agents, what is your experience with what gets an agents attention?
> 
> To tell you the truth, if I were a lit agent I wouldn't limit myself to the top line of each query sent me. Being the reader I am I would have to make a real effort to not read each query beginning to end. I guess that's just me. I like the idea that an agent would be willing to read more than one single line of a query.


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## Terry D (Oct 8, 2021)

Literary agents have query guidelines posted on their websites. Follow those guidelines. Agents also each receive around 20,000 queries per year (about 80/day). There is not time enough each day for them to read beyond the opening lines of every submission they get. That's why some like to see a logline. Others will glance at your synopsis looking for, first and foremost, your ability to craft an effective summary. If your writing in the synopsis doesn't impress them, you lose. After all, if you can't, or won't take the time to, do your best work during your first contact with them they will not take the time to read further. Again, the most important thing you can do is to read their query guidelines and follow them to the letter.


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## VRanger (Oct 8, 2021)

Terry D said:


> After all, if you can't, or won't take the time to, do your best work during your first contact with them they will not take the time to read further. Again, the most important thing you can do is to read their query guidelines and follow them to the letter.


I feel the same way about self-published blurbs on Amazon. If the BLURB has typos and immature style, I'm not opening the preview.


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## RGS (Dec 2, 2021)

I went through all of this back when I was seeking representation, and there's one thing I learned: there are as many ways to query agents as there are agents. 

You'll find an article written by a "pro" that will tell you, "_Be strict and formal (Dear Sir or Madam), straight to the point, very dry and businesslike._"

Then you'll find an equally qualified "pro" who tells you, "_Be loose, funny, and whimsical, like you're talking to an old friend._" 

If you look on the websites of the agencies, most of them tell you exactly how they want to be queried. Some want exactly a 10-page sample, some want 25, some want nothing but the query letter itself, and all points in between. Personally, I always hated the whole "_first __ pages_" business, because the end of Page 10 or 25 or whatever could cut you off in mid-sentence with an important point ahead. 

I also read that, oftentimes, your query letter is actually read by an 18-year old intern, who will take one brief glance at your pride and joy and say, "_Nah,_" as they toss it in the Reject box. Not meaning to be negative, but these are things I learned at the time.

Personally, I got a little disgusted by the entire process.


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## Sausage_Creature (Jun 12, 2022)

It is nothing but lazy. I work in a highly technical career and the amount of recruitment agents and hiring managers who take this approach is appalling. If you want someone to build the Eiffel Tower you do not asses them based on laying one brick, or strut. It takes time to assess the validity of someone where complex matters are concerned. 

Similarly with writing, any agent who thinks that can assess the value of a submission from one line is betraying their employer, the candidate and their profession. However, arrogance is almost as powerful as denial when it comes to one's own personal toolbox. Stupidity is also a powerful force, but rarely a 'tool'. 

We often deserve a lot better from those that are employed to help us. Good people are rare.


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## GibsonG (Jun 17, 2022)

Art Man said:


> I thought it odd that most professional sources say that you should sell your book to a lit agent using a one-liner at the top of your query, as though most agents won't look past that first line. I find it preposterous to be expected to sum up a whole full-length novel plot synopsis with one line, doing so with a short paragraph is difficult enough. What is your advice on query designs and knowing literary agents, what is your experience with what gets an agents attention?
> 
> To tell you the truth, if I were a lit agent I wouldn't limit myself to the top line of each query sent me. Being the reader I am I would have to make a real effort to not read each query beginning to end. I guess that's just me. I like the idea that an agent would be willing to read more than one single line of a query.


I hate to say it but I think sometimes they are like power tripping and they're confident they can sum you up in one line.  I would never be that way either.


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## GibsonG (Jun 17, 2022)

rodrigoborges said:


> Today's agents are a whole new "animal." They want short 100-paged novels, etc. About the one-liner, you had better have an attention-getting title.


100 page novels?  Boy, that sounds good to me!


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## Envy123 (Jun 28, 2022)

One line? Let me try. 

"An urban fantasy adventure, like Harry Potter meets Santa Barbara."


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