Querying a Picture Book

When you’re querying a picture book, you still need to be prepared to send in the same materials as authors querying a non-picture book: a query letter, synopsis, and sample material. 

Your query letter should still follow all of the rules of a query: it should hook the agent with the premise of the book, provide comp titles and metadata, and give your author biography. Your synopsis should be a complete summary of your story, from beginning to end. 

Your sample material will, however, be different from the sample material that most authors will send. Some agents might request the entire text of the picture book be submitted as sample pages. If you’re an author/illustrator, you should be prepared to submit sample illustrations as well. All of this depends on agent preferences - some may want this material upfront to look at the query, and others may only want it on request.

I’ve been asked whether the query letter is “as important” for picture books - and the answer is yes! The query package should still put your best foot forward, because it’s the first thing the agent is going to read. If they’re not hooked by the query, they’re not going to look at your sample pages, no matter how short they are.