Hi everyone! I've been a writer since I was a kid -it's the most natural thing in the world for me to tell stories. I finally got the courage to write my first novel after taking an online fiction writing course. Thanks to careful planning, I wrote the first draft of my 78,000 word young adult manuscript in about 30 days. I am in the process of editing and rewriting, and also thinking about trying to sell my book. I've written a query letter and would love feedback on it. Where would I post this for review? Thanks so much! I look forward to working with all of you. Jennifer
the most relevant section would be 'publishers' since the aim of a query is to snag one... welcome to the site, jen [the name of one of my 6 daughters] and good luck with your book... i'm sure cog will be along in a bit, to give you the rules 'n regs re posting work for critique/help... if you want more specific advice than you can get here, i help those i mentor [and anyone else who asks] with their queries, so feel free to email me... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
Hello Jennifer, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Query letters are not something you will get meaningful critique on. A query letter is a business letter, and although you can get general recommendations on them here, they aren;t vte kind of material the critiquing workshop in aimed at critiquing. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Thanks for the friendly welcome! I suppose when I ask people to review my query letter, what I am really looking for is critique on the way I've summarized my novel. If am looking for that, where is the best place to post?
