Dan Krokos: Query Shark Winner in One Try

Dan Krokos is a name you probably have not heard before, but you will. He is a writer whose query letter has created quite a buzz after appearing on Query Shark and winning on the first try. When Dan Krokos wrote a query letter for his book The Better Guy it knocked the socks off of the Query Shark Queen herself, literary agent Janet Reid.

Despite his not yet published status, Dan Krokos was mentioned in a BBC radio interview with Janet Reid. His famous query letter was read on air while Janet discussed what compelled her to sign Dan Krokos as a client. In her interview, Janet mentioned there are three major publishers interested in purchasing his book.

I caught up with Dan on twitter and he agreed to do an interview about his background and life after his internationally acclaimed query letter.

How long have you been writing?

A little over two years.

Is this your first book?

No. THE BETTER GUY is number five.

Do you have a degree?

Working on it. In--surprise!--English. I have two years left.

How long did it take you to write your query?

I wrote and revised it during the entire first draft and most of the second, so a few months. I spent hours on it. Your query is the first thing an agent sees, so I wanted mine to be flawless.

Did you get any help with the letter?

Query Shark, of course. And agent blogs. If I wasn't writing, I was researching agent blogs, learning the ins and outs of query writing. I also found a few examples of queries that worked, including Bill Cameron's.

What has it been like since your letter appeared on Query Shark?

Amazing. Receiving praise from your close friends is one thing, but hearing it from complete strangers is something else entirely. Not to mention the confidence boost.

Any major lifestyle changes?

Nope. Still a combination of Sleep/Work/Read/Write. I do, however, spend a lot more time on social networking sites. It's a sad side effect of gaining a million new writer friends.

How long did it take from when yout letter was posted on Query Shark, until you received an agent agreement?

Less than a month. But I wasn't even halfway through the book when it appeared on Query Shark. Once Janet had the actual book in her hands, it was less than twenty-four hours.

I know Janet mentioned in her BBC interview that three New York Publishers are interested, has the book sold?

I'm learning that much of publishing operates at a glacial pace.

Thank you, Dan for agreeing to do an interview and for giving readers an insight into how much work it takes to craft the perfect query letter.

As you can see, Dan Krokos is a down-to-earth guy. The Better Guy sounds intriguing and I look forward to reading when it hits the shelves. If you are ready to have your query letter reviewed, read this article to learn where to send it.

You can learn more about Dan Krokos by visiting his website here. His winning query letter can be read on Query Skark here.