How To Write A Subject Line For Your Query Email
No other part of your query package is more likely to be overlooked than the email subject line. It’s just a subject line, after all. How important could it be?
As it turns out, very important. The email subject line may seem like something to gloss over, but is actually a crucial part of your query.
It’s A Trap! Avoid Spam Filters
Literary agents get lots of email. Lots and lots of emails. To help manage the load, many will set filters to sort the incoming mail for them. They may want queries to end up in one folder and spam to end up in an entirely different folder. How do you ensure your query gets to the right place?
The answer: it depends, really.
Some agents will specify how to format your subject line and others don’t.
If an agent specifies a particular format, follow that format. Always. Otherwise, your email may never be seen. They may ask you to include their name, a word count, or some other information they need. You’ll likely find this information wherever they list their query package submission requirements.
If an agent does not specify a particular format, a good rule-of-thumb is to start your subject line with the word ‘Query.’ That should get you past the spam filters.
What Comes Next?
After the word ‘Query,’ a generic subject line should include:
Manuscript Title: the title of your work
Genre: the literary category into which your manuscript fits (YA, MG, etc.)
As long as your subject line has these elements, you should be good to go. The actual formatting can vary, but may end up looking like one of these:
Query – YOUR MANUSCRIPT TITLE – [genre]
Query: YOUR MANUSCRIPT TITLE - [genre]
Query / YOUR MANUSCRIPT TITLE / [genre]
Query for YOUR MANUSCRIPT TITLE/[genre]
Query: [genre], YOUR MANUSCRIPT TITLE
Additional Tips:
A few other things to keep in mind:
It’s worth mentioning again: make sure to look whether an agent specifies a particular formatting for the subject line. If they do, use that format!
As tempting as it may be, the subject line isn’t the place to ‘sell’ your manuscript. Don’t include clickbait or spammy lines such as “the best novel you’ve ever read!” That’s what the query letter is for.
Proofread! As always, make sure there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes.
Don’t include your name. It’s included in the ‘sender’ field of the email.
Querier Can Help!
Querier can help simplify the query process. Enter in the basic elements of your query, and Querier will generate the submission package for you.
With Querier you can set a default email subject once and customize only when an agent requires it. No more spreadsheets, Word docs, and copying/pasting. All the tools you need in one place to send out dozens of queries in a snap!
It will generate the query email for you (containing the email subject, query letter, synopsis, and writing sample as specified by the agent) and stick it right in Gmail tick the formatted email. Or allow you to submit to QueryManager with the click of a button!