The Query Show

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The Query Show is a show about query letters! Join your host, editor and author Blair Thornburgh, as she breaks down query letters from real authors and gives helpful, occasionally goofy feedback.

Blair Thornburgh


    • Apr 22, 2019 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 15 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Query Show

    Episode 16: Romance

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2019


    Romance means double the emotional arcs, double the stakes, and plenty of opportunities for hijinks. So: how information-dense should your query be? Can our beloved  cause-and-effect language ever lead you astray? How can you balance external plot, internal arcs, and, you know, that big ol' relationship that's at the literal heart of your book? Download … Episode 16: Romance Read More »

    Episode 15: Fantasy

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2019


    Introducing worldbuilding while establishing character goal, motivation, and conflict—all that and magical Enchanteds, dreamwalkers, and the ever-present format for comp titles. Plus: are rhetorical questions as effective as statements? Two fantasy queries today with a lot to offer. Download a copy of the queries and critiques Listen Now Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

    Episode Fourteen: Middle Grade Contemporary

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2019


    How long should a query be? When can you go deep on detail, and when is it just not relevant? Two excellent queries today that dig into this and more, as well as our old favorites: cause and effect, emotional stakes, and internal arcs! Download copies of this week’s queries and critiques Listen Now Music … Episode Fourteen: Middle Grade Contemporary Read More »

    Episode Thirteen: Picture Books

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2019


    The deceptively simple picture book query! How do you query a book whose text probably isn’t much longer than the manuscript itself? How can you make sure you convey the plot and the feeling of reading aloud? And how much of your bio paragraph should the query take? Download copies of the queries and critiques Listen … Episode Thirteen: Picture Books Read More »

    Episode Twelve: YA Contemporary and Contemporary Romance

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2019


    Timelines and query pacing and when it’s appropriate to say “I am seeking representation” and more! Stakes come up both for international intrigue and a romp through a woodsy divorcee retreat. Download copies of this episode’s queries and critiques Listen Now Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

    Episode Eleven: YA Fantasy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2019


    It’s a fantastic (literally) week on TQS, which means we’re getting deep into stuff like worldbuilding, showing vs. telling key plot elements, and infusing narrative style into the query itself. Plus: COMP TITLES. Always comp titles! Your fave and mine! Download copies of the queries and critiques Listen Now Music by Lee Rosevere via Free … Episode Eleven: YA Fantasy Read More »

    Episode Ten: MG Contemporary & Sci-Fi

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2019


    Two middle-grade novels with high-flying high stakes today! We’re talking the crucial intersection of internal and external arcs, the difference between “is” and “becomes,” and a comp title extravaganza. Download a copy of the queries and critiques Listen Now Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

    Episode Nine: YA Contemporary

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2019


    We have an agent success! Find out which fabulous featured author has secured representation. And two excellent YA queries to review today, and some deep dives into striking the balance between details of the plot, abstract emotional arcs, and synthesizing that crucial third paragraph. Download copies of the queries and critiques Listen Now Music by … Episode Nine: YA Contemporary Read More »

    Episode Eight: Historical Fantasy & Historical Fiction

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2019


    Ancient Egypt and Reformation Amsterdam are the settings of today’s queries. We’re digging into settings, stakes, and how to keep it emotionally relevant even when Big Stuff is happening in the world. Plus, how do you query a book that’s a companion to a self-pub novel, and add in comps when your subgenre is super … Episode Eight: Historical Fantasy & Historical Fiction Read More »

    Episode Seven: Women's Fiction & NA Romance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2019


    Two queries about the hazards of love, finding yourself, and—as always—the electric currents of emotional stakes. Find out what you can cut from your query and why sometimes it’s okay to get unconventional. Download copies of today’s queries and critiques Listen Now Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

    Episode Six: YA Fantasy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2019


    Two fantasies with high stakes, life-or-death situations, and romance today on The Query Show. How do you keep your characters active in a query while still encompassing all the critical worldbuilding that a fantasy needs? What’s the key to nailing the bring-it-home paragraph in a query? And what’s the difference between a door and a … Episode Six: YA Fantasy Read More »

    Episode Five: Middle Grade (Times Two!)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2019


    It’s a middle grade extravaganza! Today we look at two queries for middle grade stories that address themes of bullying, fantasy worlds, and very sticky marshmallows. Plus, we talk balancing the query: how much should be story vs. intro vs. bio? Download a copy of today’s queries and critiques Listen Now Music by Lee Rosevere … Episode Five: Middle Grade (Times Two!) Read More »

    Episode Four: Women's Fiction

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2018


    On today’s episode, we’re looking at a women’s fiction query that shows off some great methods to stay concise while still communicating everything an agent needs to know. Plus, the order of operations of query paragraphs! Download a copy of today’s query and critique Listen Now Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

    Episode Three: Sci-Fi (Times Two!)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2018


    On today’s episode, we’ve got two fun sci-fi query letters to read, enjoy, and ponder over. Some thoughts on big pile-up sentences, appropriate comps, getting strange bedfellows into the bed, kicking alien ass, and giving (or not giving) a chronometer to a teenager. Download a copy of today’s queries and critiques Listen Now Music by … Episode Three: Sci-Fi (Times Two!) Read More »

    Episode Two: YA Fantasy (Times Two!)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2018


    Today on The Query Show, we’re looking at query letters for two YA contemporary fantasy novels, and talkin’ genre expectations, breaking through a crowded market, and lots of “phraseological” musings on how best to convey a plot in not a whole lot of words. Tune in, or whatever we say now that nobody uses radios … Episode Two: YA Fantasy (Times Two!) Read More »

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