A query letter is a one-page business pitch. Its only job is to make a literary agent request your manuscript. Nothing else. Writers routinely overthink it. The good news: the structure is simple and consistent across genres. The four-part formula 1. The hook (one to two sentences) Lead with your book’s core premise — the character, the situation, the stakes. Think back-cover copy, not synopsis. If you can name a compelling comp title and explain how yours differs, even better.