✔︎  Write a query letter that emphasizes the critical parts of your book.
​✔︎  Remove barriers between the agent and your story.
​✔︎  Assess your synopsis and first chapter.
​✔︎  Design an individualized submission plan.
​✔︎  Evaluate your querying success and identify when to make adjustments.
​✔︎  ​Feel confidence in your mastery of the querying process.
​Whether you've been querying for a while or you're just starting out, securing representation can feel like an insurmountable task. Agents receive thousands of queries. How can you make them notice yours? It's easy to feel like the "secret" to getting an agent is sheer luck. But that is not true. You don't need luck. You don't need to know someone. You don't need to be a celebrity. You need the right training.

The Query Course provides that training. The course goes beyond simple query-writing lessons, providing you with everything you need to master the querying process. Whether you are a complete beginner or have some experience with the querying process, the course will help you approach agents confidently.

The self-paced course is broken into six modules and twenty-one lessons. Each lesson includes audio, a transcript, and worksheets for a practice-based learning experience. You'll also receive additional resources as you need them, guiding you through your learning process and querying journey.

Below are the course contents. Click the image for a better look at the contents PDF.
The Query Course Contents
Click image to view the contents PDF
With agents receiving more queries than ever before, methods that worked five years ago are simply no longer effective. Yet the biggest names in industry education are still teaching those same querying strategies.

No wonder querying feels so difficult. ​You're using strategies that were intended to catch an agent's attention when they had only a handful of queries to review. That's no longer the case.​

Agents receive a massive number of queries every day, and the digital format makes it easy to dismiss the queries that don't immediately grab their attention. About 0.01% of queries are successful.
You have to stand out from the very first line. You need to structure your query in a way that snags the agent's attention quickly, and you have to do this while crafting a query that captures the essence of your story.

If you do all this, and do it well, your chance of securing representation soars. You will remove yourself from the 0.01% and vastly improve your odds of landing an agent.

✔︎ A new perspective on the query-writing process
✔︎ A clear understanding of what makes a query effective
✔︎ Verification that traditional publication is the path for you
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✔︎ An objective and comprehensive outlook on your story
✔︎ The skills to identify and deliver the exact elements agents want to see
✔︎ A written and polished mini-synopsis

✔︎ A first line that no agent can refuse
✔︎ A bio that puts your best foot forward
✔︎ Query-structuring strategies that actually work
✔︎ A submission-ready query letter

✔︎ Confidence in your first chapter
✔︎ A clean and strong plot synopsis
✔︎ ​Perfectly formatted submission materials

✔︎ A list of agents who are perfect for your work
✔︎ A clear submission plan designed to improve your odds
✔︎ Strategies for protecting your positive outlook
✔︎ A system for organizing research and submission info

✔︎ Knowledge of every detail of the submission process
✔︎ A plan for addressing any development in your querying journey
✔︎ The skills to identify when to adjust your querying strategy
I am here to teach you strategies that will help you snag an agent in the modern publishing industry. I teach methods that worked for me and that continue to help my clients secure representation—methods designed to cut through the noise and help an agent connect with your story. I will help you approach the querying process in a positive way that supports your overall growth and prepares you for the rest of your writing career.
I created The Query Course to be a more accessible and affordable alternative to one-on-one query coaching. The course allows you to learn at your own pace, for less than 10% of the cost of coaching sessions covering the same material.

The course is ideal for writers who are looking to become querying experts while learning at their own pace, revisiting the materials as often as they like, and saving about $1,300 over individual sessions.
Why learn from me?
I developed this course because I have a unique perspective. My varied experience has helped me develop modern strategies that are more effective than conventional methods (which still comprise the bulk of querying advice), along with strategies and processes that will protect your hopeful outlook and prepare you to succeed throughout your career.
Professional Editor
I make a living helping writers assess their story elements, and I designed this query-writing process in a way that reveals developmental issues in your story. That means you'll be able to query with renewed confidence in your book.
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Query Specialist
​One of my areas of expertise is helping writers improve their query letter and submission materials, which means I have my finger on the pulse of what's happening in this sector of the industry.
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Represented Author
I've been through this. As a writer, I understand how it feels to send your work to agents and to receive rejections. I use that experience to create methods that are practical and that support your emotional and mental outlook. This course doesn't just prepare you to query effectively—it trains you to develop thick skin and maintain a positive attitude so you can be productive and successful throughout your writing career.
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Pitch Contest Mentor
​During #RevPit, I received and evaluated queries to choose one author to work with during the contest. This experience gave me firsthand knowledge of what it feels like to sit on the other side of the desk, receiving queries in my inbox.
​
Teacher
​Presenting and teaching at in-person workshops has prepared me to answer your questions—both the ones you know you want answered and the ones you don't even know you should ask.

​✔︎ Instant download
✔︎ Self-paced
✔︎ Lifetime access
✔︎ 6 modules with 21 lessons
Course Worksheets
Some of the course worksheets
​First, you will shift your perspective on the querying process and gain key insights necessary to approach the task of querying in the modern industry.​
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​You will then begin developing your query letter. After identifying the critical elements of your story, we will walk through the process of building each piece of your query and structuring your overall letter. Worksheets in each lesson help you apply learned skills, and by the end of the third module, you will have a completed query letter you are proud to send.

The second half of the course explores the submission process. You'll learn how to locate agents who are right for your work, important research to conduct for each prospective agent, and how to organize the information you collect. We will then discuss strategies for structuring your submission process, along with the nuts and bolts of getting your query into agents' hands.

Finally, we will walk through the types of responses you may receive from agents to make sure you're prepared for any situation. And we will review benchmarks and expectations to help you evaluate your success and understand when to adjust your materials or process.
Begin each lesson by listening to the audio, during which I break down essential concepts and provide information that will prepare you for the next steps in your querying process. In addition to individual lesson files, you can access the full 90 minutes of audio as a compiled audiobook, which is ideal for review sessions and on-the-go learning.
Each lesson includes  a PDF transcript of the audio, so you can follow along. You can also use the transcript to quickly reference the lesson later. In addition to each individual lesson's transcript, the course includes a transcript of the full audio as both a PDF file and an ePub file, which you can view on your tablet or e-reader.
After listening to the audio, you will complete worksheets to apply learned skills and develop your submission materials. You can print the worksheets or complete the assignments on a separate piece of paper or file. Lessons also include templates when applicable, so you have all the resources you need at each stage of the process.
After completing the first three modules, you will have written your query letter. The intermission resource breaks down four effective query letters and analyzes why each query letter works. It also explores changes the authors could make to improve the query letters even further.

You'll compare your query draft to these examples and use the analyses to identify areas to improve your query. If your query letter stands up to the comparison, you'll know you're ready to take the next steps.
The querying process includes few milestones or indications that your strategies are working, which means it's difficult to keep uncertainty from creeping in. And even worse, you may spend months or years querying your dream agents only to realize that your query letter or materials had a fatal flaw.

This course will help you query with confidence. You won't have to wonder whether you're on the right track. You'll know for sure. You'll be certain your query letter is to die for. You'll be positive your synopsis hits all the right elements. And you will know that your pages don't include any issues that will make an agent stop reading.

Plus, the query-writing process you will undergo during this course will help you identify high-level issues in your book and correct problem areas before you begin approaching agents.
Querying is a completely new process to most writers. It requires skills, methods, and knowledge that is wholly separate from the craft of writing. The querying process deserves study and practice in its own right. Writers who take the time to put in the legwork before querying agents set themselves up for success. The Query Course will help you separate your query from the slush.

Rather than learning through trial and error and sacrificing years that you could spend working with your agent and publishing your books, learn the easy way. Benefit from my years of experience, study, and practice. Become a querying expert so that you can hook an agent for this book.
✔︎   You are querying for the first time and want to make it the only time.

​✔︎   You want to make writing a career, not a hobby.

​✔︎   You have been querying for a while and aren't seeing results.

​✔︎   You've seen a lot of querying advice and aren't sure who you can trust.
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✔︎   ​You are ready to query agents but have no idea where to begin.
​Absolutely loved it. Learned as much or MORE as I did in a Writer's Digest course.
​Victoria’s information was valuable. And it wasn’t just the information. Her point of view and attitude toward the process were also enlightening.
​Terrific! Absolutely chocked full of info! Brava. I would recommend to any hopefuls.
Is the course worth it?
When you're deciding whether to invest in education to help you further your writing career, the big question is whether the program is worth the cost and the time you'll need to invest. When you decide to prioritize your career and commit to mastering the querying process with this course, you will:
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  • Save time and frustration researching the process and deciding whom to trust.
  • Know you're receiving the most high-level and current information and methods.
  • Efficiently craft both your query and your submission plan.
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If you're hoping to land an agent and launch your writing career as soon as possible, this course will help you get there. If I had begun my querying process with this information in my pocket, I have no doubt I would have secured representation years earlier.
How do I access the lessons?
After purchasing the course, you will be able to download the lessons immediately. You will download a .zip file directly to your computer. The lessons are organized into folders, with simple and accessible mp3 and PDF files. The course folder also contains compiled versions of the audio and transcript. You can listen to the audio on your phone or other device, and you can read the ebook version of the transcript on your Kindle or e-reader.
​Is checkout secure?
Yes, checkout is completely secure. You should see a "secure" icon beside the URL as you are checking out. I accept a variety of payment methods, including most major credit cards, PayPal, and Amazon pay.
I can't decide between the course and query coaching.
The Query Course is ideal if you are a self-starter who is comfortable learning on your own, while coaching is best if you would benefit from more individual attention and accountability. The course is also the more affordable option.

Because coaching includes access to The Query Course, writers who purchase the course and later decide to pursue individual coaching receive a coaching discount worth the purchase price of the course.
How long will the course take to complete?
Completion time depends entirely on your pace of study. Completing one lesson per day, you would complete the course in three weeks. Generally, I recommend planning to devote two to four weeks to the course.

Note that you will not be simply listening to the lessons. The course guides you through the querying process, so you will be completing worksheets and developing your submission materials as you progress through the lessons. You may also spend time working on your manuscript, especially the first chapter.

All this, along with your previous experience with the querying process, plays into course completion time.
What are the technical requirements for the course?
To download and open the course files, you will need a device capable of opening a compressed folder (a .zip file). You can work through the course on your laptop, phone, or tablet. The lessons comprise mp3 and PDF files, which are easy to access on any device.

Note that the course also includes bonus templates in Word and Excel formats.
Do you offer a money-back guarantee?
Unfortunately, I can't offer any kind of guarantee on educational resources. If you're not sure whether the course would benefit you, I recommend contacting me directly to discuss your options.
​I have a question you didn't answer.
Email me at victoria@victoriagriffin.com, or contact me through Facebook Messenger. I'll be in touch as soon as possible.

​(scroll up to learn more)
​​Victoria is an East Tennessee author and professional editor. Her short fiction has appeared in more than forty publications, and she is represented by Sandy Lu of L. Perkins Agency. Victoria provides developmental and line editing and has worked with self-published and traditionally published authors. She is also the owner of Blue Pen Publishing Services, which provides design and branding services for independent authors, and speaks at writing workshops and conferences. Victoria spends her free time hiking and backpacking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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