How long should a query letter be?

Short answer: Ismita Hussain’s advice: Keep it under 300 words. Agents read hundreds a month, so give them the facts and a sense of your voice, then let them get to your sample.

Answered by Ismita Hussain, Senior Literary Agent, Great Dog Literary.

Create a free LitConnect account and submit your pitch.

The agent’s answer

Ismita is direct about length: a query letter should be under 300 words, which in her experience is really the maximum. Agents read hundreds or even thousands of queries a month, so you want to be in and out. Provide the information they are looking for, give a sense of your personality and writing style, and make it easy for them to reach your sample. Get to the point and avoid fluff, and let the writing in your manuscript be what truly speaks to the agent.

In Ismita’s words

The query letter should be less than 300 words.
Ismita Hussain, 10:05

Source: Query Letters 101.