A Short List (or The Stress from Finding a Good Match)

originally posted Dec 23, 2014, 8:00 PM by Kelly Lopushansky

When I created this website, I planned it as a log of events as I jump into the deep waters of publishing.  I’d also hoped, secretly, that it would maintain a positive attitude.  I suspect that many of my postings are going to be full of less than positive emotion, for at least a little while.  Why?  Because this is inordinately stressful! I’ve now spent several weeks going through listings of agents and agencies, looking for those unique people that might appreciate my particular style of writing and my story.  The good news is that I have a reasonable sized list of likely candidates with one particular stand out. How could this be anything but positive?  I really like this agent.  I really like this agency.  They represent authors that I love and whose style is similar to mine.  This is the RIGHT ONE. What do I do when I find such a wonderful match…panic!  I have one brief email to convince this agent that we are a wonderful match in literary Heaven.  So, I need to sell her with this query letter.  I have read so many different opinions/posts/essays on what a query letter should contain and how to put one together, that I’m half blind.  This much I’ve determined, the letter needs to be both professional and have a strong hook at the beginning. What makes a good hook for a romance novel written by an Electrical Engineer?  I wish I could come up with something pithy to do with sparks, but it just isn’t happening at the moment.  Currently, I’m toying around with “What could an electrical engineer possibly have to say on the subject of romance?” as my opening.  It isn’t doing it for me, in part because I hope that most people realize that understanding romance isn’t restricted to certain job titles, and in part because while it probably isn’t something she’s seen before, it isn’t exactly positive. And there’s the kicker, I want this letter to really reflect me.  I may be feeling a little overwhelmed and stressed, but I’m a positive person.  I have a real expectation that if I do the work, I’ll get my novel published. I’ll let you know how my hook turns out once I’ve finished this letter.  Wish me luck!