Query Letter

For those who don't know: a query is a short, concise, oh so professional letter that introduces you and your book to potential agents. It's basically mandatory to write one if you have any intention on publishing your MS with any of the big houses (there are few exceptions). I have a query that I'm shopping around now for Ignited but so far its produced limited success. I hope that's because it just hasn't fallen into the right hands. But who knows? There is always room for improvement! If you come across this post and think you have any pointers that you would like to share I'm sure myself and my readers would love to read them. Here is my current query for Ignited:

In a world where water is currency and the manipulation of fire is a rare and dangerous skill, a young woman must discover the price she is willing to pay to save her father, and possibly her country.

Ignited, an 88,000 word Young Adult novel, is a fast-paced fantasy thriller that will fit in with other popular novels in its genre, such as Mistborn and Cinder. Set in the Sand Sea, Ignited is a departure from the typical elements of magic and culture found in standard European fantasies.

Jura, the only child of the First and most powerful of the Thirteen ruling houses in The Republic of the Sand Sea, has long eschewed the intrigue and backstabbing of the political machine her father runs. When her father is incapacitated, seventeen year old Jura must take up his mantle and keep her family safe from the power grasping members of the Thirteen.

Jura would rather spend her time holed up in her room reading books but when the safety of her family home is threatened, she must battle with her wits and deal with dark political secrets. While juggling death threats and societal affairs, Jura struggles to come to terms with her new identity as interim ruler of the Republic.

Succumbing to the pressure of court, Jura unwittingly sentences Tylak, a former slave, to his death. Drawn by the secrets and beauty found in his eyes, Jura decides to test the limits of her political power and frees Tylak from prison in hopes that he might lead her to a cure for her father's entrapment and her own salvation. It's only a matter of time before Jura discovers the truth: her father's affliction and Tylak's strange abilities are the first warning signs of a greater catastrophe for The Republic.

Filled with dragons, gladiators, magic and mystery, Ignited follows a host of characters through trouble and turmoil. Each of these characters struggles to find their place in a dark world that grows more dangerous with each passing day, where fire dancers and wild beasts clash in an arena, and slaves are captured from their homes and sold in underground markets. Beneath the watchful eyes of the Thirteen, Jura finds herself facing a bigger threat than she ever imagined.

I am an avid YA fiction reader and hold a BA in Creative Writing from the University of South Florida.

Thank you very much for your time and for considering Ignited.