One of the first steps to finding an agent and getting a book published is submitting a query letter. I've drafted the one below and am getting ready to send it out. Any thoughts?
To: Agent
Subject: Query: Tales of a Law School Dropout
Dear Agent,
What would you do if you found yourself pursuing a disastrous career path? Stick it out? Suffer for the rest of your life? Or do what I did—quit!
In Tales of a Law School Dropout, a 62,000 word memoir, I share what I wished I had known before going to law school. This book appeals to two audiences: people who are entertaining the idea of pursuing a legal career, and those who are just looking for a good read.
Law school has a way of multiplying your greatest weaknesses tenfold. After four months of studying gobbledygook at the Boyd School of Law in Las Vegas, I feel lucky to have anything left with which to tell my tale. My desire to make legal language understandable to everyone drew me to law school, but I discovered there were better ways to accomplish that goal.
Similar books on this topic like Scott Turow’s One L and Deborah Schneider and Gary Belsky’s Should You Really Be a Lawyer? touch on the tortures of law school but don’t delve into detail about the dropout’s perspective. Retention is a real issue in any academic program—so far nobody has been brave enough to discuss law school retention in a personal, candid way.
I am a master’s student in Higher Educational Administration and hold a BA in English-Composition and Music from the University of Nevada, Reno. I work as a Registrar. My passion for education drives me to share my knowledge with those who need the truth about law school. Five years of Toastmasters has taught me storytelling techniques that appeal to broad audiences, and has given me the confidence to speak up about an otherwise taboo subject.
Thank you for your help, and I look forward to talking to you.
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Congratulations Gina for having the courage to
ReplyDeletemove away from something that was not working for you! You chose freedom over stuck.
I know that there are others who pursued a law degree and wish that they had figured this out sooner. To be free to follow your heart
is the greatest gift that you can give to yourself and the world.
Love, Mom
That is an Excellent Query Letter Gina!! Very very good!! Thanks for this!! wOw!! This is a real learning experience for me as I also have a book I'd like to finish and perhaps have published one day. Watching your progress is a Lot of fun for me!!
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