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The Query Show — Arts
The Query Show

A podcast to help writers get published, hosted by editor and author Blair Thornburgh. Each episode takes a deep dive on a query letter (or two) and diagnoses its strengths and weaknesses so that authors can put their best foot forward into the world of agents and editors.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 16: Romance 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 a copy of this week’s critiques

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode 15: Fantasy Apr 01, 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Fourteen: Middle Grade Contemporary 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Thirteen: Picture Books 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Twelve: YA Contemporary and Contemporary Romance 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Eleven: YA Fantasy Mar 04, 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Ten: MG Contemporary & Sci-Fi 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Nine: YA Contemporary Feb 04, 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Eight: Historical Fantasy & Historical Fiction 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 narrow?

Download a copy of today’s critiques

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Seven: Women’s Fiction & NA Romance 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Six: YA Fantasy 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 trap door?

Download a copy of this episode’s queries and critiques

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Five: Middle Grade (Times Two!) Jan 07, 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Four: Women’s Fiction 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Three: Sci-Fi (Times Two!) 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

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode Two: YA Fantasy (Times Two!) 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 anymore!

Download today’s queries and critiques

Music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

Episode One: Picture Book Nov 28, 2018

Welcome, writers! On this inaugural episode of The Query Show, we get situated, learn about your charming host (ahem), and dive right in to a podcast for a hilarious picture book featuring rodents, baked goods, and the high seas. Learn how to use comp titles effectively, be personable with an agent, and describe your plot most effectively. Plus, Blair mispronounces “SCBWI”!

Download a copy of the query and critique

Intro music by Lee Rosevere via Free Music Archive

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