Query letter, part two

As they say, no good deed goes unpunished! You guys were so helpful to me on my query question the other day, I’m going to ask for more help. Stacy G., in reviewing the letter, brought up a really good point.

She said, “One observation -- is saying that Rennie is a ‘real woman with real problems’ a bit too harsh of a condemnation of all the women out there who bake and knit but may still be pill popping psychopaths dealing with abusive ex-boyfriends? ...I just want to make sure you don't alienate women (esp. editors & publishers) who may take that one quote personally : )”

Here’s the thing. She’s totally right. And it is something I thought about when writing the letter. I’m definitely NOT intending to imply that if you like knitting or sewing, you’re not a real woman with real problems. That would be like someone saying the reverse to me, that because I don’t like either of these things that I can’t call myself a real woman. Eeesh. Totally not at all what I meant. So, I’ve got to figure out a way to get across what I mean accurately.

In my experience, most cozy mysteries are targeted toward women readers. As such, they frequently revolve around what people would stereotypically consider female-specific hobbies or jobs. Knitting, sewing, cooking, antiquing, baking, etc. The publishers purchase these books because they, the books, are perceived to have an appeal to a specific part of the audience. Books where the main character knits and belongs to a knitting group will likely appeal to women who knit. Books where the main character owns her own catering business appeal to people who like to cook. The principle behind this is that people enjoy books where they can see some reflection of themselves, where it’s easy for them to relate to the main character and even imagine being that main character.

The problem comes in when you have people like me. I love cozies. There’s never too much blood or angst over preserving fingerprints or worrying about the police. But by and large, most of the cozies are written for these specialty groups, so you get mysteries about knitting, sewing or being a chaperone on granny’s trips to the Alps. I can’t imagine myself doing any of those things, so it’s hard for me to enjoy the books.

When I sat down to write Bitter Pill, I wanted to write the kind of cozy mystery that I would enjoy. A funny (I hope) main character who always finds herself in trouble, trouble that mainly seems to involve the sheriff and a dead body. She has problems in her life -- a marriage that didn’t work out, a sick mother, a miscarriage, a love interest that’s already married. She’s doing what she can to get by, living her life, trying to do the right thing and also be happy. She is essentially one of “us.” She works and enjoys the freedom of having money, but she’s not obsessed with a career – at least not anymore.

She has a soft heart, always looking to take in the unwanted, whether it’s dogs or children. She has a keen sense of justice (a requirement for a mystery heroine) and seeing the “right” thing happen is important to her, even as she struggles to apply it to her own life (she knows that being in love with a married man is wrong, but she can’t seem to stop it.)

In short (too late!), I wanted Rennie to be someone we would know and recognize, someone we might be friends with, despite her flaws.

So, how to encapsulate that in a selling tool, which is essentially what a query letter is. I’ve been thinking more and more that this sounds like a blend of two different genres, chicklit and cozy mystery. Arrrggh. I was trying so hard not to blur genres this time around – makes a book harder to sell.

The term “Chicklit” is typically applied to stories where the plot or subplot involves a woman becoming more comfortable with herself and her love life, or lack thereof. It doesn’t always end with the woman getting married or even ending up with the guy. It’s more about the trials and tribulations of finding love and loving yourself for who you are instead of who you want to be. I would say that definitely applies to Rennie, though that’s the area that probably needs more fleshing out. The mystery part is self-evident. Dead body plus investigation equals mystery.

So, I can change my query letter to say a “chicklit mystery.” That’s not a problem. But I’m still struggling with how to get across the lack of a niche, like knitting or sewing or baking, and how that’s not a problem but instead an advantage. A way to tap into a hidden segment of the book-buying market. I could describe the readers as modern women who are not interested in the stereotypical female activities. But that's not very catchy at all. Women who are redefining what it means to be a woman -- eh...catchier but a little too ambiguous. I think I'm missing something here. I'm going to have to sit down and think about this some more.

But if you have questions/comments/suggestions, please give them to me. I need them all!!!! : )

And I just want to repeat, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a good mystery involving knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, etc. It just doesn't work for me. I'm looking to get a book out there that appeals to me and others like me (assuming there are others!)

Also, I won’t likely be posting until next week, so have a very Merry Christmas everyone and safe travel : )