A query letter needs to be brief and to the point. Some publishers provide guidelines for it; most don’t. Your query letter should state the title of your book, explain what the book is about, mention the target audience and the length of the work (calculated in words).
Make sure there are no typos and misspellings. This is your first contact with the publisher, and as you know there is no second chance of making the first impression. Make sure your query is professional, clear, and short, no more than half a page. It can be just one paragraph, but it needs to be written well.
Some publishers accept query letters via e-mail, others prefer them mailed. You can find that information on the publisher’s website, or in the Writer’s Market.
Book Proposal
o Cover Letter. Cover letter is your introduction. It should be no longer than one page. If you had sent a query before and now are sending your book proposal in response to the publisher’s invitation, it is good to begin by thanking them for it. If this is your first contact with the publisher (some do not ask for a query), your cover letter can be an expanded version of your query letter. It is good to include any writing credentials, if you have them – published articles, short stories, anything, no matter how small. If your book is non-fiction, you can list as credentials any kind of experience you have in the field. For example, if your book is on children and parenting, and you have worked for eight years as a school teacher, make sure you mention that.
o Author’s Bio / CV / Resume is not always necessary, but sometimes publishers specifically require it. If the publisher’s guidelines do not mention it and you have included enough information about yourself in the cover letter, you don’t need to make a separate Author’s Bio page. However, some authors find it easier to write a brief bio separately. It does not need to be very detailed. What the publisher wants to know is your education, work experience, any writing-related experience, and previously published works. If you don’t have anything published yet, don’t feel intimidated. Remember, everyone has to start somewhere.