“No rejection is fatal until the writer walks away from the battle leaving dreams and goals behind,” says Jeff Herman (literary agent of Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, who created the Chicken Soup for the Soul series).

Traveling Teens, Rocky Roads was my second non-fiction book idea. Here’s the query letter I sent:

Dear Esteemed Editor,

He was 16 years old when he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. When asked about his part in the murder of a 14 year old girl, Warren Glowatski said he needed release. From what? “All the negative shit I was dealing with: my parent’s divorce, having nowhere to live, just totally feeling unloved, uncaredfor, powerless.” (Chatelaine, January 2007).

Not having control can be the most stressful part of life for both teens and adults. Teens are particularly affected by powerlessness because they’re bound by rules at school, home, and in society. They can taste freedom but are still buckled in.

Teens’ response to stress ranges from participating in murder to dying their hair purple, from cutting themselves to breaking curfew. They’re on their own safaris – and they don’t easily admit their need for a guide, maps, or gear.

But the need is there.

Traveling Teens, Rocky Roads: Secrets to Surviving the Safari of Your Life

• Hooks readers with exciting comparisons between African animals and real life.
• Explains how to take control of life – and feel effective and powerful.
• Describes easy, practical ways to solve problems and deal with stress.

In 50,000 words, this non-fiction book helps teens 13-18 years old deal with change and daily life. The safari analogy grabs interest without being overtly self-help and encourages a sense of control, thus reducing feelings of inadequacy and powerlessness.

My degrees in Education and Psychology give me a solid background with which to research and write this book. I taught grade 8 through high school at an American school in Africa for three years; not only did I go on safaris, I also took my students camping in the wilds of Kenya every year.

And I write. In addition to contributing to various publications (alive, Esteem, Good Times, Today’s Health and Wellness, cahoots), I write weekly articles for the local newspaper.

I look forward to your response.  

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

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If you have any questions or thoughts about this query letter, please comment below! I’m happy to share how many publishers I pitched to and what their response is.

And, if you’re interested in ways to improve your own query letters, my articles on Quips & Tips for Successful Writers may help:

• Example of a Successful Query Letter to MSN Health
• An Example of a Successful Query Letter
• Tips for Improving Your Query Letters

Here’s my first query letter:

Dear (Esteemed Publisher, Editor, or Agent),

“Come Play With Us!” invites the Vancouver Olympic Committee; “Can we come early?” is the reply. Almost 9 million tourists visited Vancouver in 2004, and every year an average of 15,000 people relocate to the Lower Mainland. From now until 2010 our city will be even more saturated with newcomers, and their needs include information and insider tidbits. According to an article in the September 2005 edition of Publisher’s Weekly (“Keeping Pace” by Suzanne Mantell), tourists are demanding more than the standard travel guide and want “sophisticated insider information.” The book I offer you fits and seals the gap left by other Vancouver guides because it provides practical insider information that simplifies and enriches daily life in the Lower Mainland.

Unveiling Vancouver: An Insider’s Guide to the Jewel of the Pacific (or From Newcomer to Old-Timer: Being in Vancouver) is a non-fiction guidebook to living in the Lower Mainland. This book will ease transitions for both travelers and new residents by providing information basic to the city and answering questions current travel books don’t address, such as “Where is the most reasonable place to buy smoked salmon, authentic Native Indian art, or fresh local blueberries?” and “Fly fishing is something I’ve always been curious about. Can I try it in Vancouver?”

About the Author: Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen writes weekly for the Bowen Island newspaper, the Undercurrent. She has taught Journalism, Language Arts, and Writing classes, and has degrees in Secondary Education and Psychology. Born in Vancouver, she has the unique experience of also being a newcomer as she spent most of her childhood in Saskatchewan and relocated to Vancouver as an adult – twice! She lived in Kenya for three years, visited many countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and has a real sense of what newcomers need to know when settling in to a new city – and what old-timers think they know about the city in which they’ve lived for years.

Enclosed is a proposal including clips, two sample chapters and a SASE.

Thank you for your consideration; I look forward to your response. No need to return the materials. This is a simultaneous submission.

Sincerely,

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

If you have any thoughts or questions about this query letter for Unveiling Vancouver, please fire away below! And if you want to write your own query letter, you might benefit from reading Tips for Improving Your Query Letters.

I created Unveiling Vancouver while living in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997. This book was supposed to help newcomers adjust to living in the Lower Mainland, and included everything from doggie daycares (which were new back then) to where to reclaim your car after it’s been towed. 

A BC-based publisher offered me a contract (yay!); I instructed him to send it to Edmonton – I was moving there to go back to the University of Alberta, to get my Education degree. The publisher hesitated…but agreed.

Six weeks later, I received The Letter. “We regret to inform you that the nature of this book requires the writer to live in Vancouver for research and marketing purposes blah blah blah blah blah BLAH.”

How I burned the bridge to that publisher: Instead of being a wise young writer, I sent him a letter criticizing his decision, his editors, the city in which he lived, and his dog. I may also have mentioned the fact that he was going bald. It wasn’t until the nanosecond after I popped that baby in the mailbox that I realized the immaturity, short-sightedness, and stupidity of my action…and by then it was too late.

That’s one writing disaster I’ll never forget.

Anyway, back to Unveiling Vancouver: I self-published a couple dozen copies, forced my friends and family to buy copies, and sold several in bookstores around Vancouver. My single remaining copy (and that whole experience) is the root of my writing career today – even though it was never published!

That book was the foundation of another new book idea: Living Green in Vancouver. Also not published.

If you’re interested in a writing career, remember that when your book proposal or article pitch is rejected (and they will be), don’t take it personally – and don’t lash out in frustration, anger, or bitterness! Rejection in the publishing world is a business decision. It stings, but it’s a fundamental aspect of an active writing career. The reasons book manuscripts are rejected may have little to do with you as a writer, and more to do with the publisher’s mandate, book list, and future plans.

Don’t let writing rejection deaden your creativity or spirit! Keep creating new ideas to develop and pitch (or even pitch in the garbage). The more ideas you have, the more likely you’ll hit the Big One.

Be an adventurous writer – and don’t fear failure.

Participating in this project gives published authors the chance to help other writers, make themselves more real (and therefore liked!) to your fans, and take a break from their own projects.

This book idea springs from my own blunder. I was recently asked, “Do you always write the same article for different publications?” by a magazine editor, with whom I worked regularly.  I’d written two embarrassingly similar articles for two different publications — one for hers, and one for a major national website. When she caught this (and they always do), she tore a strip off me.

See the scar? It symbolizes what professional writers should never do, but also serves as a reminder that some bridges can be rebuilt. Despite my blunder, this editor is still giving me assignments! (phew)

If you’re a successful published author, will you contribute a similar experience to this book?  Author Blunders is currently at the pitch stage; I’m represented by Jon Sternfeld of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency.  Here are my four questions – you can answer generally at this stage, but when this book sells, I’ll follow up for more details:

1. What was your biggest writing “faux pas”? (anything from leaving the only copy of your manuscript in the back seat of a taxi to ostracizing a group of readers)

2. What steps did you take to fix your blunder? Were you successful – or does your mistake still haunt you?

3. What would surprise readers (who are new and pro writers, fans of published authors, starving artists, etc) to learn about your writing career — or writing in general?

4. How can I refer to you in this book? Please give me a 2-3 sentence bio, including your credentials, books published, and most recent title.

Email or comment below if you’re interested. I’d love to hear from you!

And, if you’re interested learning more about writing blunders, read 5 Ways to Salvage Writing Disasters.