Query letters, cookbooks and a writing conference

I've been down for a few weeks following a surgery.  It's been hard to stay down, but a blessing too.  I've been working on my query and the challenge of sharpening my main plotline down to a point has given me a focus in my novel that I haven't had before. 

Thanks to everyone who contributed blurbs for the Book Bloggers Cookbook!  I received over 90 blurbs for the 20 books that I am including.  The cookbook is almost finished and I hope to have it up in the Kindle store no later than the middle of May. 

I can't tell you how excited I am to go to the LDSStorymaker's Conference next week!  I have been waiting to go since the day I left the conference last year.  What a great wealth of information and people who are willing to mentor those of us still learning the craft.  If you are going, stop me and say hello.

Making sure your query letter gets noticed

Query.  Say it again.  Query.  Everytime the word is spoken, some poor writer can be found cowering in the corner.  Just how should a reader go about writing and sending a query letter?

 Jane Friedman over at Writer's Digest posted a great guest post by Marcus Sakey, the bestselling author of four novels. 

Marcus says that when you write a query letter, you are not selling your book with a query, you are trying to seduce an agent.  He suggests that potential authors:

1. Finish the book.  Polish it up.
2. Decide which agents to approach.  Do your research.
3. Write the dreaded query. 

Read what he has to say, and now pick one and go do it! 
Me?  I'm logging off and sticking my butt to the chair to write.