- $59
Live Query Letter Clinic: Hooks Edition
If your query letter isn’t landing, it could be your opening!
In this 90-minute live clinic, we’ll focus on what actually makes a hook work and why agents decide to keep reading or stop. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to strengthen your opening and position your novel more effectively from the very first paragraph.
Date: Saturday, April 25
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 PM EST
Live on Zoom + replay included
How the Clinic Works
We’ll start with a focused mini lesson on hooks and opening paragraphs, then move into live query critiques and wrap with Q&A.
Format
Mini lesson: Hook + opening paragraph breakdown
Live critiques: 4 query letters reviewed in real time
Q&A: Ask questions and get clarity on your own materials
Watching real queries get revised is one of the fastest ways to understand what’s working and what isn’t!
Submit Your Query (Optional)
All participants will have the option to submit their query in advance.
From those submissions, I will select 4 queries to review live during the session based on what will be most helpful for the group.
📌 Submission deadline: April 21
If your query is selected, you’ll receive live feedback during the clinic. If not, you’ll still gain insight by watching real-time edits and applying them to your own work.
What We’ll Cover
What makes a compelling hook
How to structure a strong opening paragraph
Common mistakes that weaken a query right away
How to make your premise feel clear, specific, and marketable
You’ll Leave With
A clearer understanding of what makes a hook work
Insight into how agents read and evaluate queries
Real examples of how to revise and strengthen an opening
Concrete next steps for improving your own query
What Writers Love About Working With Me
These writers originally came to me for help with their queries and agent strategy or have taken my previous querying cohort.
— Madeleine J
"Overall, the most valuable part of the cohort was how concrete, specific and actionable the information and feedback were. More specifically, the guidance for comps and the query letter edits were game-changers for me. The lens I view my own novel through just tightened and I have a much better sense how to frame and talk about it."
— Ruheena
"Kailey's How to Query Your Novel cohort was a lifesaver. As someone new to the writing world, it was quite overwhelming knowing where to even start, let alone how to write the proper query letter. Kailey helped me tremendously with this. Her live classes were simple, yet informative and her feedback on my query letter was constructive and easy to understand. She was always available to help and easy to communicate with. Learning the basics of finding an agent was wonderful, too. I felt like I had a cheerleader during this difficult process and we could all use that!"
— Nicole Knight-Justice
"Kailey's course was filled with invaluable insights, resources, and feedback that demystified the parts of the querying process that are within my control. She was optimistic and positive about everyone's work and her belief that we could find the right agent for our work. This work comes with many "no's" so having someone with knowledgeable insight, encouragement, and a very aligned set of resources was the perfect trifecta for me!"