The question I get asked most at book-signings and events is this one: How does someone get published? Seems like being a writer is the secret desire of many, and unfortunately actually WRITING a book is but the first step in a long process. And since that's the most fun step, be prepared for some work (and heartache) after you finally type "The End."
Okay, so you've written your big opus and next great American novel. What next? Well, it's called a BOOK QUERY. It's a formal letter, akin to an old fashioned "Letter of Introduction," that a budding author sends to an agent or publisher in order to get them interested in your book. And let me tell you, it's not a lot of fun to write. You have to instill your book, you, your ambitions, your past, your future, and your prospects all into a single page of text. Not only that, it has to be INTERESTING. An agent or publisher is going to decide if you and your book are any good after that one single page. Unfair? Sure! But when you hear of the hundreds of such letters that cross an agent's desk every month, you'll understand why it's done this way.
Anyway, below are some of my efforts for the first two Apparite books. Oddly enough, I got published without the aid of ANY of them, so I can't vouch for whether they're any good, or whether I was on the right track. Still, I worked damn hard on them, thought about every single word in them, agonized over the content of them, and I'm printing them for the world to see so they won't entirely go to waste.
So here they are: my queries for A MATTER OF REVENGE (three) followed by those for UNDER CLOAK OF DARKNESS (two). Enjoy!
Dear ---
The setting: Pre-Wall Berlin, April 1956, at the height of the Cold War.
The man: John Apparite, an undersized though supremely talented "Superagent" in the most secret and powerful espionage agency in U.S. history. Reeling from the tragic denouement of his last mission in London, and embittered by the untimely death of his father back in WWII, he lives only for revenge on his greatest enemy, the Soviet SMERSH agent Viktor. There is, however, another to whom fate will draw him: the beautiful East German woman (and KGB employee) Christiane Grunbach.
The missions: Assassinate ex-Nazi war criminal Wilhelm Heydrich; bring Christiane Grunbach and her KGB secrets into the West; eliminate Soviet agents killing East German defectors; and kill his nemesis, the ruthless SMERSH assassin named Viktor.
The questions: How can Apparite allow himself to fall for a woman when he knows it is inevitable he will lose her? Is he willing to risk everything--even the very life of the woman he loves--to fulfill his revenge on Viktor? But strangest of all, why would he ally with a rogue KGB agent in order to do so?
The mystery: What is the connection between Apparite, his dead father, and his enigmatic supervisor, the man Apparite knows only as the "Director"? And what in the world does it have to do with an autographed Walter Johnson baseball card?
The beginning: The first Apparite novel, Under Cloak of Darkness:the Story of John Apparite, was released in July, 2006 by Five Star Mysteries (an imprint of Thomson Gale). Raymond Benson, author of several James Bond continuation novels, has called it "(A) remarkable spy story," adding, "I, for one, hope it's the first of several." This work, it should be noted, was submitted without representation by a literary agent. I also have a non-fiction work to my credit, A Time to Listen: WWII as Told by the Men of an Iowa Town, (Hometown Heroes project, Woodward Publishing, 2001), which sold-out its run of 5,000 copies.
The action continues: A Matter of Revenge (94,000 words), like its predecessor, is an intricately detailed, fast-paced Cold War spy thriller exploring themes of duty and sacrifice, but I would like to establish representation before proceeding any further toward publication of this work. I am confident I can offer entertaining, marketable works that would fit well with the needs of your agency, and invite you to read the enclosed sample pages (please note that this submission is exclusive to your agency). I look forward to hearing from you, and I thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
I. Michael ("Ian") Koontz
Dear-----
John Apparite kills for a living--an odd way to start a query, I admit, but frankly, that's the most important thing I can tell you about him. Why does he kill? Because he must. Does he do it for money? No, in fact, he's not even paid to do it. What is he--some sort of maniac or something? Wrong again. John Apparite kills for two reasons: for one, it's his duty as a United States "Superagent," and for another, he won't do anything to let down his supervisor, the enigmatic man he only knows as the "Director." Doesn't killing bother him? Certainly--he struggles with it mightily; he's only human, you know. But then again, it's 1956, and you could still find decent, intelligent men who would do nearly anything to aid their country back then. His duty is his religion--it's what allows him to do the terrible things he must.
He must be a big fella'--knows karate, weapons, and such. Actually, John Apparite is just a little guy; only 5-6 and 141 pounds. And when you're that size, you need to know more than just karate to survive--you need to know Soviet death-SAMBO, Krav Maga, and a special form of hand-to-hand combat called Isshin-Ryu. And trust me-he's good at what he does, even if he's continually being underestimated by his enemies. I'd let you know what they think about him, but I can't-almost all of them are dead.
Wasn't there a novel about him? Yes, it's called Under Cloak of Darkness: The Story of John Apparite, released in July, 2006 by Five Star Publishing (an imprint of Thomson Gale). Publisher's Weekly called it "(A) gripping 1950's Cold War thriller," adding, "this fine start bodes well for future entries in the series," while Booklist said it was, "Packed with so much spy-world information that you'd almost believe Apparite and the Superagent program were real…Recommend this one to spy-fiction fans" (I might add that mass market paperback rights for this work are available for sale).
Is there a sequel? Yes, and it's even more compelling. Reeling from the tragic denouement of his last mission in London, and embittered by the untimely death of his father back in WWII, Superagent John Apparite lives only for revenge on his greatest enemy, the Soviet SMERSH agent Viktor. There is, however, another to whom fate will draw him: the beautiful East German (and KGB employee) Christiane Grunbach. Even the deadliest of men, you see, can fall prey to the charms of a woman.
Like its predecessor, A Matter of Revenge (94,000 words) is an intricately detailed, fast-paced Cold War spy thriller exploring themes of duty and sacrifice, but I would like to establish representation before proceeding any further toward publication of this new work. I am confident that I can offer entertaining, marketable works that would fit well with the needs of your agency, and invite you to read the enclosed sample pages (please note that this submission is exclusive to your agency). I look forward to hearing from you, and I thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
I. Michael ("Ian") Koontz
Dear-----
Which is stronger, love or hatred? What is a man willing to sacrifice to defeat his greatest enemy?
That is the conundrum facing "Superagent" John Apparite in A Matter of Revenge, a 94,000 word, fifties-era espionage thriller for which I am seeking representation. Reeling from the tragic denouement of his last mission in London, and embittered by the untimely death of his father back in WWII, the undersized though supremely talented Apparite now lives only for revenge on his greatest enemy, the Soviet SMERSH agent Viktor. There is, however, another to whom fate will draw him: Karlshorst KGB employee Christiane Grunbach.
Apparite's mission is to bring the beautiful East Berliner and her KGB secrets into the West, drawing out his long-time nemesis, Viktor. But there's a complication: for the first time in his life Apparite has fallen in love, and these powerful, unfamiliar feelings cause him to ponder some uncomfortable questions: Why did he allow himself to fall for a woman when inevitably he will lose her? What will he risk to fulfill his revenge? And if he does complete his mission, will it be worth the cost? Will he ever be the same again?
The first Apparite novel, Under Cloak of Darkness: The Story of John Apparite, was released in July, 2006 by Five Star Mysteries (an imprint of Thomson Gale). Publisher's Weekly called it "(A) gripping 1950's Cold War thriller," adding, "this fine start bodes well for future entries in the series," while Booklist said it was, "Packed with so much spy-world information that you'd almost believe Apparite and the Superagent program were real…Recommend this one to spy-fiction fans" (I might add that mass market paperback rights for this work are available for sale).
A Matter of Revenge, like its predecessor, is an intricately detailed, fast-paced Cold War spy thriller exploring themes of duty and sacrifice, but I would like to establish representation before proceeding any further toward publication. I am confident I can offer entertaining, marketable works that would fit well with the needs of your agency, and invite you to read the enclosed sample pages (please note that this submission is exclusive to your agency). I look forward to hearing from you, and I thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
I. Michael Koontz
Dear-----
Sometimes a man must be brought close to death to bring him closer to life: this is the unwilling emotional journey on which secret agent John Apparite is taken in Under Cloak of Darkness: the Story of John Apparite; a completed 101,000 word historical spy thriller for which I seek representation. Recruited in 1955 into an ultra-secret U.S. spy agency run by an enigmatic man he knows only as the "Director," Apparite is led to this hazardous life after his the tragic deaths of his parents. Avoiding human relationships, and driven only to do his duty, the undersized agent is often underestimated by others--at their peril.
After a series of intense training tests in Washington, D.C., Apparite is sent to London to thwart a Soviet KGB plot to obtain vital U.S. missile-fuel secrets. In the process he begins to feel human again, but his new-found emotions start to impede his ability to do his duty. During a bloody confrontation with Soviet agents in the British Museum, his humanity fully surfaces when he forsakes his duty to save the life of a young bystander, with unexpected consequences. Apparite is left to reflect on the meaning of his decision.
The inspiration for Darkness-the story of a man struggling with the deadly demands of his duty-came while interviewing the brave men of my 90,000 word non-fiction book, A Time to Listen: WWII as Told by the Men of an Iowa Town (Hometown Heroes project, Woodward Publishing, 2001, selling 5,000+ copies). Using that experience, for which I extensively researched the 1940's and '50's, plus my life-long interest in U.S. history and spy culture, I created not only a Cold War spy thriller packed with period and technical details, but also a character study exploring the inner turmoils of a secret agent.
My long range plan is to create a series of Apparite books to take place in the years 1955-1963; at present I am completing the sequel, Apparite's Revenge. I believe that Darkness' subject matter, reader-friendly style, and brisk pace would appeal to a broad range of readers, but especially those who enjoy the fact-filled "Aubrey-Maturin" historical novels of Patrick O'Brian, and the period thrillers of Christopher Hyde. I have enclosed a synopsis and the first chapter for your perusal (note that my submission is exclusive to your agency), and I thank you for your consideration of my work. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
I. Michael Koontz
Dear-----
The setting: May 1955, Washington, D.C. and London, at the height of the Cold War.
The man: John Apparite, an undersized though supremely talented young ex-FBI agent who is recruited by the enigmatic "Director" into the most powerful and secret espionage program in U.S. history. He is also the world's biggest Washington Senators baseball fan.
The missions: Single-handedly kill nine Mafiosi blackmailing J. Edgar Hoover; murder a traitorous American missile scientist with Ricinus poison; kill KGB assassin "Viktor" and Soviet fuel engineer "Nikolai"; and eliminate traitorous MI6 agent William Standerton.
The questions: How does a decent young man from the Maryland backwoods reconcile himself with the deadly nature of his duty? Why does John Apparite, who has long kept himself at an emotional distance from his fellow man, start feeling human again, even as he takes the lives of so many others? And lastly: Who is this man he calls the "Director"?
The inspiration: The brave men of my 90,000 word non-fiction book, A Time to Listen: WWII as Told by the Men of an Iowa Town (Hometown Heroes project, Woodward Publishing, 2001, which sold out its run of 5,000 copies). Like Apparite, they, too, had a deadly duty with which they had to reconcile. Like Apparite, they, too, were decent men who killed.
The goal: To create an entertaining Cold War spy thriller which impresses the reader so much with its level of period and technical detail it makes one wonder, might this story have actually happened? One word sums up how this is done: Research. I researched countless aspects of Cold War espionage and the 1950's, creating not only a fast-paced, minutely detailed spy thriller which blurs the distinction between fiction and reality, but also a character study exploring the issue of a man dealing with the demands of his duty.
The book: Under Cloak of Darkness: the Story of John Apparite, a 100,000 word work of fiction for which I seek representation. I invite you to read the enclosed synopsis and sample chapter (please note that this submission is exclusive to your agency), and look forward to hearing from you. I thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
I. Michael Koontz
Hope you enjoyed them! Hopefully, I won't need one for book three, THE HUNT FOR JOHN APPARITE, but if I do, expect to see it, too, someday....