Below is a complete romance query letter written by our editorial team to model what works in this genre — followed by line-by-line annotations and romance-specific querying norms. The book and author are invented; the techniques are what we coach in real reviews. For the underlying structure, start with the complete query letter guide.
The example letter
Dear Mx. Devereux,
Because you've said you're hunting for "rivals-to-lovers where both leads are right," I'd love to share my contemporary romance with you.
SECOND SERVE is an 82,000-word contemporary romance — The Hating Game energy on a tennis court, for readers of Tessa Bailey and Meryl Wilsner.
Dani Okafor was one bad knee away from a Grand Slam. Now she's back in her hometown, rehabbing her career at the shabby racquet club her late mother once managed — except the club's new head coach is Marcus Webb, the maddeningly patient single dad whose junior program is squatting in Dani's practice courts, and whose nine-year-old keeps beating her at dominoes.
The club is broke. The bank gives them one season. Dani needs the courts to herself to mount a comeback; Marcus needs the junior program's enrollment to keep the doors open at all. The obvious solution — a co-headlined exhibition that sells out the club — requires the two of them to fake a friendly rivalry for the cameras. The rivalry is easy. The friendly keeps slipping into something neither of them budgeted for, and when a wildcard invitation to a real tournament arrives, Dani has to choose between the career that defined her and the first place that's felt like a home court.
I'm a former D1 tennis player, and I wrote this novel with one hand on my own surgery scar. SECOND SERVE is my debut, complete at 82,000 words, with series potential for the club's other coaches.
Thank you so much for your consideration.
All best,
Priya Vance
priyavance@email.com
Why this query works
- Both leads get agency and a competing, legitimate need — the genre's core engine. The conflict isn't a misunderstanding; it's two right answers fighting for one resource.
- The tone performs the genre. "Whose nine-year-old keeps beating her at dominoes" promises the warmth and banter the manuscript must deliver.
- The romance beats are visible in plot form: forced proximity, fake-rivalry conceit, the third-act choice. An agent can see the structure works without a synopsis.
- "Series potential" is one clause, not a paragraph — meaningful in romance, where publishers buy in multiples.
- The HEA is implied, never spoiled — but nothing in the letter suggests a tragic ending, which would be a category violation.
Querying romance: genre-specific advice
- State the heat level implicitly through comps (Tessa Bailey signals open-door; Emily Henry signals warm-but-closed). Mismatched heat comps are a common rejection trigger.
- Romance word counts are tight: 70–90k. Below 65k reads as category-length; above 100k as unedited.
- The genre promise (HEA/HFN) is non-negotiable — never pitch a romance whose ending is in doubt.
- Name the trope honestly (rivals-to-lovers, second chance) — agents shop by trope, and so do readers.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a romance novel be to query agents?
70,000–90,000 words for adult contemporary romance. Below 65,000 words reads as category-length; above 100,000 reads as unedited.
Does my romance need a happy ending to get an agent?
Yes — the genre promise of a happily-ever-after (HEA) or happy-for-now (HFN) ending is non-negotiable. Never pitch a romance whose ending is in doubt.
How do I signal heat level in a romance query?
Implicitly, through your comp titles: a Tessa Bailey comp signals open-door, an Emily Henry comp signals warm-but-closed. Mismatched heat comps are a common rejection trigger.
Should I name the trope in my romance query?
Yes, and name it honestly — rivals-to-lovers, second chance, and so on. Agents shop by trope, and so do readers.
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