About QueryAcademy
Spearheaded by developmental editor and former publishing professional Alyssa Matesic, QueryAcademy gives aspiring traditionally published authors everything they need to confidently, quickly, and effectively begin the querying journey. You’ll learn:
The 7 essential components of a strong query letter
Top query letter mistakes to avoid
What format to follow for your genre
How to perfect your query letter to stand out in agents’ inboxes
Our process is designed to get you ready to query in just one week (once you have a complete manuscript or proposal in hand) and includes 1:1, personalized feedback on your query letter draft.
Authors received representation from
Your Query Letter Experts
Alyssa Matesic
At The Book Group, Alyssa reviewed hundreds of query letters and found authors from the “slush pile.” She later worked at Ballantine Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House) then started her own developmental editing business, where she has helped numerous authors land agents and publishing deals.
She has more than 50,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, where she gives free advice on navigating the traditional publishing industry.
Nora Bellot
After seven years as an assistant and junior agent at Writers House literary agency, Nora has evaluated thousands of queries and knows what makes one stand out from the slush pile. She completed a certificate program with NYU's Summer Publishing Institute, and is active with the Editorial Freelancers Association, keeping her skills sharp and keeping on top of trends in acquisitions. She has now spent four years working directly with authors on book projects of all lengths, genres, and styles, helping them to put their best foot forward and advance toward publication.
Michael Carr
Michael is a literary agent at Veritas Literary Agency with a background in editing and writing who represents writers in a variety of genres, with a special emphasis on historical fiction, mystery and suspense, and science fiction and fantasy. Michael works carefully with clients to produce the cleanest, most professional manuscripts and enjoys teaching at workshops and conferences to help develop emerging writers. He speaks Brazilian Portuguese and Swahili, and before joining Veritas Literary had professions as diverse as programming simulators for nuclear submarines and owning an inn in Vermont.
Success Stories From Our Authors
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"From the start of receiving feedback, I was grateful to witness my drastic improvement in prose, not to mention the overall transformation I achieved with the confidence of knowing I was in super-professional care. So much so, that after only four days of querying literary agents, I received my first request for a full manuscript ever — and with a very well-known agency at that."
— E.J. Gerena, YA author
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“I needed a professional editor to help me strengthen the pitch in my query. Our communication sparked new ideas for me and showed me exactly what was needed to dramatically create intrigue in the storyline of my pitch.”
— Alison Laverty, memoir author
The 7-Day QueryAcademy Program
$199
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DAY 1
Take our comprehensive 40-minute course: Write the Query Letter That Gets You Your Agent.
✅ 40 Minute Video Lesson
✅ 7 Essential Components of a Strong Query Letter
✅ 3 Bad Query Letter Examples with Common Errors
✅ Strong Query Letter Example -
DAY 2
Use our genre-specific query letter templates to write the draft of your query letter.
✅ Fiction Query Letter Template
✅ Nonfiction Query Letter Template -
DAYS 3-6
Work with an industry professional who has literary agency experience on a 1:1 query letter critique.
✅ Professional Review of Your Query Letter
✅ In-line Edits and Comments via Word Track Changes
✅ Delivered in 3 Business Days -
DAY 7
Enroll in our exclusive weekly agent update newsletter to keep track of when new agents open to queries.
✅ Weekly Agent Alert Updates
✅ Detailed Profiles with Agents’ MSWLs, Prior Clients, and Query Links
FAQs
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QueryAcademy is designed for authors who are seeking traditional publication for their book and have either a completed manuscript or a completed proposal in hand. They're ready to begin reaching out to literary agents but want to make sure they're doing everything they can to set themselves up for success. That's where we come in!
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While you don't need to have a complete manuscript or proposal to complete QueryAcademy, you will get the most out of the program if you do. That's because agents will require either a complete manuscript (for fiction) or a complete proposal (for nonfiction), and your query letter should reflect the complete project you will be presenting them.
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Completing QueryAcademy does not guarantee you will get a literary agent. (And anyone who sells you something with a "guarantee" is not being honest about the process!) Getting a literary agent is highly competitive, as there are far more querying authors than there are agents. The process is not unlike getting accepted into a top-ranked university. Your query is similar to your college application. It doesn't guarantee admission, but a stronger query will help you put your best foot forward.
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If you don't want to submit your query letter, you don't have to, but we find that most of our clients get a lot out of this part of the process. For many, it's the most helpful part of QueryAcademy! This is your chance to get 1:1 feedback from an industry professional who has been on the other end of the querying process reviewing queries for a living. Remember there is no judgment from our team — even if your query letter is a rough draft!
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You will receive a Word document with Track Changes incorporating the edits and comments from your industry professional.
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You'll find many editors and authors offering query letter review services. QueryAcademy is different — we're a comprehensive program designed to give you all the tools you need to query. In addition to a query letter review with one of our publishing industry professionals (who all have literary agency experience), you'll also get a course, templates, and agent search resources to guide you through the complete querying process.
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QueryAcademy is totally self-paced. While we recommend completing the phases in a week, you can take as much time as you need.
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Email us anytime at hello@queryacademy.com and we'll be happy to help!