Class Description
A one day intensive session on query letters and pitches. For the first half of the class, agent Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary will take the class through the shelf-life of a query, dissect its four most important components, diagram the essential elements of a query’s synopsis, identify the most common mistakes authors make in their queries, give insight and tips on how to stand out in the slush pile, and provide a review of a laundry list of query Dos and Don’ts. After covering all the basics, the instructor will hand back students’ queries, with notes on recommended changes. Students will have time to rework their query in class, by hand or by laptop, and then the instructor will lead a group critique of each reworked query with the class. Amazing changes are expected. By the close of the class, students should expect to be on their way to a strong query letter that gets an agent’s attention, and will have take home notes and class handouts. Open to all levels, all genres.
Important: Please prepare and email to [email protected] no later than Friday, July 24th, a one-page query letter of no more than 300 words for the instructor, who will provide comments and edits on the query for use in class, and as a take-home reference.For Class: Bring two copies of your query, and means to work on revisions (pen and paper, or laptop)Limited to 15 students.
Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. Please visit the Resources tab to access the video-conference link.
Zoom Participation:
Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!