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By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, June 27, 2009 6:03 am

What makes me “The Adventurous Writer”? I keep submitting my ideas to my agent, possible publishers, and potential editors — no matter how many rejections and “that wouldn’t sell in a million years” ‘s I get! Rejection isn’t fatal, but giving up is, my friends.

“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? Continue reading 'Traveling Teens, Rocky Roads – Query Letter'»

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By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, June 15, 2009 2:34 pm

If you want an agent, editor, or publisher to request your book proposal or manuscript, you have to write a compelling query letter! Here’s a query letter for my latest book idea, See Jane Soar: 200 Women Who Weren’t Well-Behaved. This query letter led to contract offers from two different agents (I happily signed with the Irene Goodman Literary Agency; for more info, read 12 Steps to Finding a Literary Agent on Quips & Tips for Successful Writers).

My query letter for See Jane Soar:

“Well-behaved women rarely make history,” said Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. 

That’s because well-behaved women don’t rescue men in the Wild West, discover Radium, or achieve Hollywood stardom after being fired from countless chorus-line jobs. Well-behaved women don’t speed 300 miles/hour around a race track, trek in the Egyptian desert in full Victorian garb – and they certainly don’t soar into the mysterious unknown. Continue reading 'See Jane Soar – Query Letter'»