Query Letter:
Ms. Vater, I am writing to inquire if you would be interested in seeing my contemporary fantasy novel for older YA readers, Finding the Summer Queen (65k).
Mortals don't see faeries. Aislinn does, and they terrify her. So she hides her Sight and tries to live a normal life--studying for the SATs and hanging out with her best friend Seth--until two faeries begin stalking her. For nine centuries Keenan, the Summer King, has sought the mortal girl who will free him. He believes Aislinn's the one. But the terms of the contest--set centuries ago by his mother, the Winter Queen--require the last mortal girl who failed, Donia, to try to convince the new girl to refuse him. As Aislinn, Keenan, and Donia try to navigate the centuries' old battle between the Winter and Summer courts, they must deal with the increasing threats from the Winter Queen, as well as their own romantic entanglements. The novel, which is set in a small city with a high unemployment rate, utilizes the third person narratives of all three of the primary protagonists (Aislinn, Keenan, and Donia). I believe it will appeal to older teen readers of such novels as ____, ____, and ____. While it does contain some darker elements (sexual assault, unintentional intoxication, violence, and mild references to drug use and drinking), they are not gratuitous. I have completed both a B.A. (summa cum laude) and an M.A. with distinction in English Literature, and for the past decade plus, I have taught university literature and composition (including British Lit, American Lit, Gender Studies, and Fairy Tales). As per your guidelines, I have enclosed the first chapter of the novel, which has not yet been submitted to editors. If you'd like to consider Finding the Summer Queen, I'd happily forward it to you in print or digital format.

with regards,