What agents look for in a cover letter

Most agents open their submissions inbox with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. Trepidation because we are likely behind on our reading and every unread submission represents an author who is hoping to hear from us; excitement because the whole reason we’re in publishing is because we live for those books that make us forget the things we’re supposed to be doing, and make us lose ourselves in the story.

The most important part of a query is undoubtedly the book you have written, but a strong cover letter is the first way to grab an agent’s attention.

What to include in your cover letter

While the order may vary, these are the ingredients I, and most agents, would expect in a cover letter:

1. Your basic 'metadata': title, genre, word count

2. Agent personalisation: Does your manuscript fit what I’ve asked for in my agent bio? Do you admire one of my authors?

3. Elevator pitch/the ‘hooky’ concept. Think ‘X meets y’ or ‘In a world where’ or similar.

4. Two or three brief paragraphs about your plot. Introduce your character, their obstacle and what’s at stake.

Though you should try and be as brief as possible, also be specific here – we will see a lot of stories where the hero goes on a quest to protect those they hold dear or similar. What are the unique ingredients in your story?

5. Two to three comparative titles: this should include at least one recently published book (max 5 years old) but if you’ve nailed contemporary comps, you can also include older works if you have a compelling reason for it, as well as things like films, TV series or video games.

6. A bit about yourself: Give us a sense of who you are and why you write. Perhaps where you are based, how long you’ve been writing, what you are working on next, any magazines you’ve been published in, courses you’ve taken, why you felt compelled to write this story in particular, etc.

Cover letters follow a formula for a reason

Cover letters have become formulaic but for good reason; most agents have very little time to read submissions. The majority of our working week is spent on looking after our existing authors. Making sure that the above ingredients are clearly laid out means that we can quickly confirm that you have sent us something that we do in fact represent, but crucially, it also tells us that you know what you are doing.

Use your letter to show you know your stuff

While some may picture an author as someone who sits in solitude and writes with no knowledge of the market and their contemporaries, an ideal cover letter is one where I can tell that an author is approaching publishing as a professional who knows what they have written, that they are aware of genre conventions, what part of the market they would operate in, and that they are someone who wants to make it their long-term career.

Your cover letter is important, but it’s there to support your book

If you have also come up with a concept I can grasp immediately, and your take feels fresh – I am opening your sample chapters hoping to be whisked away.