This query is part of the Be an Agent for a Day contest. Rules and Regulations here
Please post your rejection or manuscript request in the comment section!
My name is Author, and I am writing to introduce you to my novel Secluded Alleys – a darkly humorous, neo-noir thriller. It is Carl Hiaasen meets Pulp Fiction in the caffeinated, smoke-choked marijuana culture of the Pacific Northwest:
The photographs allegedly show a dead woman covered with mousetraps, a dead baby holding a handgun, a dead girl provocatively posed with fruits and vegetables.
Dylan Massey, Seattle’s favorite pot-addled reporter, is approached by a bizarre young man who calls himself Lou C. Fur and claims to pose cadavers with objects as an artistic expression. But when Lou is arrested as a serial killer, Seattle is awash in the controversy and Dylan’s reputation is swept away in the tide of public disgust. While the cops are convinced the deaths are the work of one sick young man, Dylan sets his sights on a voyeuristic apartment manager, a bad cop with a vendetta, and a billionaire software tycoon with a dirty secret. Dylan must delve deep and face his demons in order to discover some light of truth through all of the haze.
As a former reporter and gallery director, I bring readers into the worlds of art and journalism with an eye for detail. As a screenwriter, my films have shown internationally, most recently at The Smithsonian Institute Museum of American History. My writing has received numerous accolades:
“Compared, with good reason, to stories of Raymond Carver.” – The Seattle Times
“Well written.” C. Michael Curtis, Fiction Editor of The Atlantic Monthly
“Startlingly unique.” The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“An evocative short story.” – Matt Groening, Creator of The Simpsons
I have included a synopsis and the first three chapters of my 79,000 word novel in the body of this email. Also, please know that I am sending this query letter to three other agents who may be a good fit for my work. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Author
STATS: 14% request rate
Anonymous says
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, this project is not a good fit for me. I appreciate your time and consideration, and wish you luck in finding representation.
Best,
Agent M
ludwig snarf says
i regret that we cannot help you
MonkBoy says
Thank you for your query submission, but I’m afraid we’re not interested in your material at this time.
Best of luck,
Placebo Publications
Laura Martone says
Dear Author:
Thank you for submitting your query for consideration. I appreciate the time, energy, and passion that it required to complete “Secluded Alleys”.
Unfortunately, given the thousands of queries that I receive annually, I can only request a small percentage of manuscripts for possible representation. While I find the subject matter of your novel intriguing, it does not meet my editorial needs at this time.
I am grateful for the opportunity to consider your work and wish you much luck in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Laura Martone
Linta says
Dear Author
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately I’m not the right agent for you. Best of luck in finding your novel a home.
Regards
Agent for a day
[reasoning: too many cliched characters. And this sentence: “some light of truth through all of the haze.”]
Livia says
Thank you for your query, but it is not a good fit for me. Best wishes.
Livia
Jenn S. says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. I’m interested in reading more of your project; please send me your first ten pages.
Regards,
Jenn S.
(Reason: I’m a sucker for dark humor. Otherwise I was on the fence about this one. I’m not overly enamored with the query voice, but I want to see those sample pages. If they had been included, this might not have been a partial request. As it stands, I just need to see the pages to make my final decision. )
chris says
Thank you for your query, but your project isn’t right for us at this time. Best of luck in your endeavors.