Query Letter for a Novel

Hello there. So glad you stopped by!

Do you know how to write a query letter? Successful query letters for articles, fiction and non-fiction books are all alike in some ways, but very different in other ways. Some folks grit their teeth attempting to compose a query.

But it really doesn't have to be that hairy. I promise.

Below is a query letter I recently sent to a literary agency for a novel, after checking their submission guidelines carefully. The agency asked for a full mss quickly so, hopefully, something hooked their attention. Today I am giving you the exact query I sent (but not the first five pages they also requested that I paste in the same email). In my next blog we will go over the important parts included in this one page query letter.

Title: In a Pirate's Debt

Genre: Historical Inspirational Romance

Completed mss: 71,000 words

By debut author Elva Cobb Martin

A stand alone or first book in a series

Email: elvacmartin@gmail.com

Address: 104 Oak Knoll Terrace, Anderson, SC 29625

Web site: www.elvamartin.com Blog: http://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com

Twitter: Elva Cobb Martin @ElvaCobbMartin

Telephone: 864/226-7024 (h) 864/314-0804 (cell)

Pitch: In a Pirate's Debt is the story of a young woman who escapes a forced marriage but falls into the hands of a buccaneer who is considering taking King George’s pardon. Will the pirate risk his life and heart to help her?

Back Cover Copy: Saving her can land him in a hangman’s noose at low tide in Charles Town Harbor. Repaying her debt to him will relegate her to a life worse than death.

Briefly: Travay Allston flees her stepfather’s house in Jamaica and Sir Roger Poole who has won her hand in marriage in a gambling payoff. Poole corners her at the edge of the Caribbean and she drives her horse over the cliff into the bay. Privateer Captain Lucas “Bloodstone” Barrett pulls her from the ocean half dead and suffering from amnesia. Sailing on his ship, The Blue Heron, Travay regains her memory and has nothing but scorn for the pesky boy of her childhood, son of indentured parents, who has turned pirate—and become strikingly handsome. Love is out of the question, but she owes him a debt for saving her life. Lucas, on a quest to find his parents captured by the Spanish, backs off from the lovely, spoiled Travay. She spells nothing but trouble, especially to a new convert to Christianity. He drops her off in Charles Town and washes his hands of her. He thinks. When Lucas is sentenced to hang for piracy, Sir Roger shows up with a pardon, but only if Travay marries him. Will Travay repay her debt to a pirate by marrying their mutual enemy? Falling in love with the pirate was never part of her plan. . . .

Target Audience: women 30–80

Marketing Strategies: I am building readership and friends by social networking on three blogs, a web site, face book, and Twitter; by leading writers’ groups; and by obtaining bylines with articles. I hope to have a virtual book tour and produce a trailer. Other marketing plans include speaking engagements, book signings, TV and radio interviews, endorsements, and obtaining influencers who will write reviews for Amazon and other internet sites as I have done for author friends.

Brief Bio: Elva Cobb Martin is president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Fiction Writers. She has taught school but now devotes her time to freelance writing, leading an internet prayer ministry, and ministering as a guest speaker. Her articles have been published in Decision, Charisma, Home Life, Mature Living, and The State Magazine. She and her husband of forty years are the parents of a law officer son and a wonderful six-year-old grandson. They live in Anderson, South Carolina, and are active in a local congregation.

This is a simultaneous submission in seeking representation. I appreciate your consideration.

Sincerely,

Elva Cobb Martin

(end of query)

There, doesn't that seem easy? Actually, it's a carefully crafted piece and one I look forward to sharing more about in my next blog.  Thanks for stopping by and do leave a comment. Have you had a successful query recently?

Elva Cobb Martin

Elva Cobb Martin is a freelance writer, Bible teacher and grandmother. She is president of the American Christian Fiction Writers new South Carolina Chapter. She has been published in Decision, Charisma, and Home Life and is currently working on an inspirational romance novel. Elva lives in Anderson, South Carolina, with her husband and high school sweetheart, Dwayne. You can connect with her through her web site at www.elvamartin.com , on Face Book and Twitter @Elvacobbmartin. Or leave a comment below on this blog

Downton Abbey - Hoorah for Marriage But Oh Me for Ardor

I've watched and have taped all the PBS Downton Abbey series and I  love them. For the most part.

What a great quote on marriage came from Season Four's January 19 program. Lord Grantham is trying to console his valet whose wife has pulled away from him (the valet) due to a rape she's kept secret. The valet is hurting. He has no idea what has happened. Here is Lord Grantham's wonderful counsel.

"There's no such thing as a marriage between two intelligent people that does not at sometime have to negotiate thin ice. You must wait until things clear and they will. The damage cannot be irrepable when two people love each other as much as you two do." 

 HOORAH! So true, so true, if my 40-plus years of marriage experience counts for anything.

But...I have to admit as a southern USA born and raised romance writer, I've found a lack of ardor in the English gentlemen heroes! After all, I have to compare them to our American romantic heroes like Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, or Tyrone Power, to mention a few. Now I've aged myself!

For example, get this scene also in the January 19, 2014, Season Four movie. 

 Mary, emerging from her year-long widowhood, has attracted a new handsome, rich beau who has fallen head over his polished heels for her. She seemed to be responding to him on a couple of outings. Now they are out on a walk alone on the grounds of Downton Abbey.  He asks her to marry him, even if he has to wait a year or two for her to be ready. They are standing about a foot or two apart and looking into each other's faces. He tells her poetically that she totally fills his mind. 

Mary replies, "But that's just it, Matthew still fills my mind and I don't want to lose him."

The next thing just blew my warm, southern romantic mind. This lily-livered English gentlemen, STILL a foot or two away, then ASKS her if he can kiss her, in order to have at least one great memory to carry with him.

Can you, my American friends, in your wildest imagination, ever dream of Clark Cable asking Scarlet, "May I kiss you, my dear? I want at least one good memory to take with me."



 Rhett Butler to Scarlett O'Hara: "What you need is kissing and plenty of it by someone who knows how."

Can you imagine pirates Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power asking ANY heroine they are in love with this kind of question when what the antsy heroine needs is to be clasped in the hero's arms and given an unforgetable kiss that will make her knees buckle and blot all thoughts of any other man clear out of her mind? Don't you just long for Mary to receive such a kiss? As wonderful as Matthew was, it is TIME to move on. He's been deceased over a year.

Now, that I've expressed my romance-writer, woman-married-to a warm-Southern-hero mind, what is your opinion? Would you like to join with me in sending the writer of the series, Julian Fellowes, a message?

Something like: "Hey, why don't you bring a warm-blooded, AMERICAN Navy Seal or cowboy or law officer or any type of Carolinian CHRISTIAN hero into the story to really sweep Mary off her stilted boots?"

And it wouldn't hurt if he looks a little like Peter Facinelli... 

 

And it would be WONDERFUL if he has the Christian integrity, strength and fervor of Tim Tebow.

What do you think? I would love to know your thoughts. Do you think this "American hero" also needs to be wealthy?  Leave a comment and even a photo of someone you recommend for this part!

Thanks for stopping by!

Elva Cobb Martin 

Elva Cobb Martin is a freelance writer, Bible teacher and grandmother. She is president of the American Christian Fiction Writers new South Carolina Chapter. She has been published in Decision, Charisma, and Home Life and is currently working on an inspirational romance novel. Elva lives in Anderson, South Carolina, with her husband and high school sweetheart, Dwayne. You can connect with her through her web site at www.elvamartin.com , on Face Book and Twitter @Elvacobbmartin. Or leave a comment below on this blog!  

Review of ML Tyndales Elusive Hope

MaryLu has done it again with Book 2, in her Escape to Paradise series, Elusive Hope.

Magnolia, uprooted from her pleasurable southern Plantation life by her stern father, battles homesickness, low self-esteem and an addiction to rum. She cannot think of love or of a God who seems to have abandoned her.

 Hayden lives, breathes and dreams nothing but revenge against his swindler father who abandoned him and his mother when Hayden was a child. He also knows he has become very much like the man he hates. Love and faith have no place in his goals.

But romance does bloom between these two in the midst of a steamy tropical forest full of snakes, spiders and demonic apparitions after Magnolia attaches herself to Hayden thinking he’ll help her escape to Rio de Janeiro and to passage on a ship back home. The haughty southern girl and proud, savvy swindler meet their matches in each other. Both of their dreams, his to get revenge on his father, hers to get back home, keep tantalizing but eluding them with every new plan they concoct.

No one but MaryLu Tyndale could write such romantic scenes in a sweltering, dangerous, bug-infested jungle in Brazil and then draw all the story threads together, including spiritual renewal and deliverance, into a surprising and satisfying ending.

In her next book coming out this Spring, MaryLu is back on the high seas with a great romance and adventure. I look forward to reading The Ransom.

Have you read an exciting Christian romance lately? Tell me about it. Thanks for stopping by and do leave a comment.

Elva Cobb Martin

Elva, president of the new ACFW-SC Chapter, has founded and led* writers’ groups since 2007. She is a former school teacher and semi-retired minister with hard earned degrees from Anderson University and Erskine College. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have surprisingly published her articles. She is currently sweating over her second inspirational novel. Happy to be a mother and finally promoted to grandmother, Elva lives with her husband Dwayne and a mini-dachshund writing helper (Lucy) in Anderson, South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site www.elvamartin.com, on Twitter @Elvacobbmartin and on Face book.    

*some would question the accuracy of this word

Atalaya Castle

I recently visited Huntington State Park in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina, and had a wonderful time tramping through Atalaya Castle, the oceanside winter home of Archer and Anna Huntington built in the 1930's. It is now on the historic register and open to the public.



Aerial View of Atalaya

 The structure's outer walls are in a square, 200 feet on each side, with the front facing the ocean.



Entrance to Atalaya

 Within the walled structure is a large open inner court. The living quarters consist of 30 rooms around the three sides of the perimeter.




Inner Court Yard








Have you ever visited a romantic castle? This one stirred up a lot of story ideas for me. Thanks for stopping by today!

Convert Research Into Published Articles

by Elva Cobb Martin 10/2/13 

As you research or blog on your historic topics think about publishing some of them as articles in local newspapers or magazines. Most newspapers and magazines have spots for carefully researched historical pieces. They may be welcome in a Views section, Local Color, Around the State, Travel or History section. Sunday, September 29, 2013, our local Anderson, South Carolina, newspaper, accepted and published one of my blogging topics in its entirety and with pictures. Surprisingly, they gave it a full page. Most importantly, they gave me a good byline with my photo.

Did you guess which research ended up published in our local newspaper? I combined my below blogs on Blackbeard and polished rather quickly into an acceptable article. Below is a picture of BB's final capture.

Here’s how I made my contacts.

I did know one writer at the newspaper fairly well. She attended one of our writers’ workshops. I gave her a call and asked if she thought the newspaper might be interested in a freelance article on Blackbeard. I thought it likely since I had a ghostly legend in the article and we are entering the Halloween season. She gave me the name of the editor to whom I should submit the article. I emailed the submission with some pirate pictures from my file and with a note asking the editor to see if my submission had any merit.

That editor contacted me the next day and said they wanted to use it in Sunday’s edition. She asked for my research sources and a photo of me to go with the byline that I also wrote.

They printed the article in the Views section with very little change and with one of my pirate pictures. They quoted all my resources. There was no pay but they gave me a great byline I’ve pasted in below this blog and they included my photo.

Be assured, there can be money in these type historical pieces. The first one I had published sometime back for another publication drew a welcome check of $150. Because of the good byline given the above article, I’ve been contacted by an apparently wealthy local individual, 81 years old, but sharp as the proverbial tack, who wants me to take a look at a historical mss he’s put together on his life and covering a lot of local history. He’s offering to pay me to help him get the mss together, emphasizing his Christian faith. Who knows what will come of this? I love local color, and I’ve agreed to meet with him next week.

Have you turned any of your research into an article for a publication?

I’ll be glad to help any way I can, if it’s only to take a look and make a suggestion. Contact me through my web site listed below and then we’ll email back.


Thanks for dropping by!


Elva Cobb Martin

Elva Cobb Martin is a freelance writer and president of the Upstate SC American Christian Writers' Chapter. She is currently helping form a new South Carolina ACFW Chapter. Her research for this article was collected for an inspirational novel she has just completed set in the Colonial/Pirate era of Charleston. She has been published in The State Magazine, Decision, and Charisma. She blogs on the Golden Age of Piracy and other topics at http://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com She lives in Anderson with her family. She can be reached through her web site www.elvamartin.com or the chapter web site www.upstateSCchristianwriters.com

Pirates - Part 2 Blackbeard

 

                                           Blackbeard's Flag

Pirates - Part 2  Blackbeard


To review, in the first part we shared that piracy had their greatest days in our Atlantic waters in the 1600-1700’s. Many governments at the time supported piracy encouraging it as a cheap way to get expensive goods into their country, especially from their enemies. England and others issued “letters of marque” which gave their own “privateers” as they called these type captains, permission to attack and plunder ships of their enemies.

But piracy became so prevalent at times that honest sea trade almost ground to a halt. Then governments withdrew letters of marque, tracked down the pirates, and hanged them in public.

The history of Charleston, South Carolina, records such a story involving Blackbeard, one the most notorious pirates of all who roamed the Eastern seaboard and the Caribbean.

In May of 1718, Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, sailed into Charleston with his fleet of pirate ships. He blockaded the harbor, captured and plundered nine ships and took several hostages including Samuel Wragg, a member of the S.C. legislature. After interrogating the hostages about the remaining ships in the harbor—their cargoes and destinations—the victims were thrown down half-naked into the hold.

In exchange for the prisoners, Blackbeard demanded of Governor Johnson something he did not find on the plundered ships, mainly a large supply of meds used to relieve a pirate’s recurring nightmare—syphilis. Blackbeard warned that if his demands were not met, he would execute all the hostages and then raid and sack Charleston.

The legislature complied. It seemed that shame, indignation, and revenge were outranked by fear. Actually, it was wisdom that outranked the lot, with revenge simply being reserved.

Blackbeard sailed away, and he had to be gloating over the fact that not only had he taken the most valuable loot of his career, he had, as one writer put it, “reduced to total submission the proud and militant people of South Carolina without firing a single shot.”

What Blackbeard and his cohorts did not count on was that in the South, revenge rides hard on the heels of humiliation.

Once the pirate squadron sailed out of Charleston Harbor and Samuel Wragg and the other hostages had replaced their clothing, if not their dignity, white-hot Southern dander rose to the surface in the Charleston waters.

It was just the stimulus needed for the difficult task of subduing a hitherto fashionable vice.

History records the results.

The courts of Charleston, in November of that same year, tried, convicted and caused to be hanged in the period of one month a total of 49 pirates.

The pride of South Carolina was certainly restored in great measure by these successes against piracy. Blackbeard, however, was not among those executed in Charleston.

He died on November 22, 1718, at the hand of Lt. Robert Maynard. Maynard and his crew, sent by Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood of Virginia, challenged Blackbeard near his Ocracoke, North Carolina, hideout. After being wounded an astounding 25 times, 20 cutlass wounds and five gunshot wounds, Blackbeard succumbed.

Maynard reportedly chopped off Blackbeard’s head and attached it to his mast to sail home. Legend has it that when they threw the body over board, it swam around the boat seven times before sinking.

So goes the story of Blackbeard.

In England the last pirate of this era was strung up in 1840, and in America the last one was hung in 1862.

In my next blog I will share a typical Pirate Ship’s Articles, the “laws” they lived by, that the Captain and all the crew decided upon and signed.

Pirate Notes - Part 1

How do you like my current pirate hero, Gerard Butler? Of course, in my wip he is Captain Lucas "Bloodstone" Barrett and we are having a load of fun getting him and my heroine Travea together for a happy ending!

Pirates – Part 1


In our Atlantic waters pirates had their greatest days in the 1600’s and 1700’s. Piracy was often a form of freedom for the outcasts of society, as well as attractive to some second and third sons of nobles who saw it as a way to gain the wealth they didn’t gain from birth order. Of course, pirates have been around a lot longer than this time period and still operate in many parts of the world today.

Caribbean pirate ships didn’t roam around hoping to chance upon a victim; they were smarter. They patrolled known shipping routes, especially Spanish treasure routes from the Incas to Spain. During much of this time, many governments (particularly England) supported piracy, encouraging it as a cheap way to get expensive goods into their country. England and other governments issued “letters of marque” which gave their own “privateers” as they called these type captains, permission to attack and plunder ships of their country’s enemies.

Piracy became so prevalent at times that honest sea-faring trade almost ground to a halt. Then the governments would begin working against the pirates. They withdrew letters of marque, tracked down the pirates, and hanged them in public.

An amazing story of this kind is emblazoned in the history of Charleston, South Carolina, my home state and favorite city.

In May of that year, the notorious pirate Blackbeard blockaded Charles Town Harbor with his large pirate fleet, captured and plundered nine ships of much gold and silver, and took all the passengers captive including a member of the Charleston legislature, Samuel Wragg. In a message to South Carolina Gov. Robert Johnson, Blackbeard demanded a large supply of medicine in exchange for his captives. The meds, which Blackbeard did not find on the ships he plundered, were needed to relieve a pirate’s recurring nightmare, syphilis.

The Charles Town leaders capitulated and sent the meds. The captives were released and Blackbeard and his fleet sailed off to Ocracoke, North Carolina, in the gayest of pirate spirits.

However, there’s another amazing footnote to this story.

When the South Carolina leaders gave in to Blackbeard’s demands, it seemed that feelings of shame, indignation, and revenge were outranked by fear. Actually, knowing Southerners like I do, since my family has lived here for many generations, and what history has now recorded of this incident; it was wisdom that outranked the lot with revenge simply being reserved.

In Part 2 I will share, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of this story.”

Drop by again and keep writing!