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THE QUERY

Nail your query letter and get the literary agent of your dreams

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (see reviews)

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This course is an excellent, thorough run-down of everything you might want to think about when writing and sending your query letter. Written with Writers' HQ's trademark snarky charm, and filled with links to even more information about what agents are looking for and what to do/not do, it's a really enjoyable, detailed look at this topic. Thank you!
- Elizabeth Ottosson

TAKE THIS COURSE

£20/month. Access all WHQ membership courses
First month half price!

Part of the WHQ membership

Seven part course, rolling access

Join our kickass community

COURSE HOME

You think you’ve done the hard part by writing a book, but landing an agent is the next big hurdle to leap over. Writers’ HQ’s online query writing course will help you prepare to send your manuscript out into the big wide world of publishing.

First impressions count, and your query letter is the first part of a book submission an agent will look at.

How do you summarise a 70,000+ novel in the space of just a few paragraphs? How do you grab the attention of the literary agent of your dreams? How do you make sure your submission doesn’t end up at the bottom of the slush pile?

Well, that’s what we’re gonna teach you. Learn how to write a killer query letter and give yourself the best chance of an agent saying “Yes, yes, yes! Send me your book!”

CURRICULUM
  • What is a query letter, what does it do, and what should it contain?
  • How to sum up your novel in a paragraph and leave an agent wanting more
  • What to avoid when writing to an agent
  • The Spot Check Checklist for when your objectivity has gone out the window
  • How to sell yourself (ooer)
  • What do agents really want?
  • Resources and research
HOW IT WORKS

1. Enrol
Once you’ve joined you’ll get an email confirming your place and explaining how you access the course. Spoiler: you click a link. Super simple.

2. Read, watch, do
The lessons are a mix of text, images, videos and exercises. To get the most out of the course, try to give yourself at least an hour a day to read or watch the material and do the exercises. We’ve made them as bite-size as possible but also if you wanna do the thing you gotta do the work.

3. No rush
This course is written to be done over a week but if you miss a day or something comes up, don’t panic! Go at your own pace. We’ll be waiting for you in the community forums when you’re ready to catch up.

4. No money? No problem
Periodically we run this course as a freebie so please make sure you’re on our newsletter list to get notifications of that. Alternatively, if you can’t wait and have no cash, have a look at our bursary scheme.

5. Milk no sugar
Drink plenty of tea, stock up on biscuits, gin for later. Enjoy it. It’s supposed to be fun. Love you. Mwa.

WHAT YOU GET
  • Help and advice from award-winning authors and literary agents
  • Daily inspiration, whip-cracking, writing exercises and prompts
  • Access to our private forum full of super cool people to help and support you along the way, including Team WHQ, our specially-picked and hand-baked gang of badass writers.
  • Seven days of exercises, advice and resources to help you build the best possible query package

Discover the dos and don’ts of query writing, fine-tune your cover letter to perfection, and summarise the living heck out of your story.

Finish the course with an intriguing, snappy, polished query letter that you can tailor to suit each agent you send it to.

Join our lovely little online community to support you through starting, middling, finishing and beyond.

LOVE FOR WRITERS’ HQ

Plotstorming is rough….but I loved it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It took me a while to get through the course materials. Mostly because of the huge monster in my head telling me I couldn’t, wouldn’t and shouldn’t get through it. It is a testament to Sarah and Jo’s skills, encouragement and general awesomeness that despite all this I kept finding my way back and eventually emerged the other side with a not just a plot, but a passion for my story that I feared was lost. The course is worth every penny, every bead of sweat and every tear. I feel like a better writer in a better position. Can’t thank you guys enough!

Vicki

Plotstormers

Best f**king course on writing short fiction, ever ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love this course. So much information, so many great exercises, such great feedback in the forums. Doesn’t matter how you learn – there’s a little something for everyone here, from videos to suggested readings to hands-on work – and some great prompts for the exercises. Helped me think about writing in invaluable new ways (distill your story down to a 140-character tweet? I can do this, I can do this…!). Kind, encouraging, clear, direct. I wrote some new stories during the course, and with the stories I already had before I started, I have lots of editing ahead of me….but at least now I KNOW WHAT TO DO! Thanks for a stellar course, Jo. Time now to stop f**king about and start editing (writing is rewriting :o).

Mary Taslimi

Writing Short Fiction

Writers’ HQ are absolute legends ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They have taken me from someone who writes and created a writer. They also making a cracking cuppa. The retreats are an oasis of writing calm and an inspirational treat. Meeting fellow writers is always a treat. The online courses are not only draw out the writer you know is inside but are incredibly fun to boot.

Vicki Sarteur

Membership

Fabulous! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wasn’t sure what to expect from seven days but was surprised by the amount of creativity sparked by the (seemingly) simple ideas. Brilliant course, whether you’re short of ideas or not, because it gets you thinking and looking at things differently. Five well-deserved gold stars from me too ???? Thank you!

Hannah McKinnon

Seven Ideas In Seven Days

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TUTORS

Sarah Lewis
Half of Writers’ HQ
Procrastinator Level: Set up WHQ and had a baby to avoid writing her novel

Jo Gatford
Half of Writers’ HQ
Procrastinator Level: Set up WHQ and did an MA to avoid writing her novel

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