Christie Bailey used her query to jump straight to the publisher - and got picked up by an independent house! She's now finishing up editing revisions for a 2011 release date. (NB: Go Christie!)
Because it went straight to the publisher, Christie's submission included draft teaser, blurb, outline and excerpt.
And it worked.
You can meet Christie on twitter and follow her publishing journey at http://www.christiebailey.com/ - check out her new cover art!
Now for the query:
Dear Editor,
Meet Ray, a senior in high school with a sour tongue and a secret crush on her best friend, August. Besides the fact that her natural form has a beak, wings, and hooves – and besides the fact that her crush is a gargoyle – Ray is a pretty normal teenager. She has all of the usual adolescent problems (pop quizzes, nerdy classmates, a curfew) plus a few unique ones. How many normal teens worry about learning to fly? One Thursday afternoon, a typical after-school lunch with August and their vampire friend, Jean, turns into a weekend long of secret stalkers, zombie pets, car chases, gargoyle dogfights – and missed homework. When her friends need her most, Ray must learn to take charge, spread her wings, and fly.
I began writing this novella shortly after graduating high school. I was my college newspaper's copy editor at the time, and the layout designer and I decided to join National Novel Writing Month together for fun and for a challenge. This story began as a quirky idea for that contest, and was finished as a gift for a dear friend.
For your consideration, I have attached the first four chapters of Hippogryphs. Below, you will find teasers, a short excerpt, and a full story outline.
I hope you enjoy reading my story, as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Christie Bailey
Because it went straight to the publisher, Christie's submission included draft teaser, blurb, outline and excerpt.
And it worked.
You can meet Christie on twitter and follow her publishing journey at http://www.christiebailey.com/ - check out her new cover art!
Now for the query:
Dear Editor,
Meet Ray, a senior in high school with a sour tongue and a secret crush on her best friend, August. Besides the fact that her natural form has a beak, wings, and hooves – and besides the fact that her crush is a gargoyle – Ray is a pretty normal teenager. She has all of the usual adolescent problems (pop quizzes, nerdy classmates, a curfew) plus a few unique ones. How many normal teens worry about learning to fly? One Thursday afternoon, a typical after-school lunch with August and their vampire friend, Jean, turns into a weekend long of secret stalkers, zombie pets, car chases, gargoyle dogfights – and missed homework. When her friends need her most, Ray must learn to take charge, spread her wings, and fly.
I began writing this novella shortly after graduating high school. I was my college newspaper's copy editor at the time, and the layout designer and I decided to join National Novel Writing Month together for fun and for a challenge. This story began as a quirky idea for that contest, and was finished as a gift for a dear friend.
For your consideration, I have attached the first four chapters of Hippogryphs. Below, you will find teasers, a short excerpt, and a full story outline.
I hope you enjoy reading my story, as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Christie Bailey
Thank you for sharing and reminding us to stay at it!!
ReplyDeleteWOW congrats to Christine! I'm going to check her out on Twitter and beyond. I love her concept and her query was great!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Christine!
ReplyDelete