The workshop, “Can I Hook You on My Book? Tips for Writing Effective Query Letters to Agents” draws on industry research and interviews with agents including Josh Getzler (HG Literary), Paula Munier (Talcott Notch Literary), and Melissa Richter (Fuse Literary) to provide current advice about the query letter, which is really a genre all its own. Even for established writers, it is a challenge to take a book of 80,000 to 100,000 words that we know and love (and of which we no doubt have sections memorized!) and not only distill it down to fewer than 300 words but to go “meta” on it in a way that will entice an agent. Like a good novel, the effective query letter both tells and shows that you and your manuscript are ready to be represented.
The workshop begins with a discussion of how to find agents to query. Then, we break the query letter into four parts—(1) shape the hook, (2) pitch the book, (3) pitch you, and (4) KISS at the close—and review examples of both poorly crafted elements and more effective ones. The presentation includes “rules of thumb” to help writers avoid pitfalls as well as “instant turnoffs”—elements that cause an agent to set aside the letter.
Participants will be shown some successful query letters and will be given Paula Munier and Melissa Richter’s query information.
Contact Karen for participation information.
Praise for Karen’s Workshops
“Karen Odden’s presentation “Can I Hook You on My Book?” turns the frustrating and difficult job of writing a query letter into a simple (if not always easy) task. She presents the query letter template, and then walks through many examples that clarify each element of the query. Especially hard for any writer is the task of summarizing a plot and character arc while maintaining voice and specificity: Odden’s “good” and “better” examples were very helpful in showing how to achieve this. She also freely shares information about real-life querying experiences. By the end of the workshop I felt confident about constructing a query letter that will generate requests for partial and full reads.” -Mysti Berry, President of Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths; author and publisher of the Low Down Dirty Vote anthology series
“Karen Odden’s workshop will inspire authors to write successful query letters. Writers learn how to market their books to agents by dividing a query letter into logical and manageable parts. For each part, the workshop provides negative examples to analyze, plus positive models to use as patterns.” -Margaret Morse, Society of Southwestern Authors
“I recently attended Karen Odden’s class, “Can I Hook You on My Book? Tips for Writing Effective Query Letters to Agents.” It was amazing! You can have a great manuscript, but if you can’t capture the interest of an agent with an effective query, you’re not going to get your work published. For many writers, trying to writer the perfect query can be a daunting process. Fortunately, Karen’s class laid out a step-by-step process that made it easy. By the time the class was done, I had drafted a complete letter. I really found this class helpful, and I know you will, too.” -Diana G., Society of Southwestern Authors
“Karen Odden de-mystifies that intimidating all-important query letter by offering specific steps to “shape your hook.” Her insights are invaluable for any genre, and she walks participants through six key elements to feature in a query letter and a pitch. Perfect for a published or pre-published author!” -Wendy Cederberg, League of Romance Writers, Houston
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About Karen
Karen Odden received her Ph.D. in English from New York University in 2001, writing her dissertation on Victorian literature. Subsequently, she taught at UW-Milwaukee and edited for the academic journal Victorian Literature and Culture. When she finally turned to writing fiction, she set all her novels in her beloved 1870s London. Her first mystery, A Lady in the Smoke, was a USA Today bestseller. Her fourth, Down a Dark River, was an Oprah Daily pick; and the sequel, Under a Veiled Moon was nominated for the Lefty, Agatha, and Anthony Awards for Best Historical Mystery. Her sixth novel, An Artful Dodge, about an all-women thieving gang in 1879 London, is forthcoming from Soho Crime in June 2026.
Since 2019, Karen has offered over 40 writing workshops for libraries, professional groups, and conferences, and she has received awards and grants for her work to promote literacy and support the writing community. Karen serves on the national board of Sisters in Crime, reviews books for Publishers Weekly, and divides her time between Arizona and Utah, where she loves to hike while plotting crimes. Read More