Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 5, Issue 6 | Page 6

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CURRENT NYT
BEST SELLERS
11/22/15
COMBINED PRINT &
E-BOOK FICTION
1. THE CROSSING, BY
MICHAEL CONNELLY
2. STARS OF
FORTUNE, BY NORA
ROBERTS
3. THE BAZAAR OF BAD
DREAMS, BY STEPHEN
KING
4. ROGUE LAWYER, BY
JOHN GRISHAM
5. THE MARTIAN, BY
ANDY WEIR

Complete List

COMBINED PRINT &
E-BOOK NONFICTION
1. TROUBLEMAKER, BY
LEAH REMINI AND
REBECCA PALEY
2, KILLING REAGAN, BY
BILL O'REILLY AND
MARTIN DUGARD
3. THOMAS
JEFFERSON AND THE
TRIPOLI PIRATES, BY
BRIAN KILMEADE AND
DON YAEGER
4. CRIPPLED
AMERICA, BY DONALD J.
TRUMP
5.
A MORE PERFECT
UNION, BY BEN CARSON
WITH CANDY CARSON

SOLICITING RETURNS (CONT’D)

WHAT TO DO?
First of all, never use a spray and pray, generic submission query letter.
I shouldn’t have to explain how much and why such a letter sucks.
What I will tell you is that you should have a core letter made up with a
description of your story. It should have a slug line, then a brief description of
the story. Mine has a basic spoiler without going into too much detail.
The top has the title and the number of words. The bottom has my
name, web page, e-mail, web site, and Twitter addy.
At the top is a blank