My query letter

So since I mentioned my query letter in 'So what's going on with the book' explanation, I figured I might as well post it here. Don't know if anyone will find this interesting, but this is the letter I've been sending to agents to try and get them interested enough to want to read my book. (This is probably about the 15th version, I've done a ton of drafting and rewriting this thing). I'm pretty happy with this one and have been pleased with the results so far. So without further ado, my query letter:

Dear Ms. AGENT:

When Jasmine Powers opens a locked drawer in her father’s home office, she starts a chain of events which will change her life forever. The drawer contains clues to the only thing her father has ever been secretive about: her mother’s identity. Jasmine eagerly investigates her mother’s past, while trying to resist a secret crush and preserve a lifelong friendship. She’s searching for the truth about her mother, but she’ll find a startling revelation about herself. 

At 65,000 words, JASMINE POWERS, SUPER GEEK is a YA novel about an anti-superhero, a teenage girl who finds herself with an unusual gift that she doesn’t want or understand. She’s also African American, which is great news for anyone who’d like to see more diverse characters in science fiction (I’m tired of being Storm from the X-Men every Halloween). But although this story will appeal to Black teens, who spend an average of $96 a month, 20% more than the average U.S. teen, it isn’t ‘urban’ or ‘street fiction.’ As Putnam editor Stacy Barney asked in Publisher’s Weekly (in reference to Gossip Girl) “Why can’t we have a series that prominently features African-American teens and has the same crossover appeal?” JASMINE POWERS, SUPER GEEK will contribute to filling that void.

I graduated summa cum laude from Howard University, where I wrote my senior honors thesis on how adolescents’ concerns about popularity affect their academic achievement. I recently completed law school at Georgetown University, where I discovered that courtrooms are not nearly as entertaining as they look on Law & Order and confirmed my long-held suspicion that writing YA fiction is my passion (I also finagled my way into meeting John Grisham, so the three years of stress were totally worth it). I am a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and am hard at work on another YA book.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my work. I would be happy to provide the complete manuscript upon request.

  

Sincerely, 

Stephanie Hairston