EVIL EDITOR CLASSICS

Guess the Plot

Next to Die

1. Edith had always admired Princess Diana and volunteered eagerly to stand next to her at the Scrumper Village Dog Show. Turned out this Princess Di was a giant rottweiler, and unpredictable.

2. The nurses at the Sunshine Nursing Home place their bets on which senior is . . . next to die.

3. A stirring memoir of life in the Big House, by thirty six, no, thirty five inmates on Death Row.

4. By decree, the population of Sturbridge must always be 500. Whenever a child is born, the oldest resident is put to death. Thanks to a glut of recent births, the oldest resident is now Charlotte, aged 39. And her baby's due any day now.

5. After Annie's husband dies, other deaths begin to occur. Could it be vampires or zombies?

6. As Jacinta Englehopper sits for interminable hours in Dr. Kevorkian's waiting room, she reflects on life and love while skimming old copies of Good Housekeeping.


My query is short and sweet, as per Miss Snark and everything else I've ever understood about them. (Most that you've reviewed read like short synopses.) Anyway, here it is:

Original Version

Dear Agent/Publisher:

Next to Die is my completed 80,000 word mystery about the darkness that lurks in even the most close-knit families. [It sounds like you're saying this darkness lurks in all families, even the most close-knit ones.]

When Allie Sheffield's policeman husband is killed, [In the line of duty? If not, killed how?] she buries herself in the family business. [Which is what?] However, all is not as it appears in her family, and when a mysterious painting turns up and deaths begin to occur, [Deaths simply begin to occur? Must we summon Dr. House every week?] Allie discovers a truth that forces her to question everything she ever thought she knew about herself. [She discovers that she's The Key. It's been done: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 5.] [Wait a minute, that's it? That's your whole plot? Two sentences?

Your earlier suggestion that Miss Snark would find this short and sweet query thorough enough to actually consider representing the book boggles Evil Editor's mind.

Ah, wait, I just scanned the remainder of the page, where you declare that you are enclosing a short synopsis on a separate sheet of paper! So, you start out by complaining that Evil Editor's queries are like short synopses, but you aren't going to write a query letter that's like a short synopsis, no, you're going to write a query letter that's more like an inter-office memo, and attach a short synopsis. Your short synopsis is on a separate piece of paper! Why, that's completely different.

Don't for a minute think Evil Editor hasn't seen your true motive. You were desperate to get your synopsis off of the query page, because you didn't want Evil Editor to see it, for fear he would mock it and tear it to shreds. If I write only a couple sentences about my book, you thought, Evil Editor won't be able to put those nasty blue words all over my query letter. Why does he have to use blue? Why can't he at least make his blue comments tiny, like Miss Snark does with her red ones? I hate Evil Editor!]
I’ve had three novels published with Silhouette Desire, one of which [Name it.] won a Waldenbooks award, and I have a proven record of sales.

I’ve enclosed a short synopsis, a SASE and the first two chapters of my manuscript. Thank you for your time and consideration.


Revised Version

Dear Agent/Publisher:

Next to Die is my completed 80,000 word mystery about the darkness that can lurk in even the most close-knit families.

When Allie Sheffield's policeman husband Zachary is killed playing croquet, she buries herself in the family mortuary business. However, Zachary's death was no accident, and solving the mystery is proving to be a sticky wicket for Inspector Ludlow of Scotland Yard.

Then a mysterious painting turns up, a painting that depicts her family members dying in reverse alphabetical order, and Allie discovers a truth that freezes her blood: "Allie" is actually her middle name, and her real first name is Wilhelmina. Can Allie expose the murderer before he takes out cousin Yolanda and moves Allie to the top of his hit list?

I’ve had three novels published with Silhouette Desire, including The Query Came Up Short, which won a Waldenbooks award.

I’ve enclosed a short synopsis, a SASE and the first two chapters of my manuscript. Thank you for your time and consideration.


Notes

As always, unless Evil Editor has correctly guessed the specifics of your novel, remember to substitute the true specifics before sending off the query letter.

Also, if you can bear to fill in some of the white space remaining on your page, you might tack on a paragraph that mentions some of the suspects/motives and how Allie/Wilhelmina plans to solve the mystery.