Writer-Centric POV Playlist: You’re on Your 31st Draft of a Query Letter to a Literary Agent

Introduction

The cursor blinks at you mockingly.

Your thesaurus is open to synonyms for “compelling.”

And the query letter draft you wrote last night is suddenly the literary equivalent of "wet dog smell."

Welcome to the emotional rollercoaster of crafting the perfect query letter—a rite of passage for every writer chasing the dream of publication.

If you’ve stumbled upon this blog post, you’re likely in the trenches. You're likely navigating the fine balance between showing confidence and not sounding pretentious toward a future agent.

How do you properly convey your manuscript's brilliance without overselling it, and—oh yes—still sound like a human being?

But here’s the truth: this process is hard, and you’re not alone. Whether it’s your first draft or your thirty-first, the grind of perfecting a query letter can leave even the most tenacious writer feeling frazzled. That’s where my Writer-Centric POV playlist, aptly named “You’re on Your 31st Draft of a Query Letter to a Literary Agent,” swoops in to save the day (or at least your sanity).

The Set List

1. Writing's On The Wall (From "Spectre" Soundtrack)

Sam Smith In The Lonely Hour (10th Anniversary Edition)

2. Dreams

Fleetwood Mac 50 Years - Don't Stop

3. Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Green Day Boulevard of Broken Dreams

4. The Way It Is

Bruce Hornsby & The Range Greatest Radio Hits

5. CALLIGRAPHY

Saba CARE FOR ME

6. Pursuit Of Happiness (Nightmare) (feat. MGMT & Ratatat)

Kid Cudi Man On The Moon: The End Of Day

7. About You

Final Draft About You

8. Don't Stop Believin'

Journey Time3

9. Caffeine

Max Drazen Caffeine

10. Rewrite

Darling Thieves The Extended Play

Keep Going

No matter how many (many, many...) drafts you’ve been through, remember this: every writer has been there.

Crafting the perfect query letter is an art in itself, and it’s okay if it takes time.

Hot take: IT SHOULD TAKE TIME.

Now, hit play, take a deep breath, and get back to it. Your story deserves to be told—and who knows? This might just be the draft that lands the agent of your dreams.

Links to My Playlist Profiles

YouTube Music Profile  | Spotify Profile

KEEP GOING,

Katherine Arkady

P.S.

The folk over at qtCritique are SO HELPFUL.

You'll learn the needed skill of taking constructive critisism. You'll also commune with folk that are in the same boat as you are.

Speaking of being in the same boat, check out my blog post about Self Care for Writers: Finding Other Writers.