Query Letters and Cover Letters - What's the difference?

by Hamilton Brown
2nd July 2016

Hi, I have recently finished my novel and it is ready to be sent off to a literary agency. The literary agents I was looking at asks for a cover letter instead of a query letter. But on this website it talks only about query letters, so I am wondering whether a query letter is the same as a cover letter, or are they different things?

Any answers would be much appreciated,

Hamilton

Replies

Thanks for giving difference between Query Letters and Cover Letters - For cover letter writing , visit http://www.cvfolks.co.uk

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Lauren
Daniels
270 points
Developing your craft
Lauren Daniels
06/07/2016

A query letter is one asking if a prospective agent or publisher might be interested in reading your proposal. As such it would generally include a brief outline of the book.

A cover letter, on the other hand, would usually be sent with a proposal, either because the intended recipient has already responded positively to a query or will accept three chapters plus synopsis (or whatever) included as part of your initial approach.

That's my understanding, anyway.

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Jonathan
Hopkins
6735 points
Practical publishing
Fiction
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Jonathan Hopkins
03/07/2016

A query letter is ask the prospective publisher if after going through your and your work intro he/she would like stopover know more. A cover letter is what you write after an editor has read your query letter, sample chapters and synopsis.

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Pervez
Khokhar
270 points
Developing your craft
Pervez Khokhar
03/07/2016