Perfect Pitch: Sangu Mandanna's A Spark of White Fire

Oh, hi there writers!

One question I get asked all the time, is how to craft a good query letter. At conferences. On Twitter. From random acquaintances on Facebook. So, what better way to help querying writers... than to start sharing a couple outstanding examples?

Welcome to my little "Perfect Pitch" series here on the ol' blog, where I'll post query letters from my clients. The queries that hooked me, and the books that sold afterwards.

Sangu Mandanna's A SPARK OF WHITE FIRE is a stunning multicultural YA space opera that draws from the Mahabharata. With the first book in the series coming out in the next few weeks (and the second and third coming out in 2019 and 2020), I wanted to share Sangu's original query letter, in hopes it'll help YOU with your pitching.

I was so excited when this landed in my inbox, that I fired off a bunch of emails to friends utterly flipping out. I read the book in three days, and offered to represent it four days before Christmas.

And if you find this helpful, PLEASE pre-order it on Amazon, B&N, or IndieBound, as a way of saying thank you to Sangu.

So! This is the query that got me:

-#-

Dear Eric,

My novel, A SPARK OF WHITE FIRE, is a YA space fantasy and a retelling of Indian mythology. The manuscript is complete at 85,000 words and is the first book of a trilogy.

Seventeen years ago, in a world of gods and stars and cities built on spaceships, the Queen of Avalon cast her infant daughter out into deep space. The baby survived by a goddess’s grace and floated through half a galaxy to the kingdom of Wychstar. There, she grew up in the dark while her twin brother Alexi grew up in golden light.

The baby is now Esme, clever, passionate and terribly lonely, and she has longed to return to her family all her life. Avalon is no longer theirs, not now that her father is dead, her treacherous uncle and cousin have seized the crown, and her mother and brothers have been banished. Esme wants nothing more than to help Alexi take back his crown and their home. When the King of Wychstar offers to gift the unbeatable warship Titania to the winner of a competition, the way home seems clear: Alexi is the favourite to win, their usurping cousin Max is likely to lose, and the competition seems the ideal place for Esme to reveal her identity and reunite with her family.

It all goes wrong, of course. Alexi rejects her. Angry and heartbroken, she enters the competition as Max’s champion. And wins. Titania is given to the usurpers and Esme’s choice puts her on the wrong side of an inevitable war.

You've mentioned you're interested in diverse submissions in YA sci fi and fantasy, so I thought you might be a good fit for this. This is my second novel. My first, THE LOST GIRL, was published in North America by HarperCollins in 2012 and by Random House in the UK and Commonwealth in 2013. I'm 27, live in the UK with my husband and two sons, and have a pretty alarming Netflix addiction.

Thanks very much for your time.

All best, Sangu

-#-

So let's talk about this query and why it's so great, using my favorite "the hook, the book, the cook" query construction:

The Hook: Right away, Sangu hits with the hook in her pitch. "... a YA space fantasy and a retelling of Indian mythology." I'm done. You've got me. Let's keep reading.

The Book: Sangu sums up her stunning novel in THREE PARAGRAPHS. Now, this is a genre blend of a book with scores of characters, tons of political intrigue, Gods and Goddesses, epic space battles... there's a lot in here. Yet, she dishes about it in just three paragraphs. Remember, even if there's a ton happening in your book, try to keep it at least semi-vague. Don't lay it all out there. You want your book section reading like jacket copy.

The Cook: Sangu's bio is great. She talks about her previous book (which she KNEW I was a huge fan of, even though she doesn't mention that in the query), and talks a bit about her life. She also mentions why she thought I would be a good fit for this project.

This, my friends, is perfect pitch.

A Spark of White Fire hits bookstores everywhere on September 11th with Sky Pony Press.

Welcome Home: Published Today, And a Massive Thank You

So Welcome Home is out today.

Gearing up for the launch of this book has been a wild ride. The book almost didn't happen, and then Flux swept in to save the day. The signings at ALA and BEA, and the panels... I've just been beside myself with the turn out. And the reviews have leaving me awestruck. From School Library Journal to Children's Literature to VOYA, I'm blown away.

“Authors across a variety of genres share stories that range from the fantastical to gritty, but all will touch readers hearts (and cause a few to shed some tears).” – School Library Journal

“This volume earns a place in every YA library and it is up to YA librarians to put it into the hands of teens who need it most.” – VOYA

Just, thank you thank you thank you.

I'll be hitting the road for a little bit next month, visiting Philadelphia, Jersey City, Nashville, and Orlando to promote the book. I'll be reading at bookstores and talking at youth centers with a bunch of the contributors in the anthology, and you can check out the dates and stops here.

To all of you who have pre-ordered, signal-boosted, shared, reviewed, and/or talked about this little book, thank you so much. Note that, if you pick up the book today, let me know. I've still got a few signed postcards and swag I would be more than happy to send your way.

And speaking of thank yous.

When my editor asked me if I wanted to add an acknowledgements page for Welcome Home, I reluctantly said no. Because really, this isn’t my book. I’ve said that again and again. While I’m lucky enough to have curated this collection, it belongs to everyone inside it.

But, if it was to have a thank you page in the back, specifically just from me? This is what it would say.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To the lovely people at Flux, especially McKelle George, Mari Kesselring, Megan Naidl, Sam Temple, and Joe Riley, who worked so tirelessly to make this book happen. Thanks for taking a chance on this project. Wrangling up contracts and edits for nearly 30 authors, and organizing signings and panels with a dozen of us at conventions.. it all felt like such an impossible thing, and you all did it.

To my rockstar agent Dawn Frederick, who listens to every rambling idea I have, and told me to get to work on this book when I brought it up on a long drive together to a writers conference... you’re fantastic and unstoppable.

When the world felt like it was crashing down, to all the publishing people, agents, editors, and authors who reached out... it meant more than you know.

To my darling wife Nena who keeps pushing me to write about topics that are deeply personal and close to me. I wouldn’t have tried if you hadn’t have pushed. You're a force behind-the-scenes, and I will keep making sure everyone knows it.

To the incredible contributors who published their short stories in this collection: Adi Alsaid, Randy Ribay, Nic Stone, Dave Connis, Helene Dunbar, Libby Cudmore, Lauren Gibaldi, Matthew Quinn Martin, Mindy McGinnis, Sammy Nickalls, Shannon M. Parker, Karen Akins, Erica M. Chapman, Julie Eshbaugh, Shannon Gibney, Jenny Kaczorowski, Julie Leung, Sangu Mandanna, Lauren Morrill, Tameka Mullins, C.J. Redwine, William Ritter, Courtney C. Stevens, Kate Watson, Stephanie Scott, Natasha Sinel, and Tristina Wright.

This book only exists because of your words. So to you, the biggest thank you. I can't wait to see what good this book can do, and to keep sharing every moment with you, even if you are tired of my massive email updates. They aren't going to stop. Sorry not sorry.

To the number of authors who helped point me in the right direction while putting this collection together. To Becky Albertalli, Nova Ren Suma, Gayle Forman, Justina Ireland, Beth Revis, I.W. Gregorio, Sona Charaipotra, Kim Liggett, E.C. Myers, and Dahlia Adler... all of whom sent a number of writers my way, and made suggestions about who I should reach out to. You helped so very much. If I'm forgetting someone in here, I'm sorry. I sent out what felt like hundreds of supremely awkward emails.

To Ashley Poston, for designing postcards and swag for me again and again. Please pre-order her books and hire her for things.

To Zoraida Cordova and Adi Alsaid (again) for that week in Mexico, where I edited a lot of the stories in this book. You're both an inspiration.

To Jeff Zentner, David Arnold, and Brenda Drake, for the kind words on the back of the book. My goodness. I have no words for your words.

And to my Mom and Dad, for giving me a story to tell in the first place.

And to my sister. I see you. This book is for kids like you. Like us.