Ive been sending out my query for my latest book, When a Stranger Comes… with an almost nonexistent hit rate. If I don’t catch an agent or independent publisher, I’m prepared to publish it myself on Amazon. I’m in the midst right now of creating an audible book for Walking with Elephants and the product is pretty good. As soon as I’m done with that, I’ll publish When a Stranger Comes… ACX will have to approve of the quality of the audible book, so I’m not sure if it will pass their minimum requirements, and if not I can sell it myself on my website. So who needs to be legit anymore? Well, it would be nice. But hey, whatever. Anyway, I thought I would post my query letter as an experiment for my myself. I am reaching out to all my readers of this blog to offer any suggestions to make it better. Like crowd sourcing or crowd funding but only for an assessment. Here it is for your feedback.
Satisfying one’s greed can come at a devilishly high cost.
Achieving what you crave can also bring the gnawing and terrifying fear of losing it. For Alexa Wainwright, this truth has become her nightmare. Her debut novel, A Foregone Conclusion, soared to number one on the bestseller’s list and became an international sensation. The accompanying fame and riches were beyond her expectations. Unfortunately, her subsequent work has yet to achieve the same reception by critics and readers. Yes, they have sold well based on her name recognition, but she dreads the possibility of becoming a mid-list author forgotten and ignored. She vows to do whatever it takes to attain the heady ego-stroking success of her debut. But is she really?
Witnessing an out-of-the-blue lightning bolt whose giant tendrils spread over the blue sky and city streets below her loft window, Alexa doesn’t realize that this vow will be tested as she’s magically transported to an alternate reality. In this universe, the characters from her books are given the breath of life and she meets publisher, King Blakemore, who just might be the Devil himself. At first, she shrugs off her doubts about this peculiar publisher and very lucrative book deal offer because the temptation of riches and refound fame is too strong. But all too soon, Alexa realizes she’s trapped in an underworld of evil from which she desperately wants to escape. For starters, she finds herself in an iron-clad book contract that changes its wording whenever she thinks of a loophole. Desperate to get her life back, she devises schemes to untether herself from this hellish existence. She’s also aided by the forces for good who attempt to remove King’s hold on her. However, King Blakemore is cleverer and more powerful than she or her guardian angels can begin to understand. Playfully, King decides to give Alexa a second chance to save herself from eternity with him and to be free. He offers her the prospect of a rewrite, as most authors do as part of the writing process. Given this chance, will Alexa make the same choices and the same mistakes again?
Alexa, as the MC, is relatable, likable, and vulnerable with a keen sense of humor. Her world is very small because writing is her life and so she is an easy target for entrapment. Her pact with the Devil is an allegory for the evil lurking in our midst. The social decay of modern society with its excessive greed, the ignorance of our political leaders, and our indifference toward the survival of all species from the effects of climate change, among other environmental pressures, are perhaps brought forth by the darkest forces of human nature. When a Stranger Comes… is a fast-paced psychological thriller in 94,255 words. It is written to appeal to a wide audience who enjoy irony, sarcasm, passion, tears, as well as a good laugh. I would be happy to send you the completed manuscript, if you are interested.
Thanks folks for your help.
