Query letter sample: The Comic Book Writer

Another query letter sample, this one for my novel The Comic Book Writer. A reflection follows. The first twenty pages can be found here.

Emerald City ComiCon in Seattle forces MARK, a semi-famous comic book writer with a career perhaps on the decline, to reevaluate his life while sharing the space with his ex-girlfriend CATHERINE, whose own career is peaking, and MARION, a young barista/poet. Over the four days and three nights, Mark navigates the comics world, while working through his life-long depression, and desire. Along the way, readers get an in-depth look at the pop culture phenomenon of comics, graphic novels, and cosplay.

The Comic Book Writer takes the premise of The Sportswriter by Richard Ford and puts it in the hipster sub-culture of comics, in the style of Jim Harrison, Roberto Bolaño, Denis Johnson, and Charles Bukowski.

The Comic Book Writer

Literary Fiction

Word Count: 78,773

Formal Bio:

John Yohe holds a MA in Written Communication from Eastern Michigan University and a MFA in Poetry Writing from The New School for Social Research. His essays on pop culture have appeared at WORD RIOT and SLOW TRAINS. He is a regular reviewer of books at ENTROPY, and graphic novels at COMICS BULLETIN. Links to published short fiction and poetry can be found at: www.johnyohe.com.

Informal Bio:

Born in Puerto Rico, John Yohe grew up in Michigan, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon. He has worked as a wildland firefighter, deckhand/oiler, runner/busboy, bike messenger, wilderness ranger, fire lookout, as well as a teacher of writing.  A complete list of his publications, and poetry, fiction and non-fiction writing samples, can be found at his website: www.johnyohe.com

I have three other novels in my psych ward, along with enough published short stories for a collection. And I've been writing many reviews, along with some essays. Also a couple books of poetry.

Thank you!

John Yohe

503.317.0851

www.johnyohe.com

Reflection:

Again, going with the strategy of jumping right into the action as an attention grabber. I still like the second paragraph, a re-framing of the summary. Instead of trying to decide whether to include a more formal or less formal bio, I decided to be different and do both. It's my fear of appearing too academic-y appearing, being written off as yet another MFAer, and trying on the other hand to show that I'm competent and have specialized experience. I have no idea if a lit agent would appreciate that or not. I didn't get any nibbles, so apparently not, but who knows.

I also couldn't resists including that last paragraph about having other works. I've seen this advised against, that lit agents just want to know about the one piece of writing. My thinking is, I'm trying to show them that this book isn't just a one-shot, that if they were to sign me up, that I'd have plenty of other writing to sell, and that I'd I'm showing that I'm a writer constantly working on more writing. Again, I have no idea if this is appreciated, or derided. 

Again, the first twenty pages can be found here. 

Other query samples can be found here, here and here.

Pitch letter example #2

Here's a second pitch letter, this one very recent, which I wrote for my review of Chris Hedges' book, America: The Farewell Tour. Note that I basically used two paragraphs from the review for the bulk of the letter. I sent this to three news-y magazine/journals that actually pay. Did get replies, nice ones, but they were no's. I decided to just make this review a blog exclusive, which does drive up visits, new readers, plus a lot of Russian trolls. So I don't know. Maybe I could have pitched to more places. I wanted to get the review out by December though, for the holiday buying season. Oh: I also found a typo posting it here. I'd spelled NYT, NTY. Doh. Learn from my mistakes!

For your consideration, my review of:

America: The Farewell Tour

by Chris Hedges

Simon & Schuster 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5011-5267-2 (hardcover)

Hedges earned a degree from Harvard Divinity School, then ended up becoming a foreign war correspondent for the New York Times, earning a Pulitzer along the way. The author of many NYT bestsellers, he teaches at the university level, hosts a show on the RT Network and somehow finds the time to teach in prisons.

America: The Farewell Tour collects a series of ethnographies, a 'tour' of different towns across America, interviewing people feeling the effects of American decay. Hedges generally gives little judgment, acting more as a witness, though including historical and cultural context from experts in the related fields. Sometimes though, Hedges provides a little argument, ways he thinks people on the left could be doing things better. His sympathies are definitely from the left, but just as definitely not with center-left Democrats. As a whole, the chapters form a larger, depressing, though honest picture of what's going on in (i.e. what's wrong with) America. That is, what's been wrong with America for a while.

Word count: 2,000

I hold a MA in Written Communication from Eastern Michigan University, and an MFA from The New School for Social Research. My reviews have appeared regularly at Entropy and Comics Bulletin, as well as Word Riot, Gravel, and Empty Mirror. Links available at my website. johnyohe.com

I would be more than happy to send you the whole review.

Thank you,

John Yohe

Pitch letter sample

Here's a 'pitch' letter I wrote to Harper's, the place I'd most like to write for. Alas. The big boo-boo was maybe the "re: nonfiction query" since it's a pitch. A query is for a longer piece, to a lit agent or publisher. I did actually write an essay, here, which ended up at Comics Bulletin. For free. Where I was already writing reviews. For free. I never heard from Harper's at all. Still, I think it's a decent pitch. This was a hard copy letter, and I included a list of my previous publications, or some. Which I would not do now. You can find them all at my website: johnyohe.com

john yohe

____________

portland, or 97210

503.317.0851

*****@gmail.com

www.johnyohe.com

March 20, 2014

Harper’s Magazine
666 Broadway, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10012

re: nonfiction query

I nod hello to Spider Man, but he's distracted by the third Catwoman of the day walking by in a tight black body suit. I'm on my way to the Feminism in Comics program—t was that or Metaphysics in Comics—but I may be late, because getting through the mob of superheroes is proving difficult, especially with a life-size Totoro taking up the aisle. Except, it's a Bat Totoro: he has a bat utility belt and what must be a bat cowl.

This is the world of ComiCons: Comic Conventions, where the freaks come out to meet their favorite comic book writers and illustrators, or to see and obtain autographs from the newest tv movie stars. Or to just engage in what is called 'cosplay'—costume play. In the meantime in the main convention hall there are booths galore, from indie comic publishing companies like Dark Horse, to local comic book stores selling new and used single-issues, compilations, and graphic novels. There are also panels galore, on anything from how to break into the comics industry, to the unique problems gaming couples experience and work through.

I will be attending the Emerald City ComiCon in Seattle at the end of March, and propose writing an ethnographic-type essay, 3,000-6,000 words about this sub-pop-culture phenomenon. My main question will be, Why? What makes these ComiCons so popular, especially since many of the participants may not even read comics.

Bio:

John Yohe holds a MA in Written Communication, and a MFA in Poetry Writing. He is a regular reviewer at the website Comics Bulletin. Recent published nonfiction pieces on pop culture include “The Many Faces of Red Sonja” and “Slayer! : An Essay in Thirteen Parts.” A partial list of published works is included. Please see his website, www.johnyohe.com, for a complete list, with links.

John Yohe

503.317.0851

www.johnyohe.com

John Yohe: Published writing

Creative Non-Fiction:

"Holy Water." Scheduled to appear in the anthology On Foot: Essays on hiking in the Grand Canyon. Vishnu Press. Flagstaff: 2014.

“Slayer! : An Essay in 13 Parts.” SLOW TRAINS. March 2013. http://www.slowtrains.com/vol12spring2013/yohevol12spring2013.html

“Puerto Rico in the Late 60s.” SALT RIVER REVIEW. October 2010. http://www.poetserv.org/

“Barefoot Running Allowed Me To Run Again.” BAREFOOT RUNNING SOCIETY WEBSITE. July 2010. http://barefootrunners.org/

“Academic” WRITING ON THE EDGE. Volume 19 #2 Spring 2009. UC Davis. Davis, CA. 2009.

Book Reviews:

“Dynamite’s Many Faces of Red Sonja.” COMICS BULLETIN. February 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/columns/6541/dynamites-many-faces-of-red-sonja/

“What I’ve Stolen, What I’ve Earned by Sherman Alexie: A Review.” WORD RIOT.  February 2014. http://www.wordriot.org/archives/6689

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 “Sanctuary.” COMICS BULLETIN. February 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6492/review-turok-dinosaur-hunter-1-forces-dinosaurs-into-an-alternate-reality-storyline-the-mix-is-awkward/

Wonder Woman Volume 4: War. COMICS BULLETIN. February 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6478/advance-review-wonder-woman-war-shows-a-character-who-has-transitioned-wonderfully-to-the-new-52/

The Black Beetle: No Way Out. COMICS BULLETIN. January 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6452/review-the-black-beetle-vol-1-no-way-out-is-an-interesting-european-take-on-classic-american-pulp-culture/

Lazarus Book 1: Family. COMICS BULLETIN. January 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6435/review-lazarus-book-1-family-is-a-fantastic-graphic-novel-by-a-great-creative-team/

Bandette Volume 1: Presto!  COMICS BULLETIN. January 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6422/review-bandette-is-a-loose-weird-fun-comic-for-all-ages/

X Volume 1: Big Bad. COMICS BULLETIN. December 2013. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6415/review-x-volume-1-big-bad-is-engaging-but-feels-like-an-excuse-for-hardcore-violent-action-and-a-lot-of-gore/

“The Day of the Triffids by David Wyndham.” WORD RIOT. December 2013. http://www.wordriot.org/archives/6381.

“Who Will Save Red Sonja? Enter Gail Simone.” COMICS BULLETIN. December 2013. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6394/who-can-rescue-red-sonja-enter-gail-simone/.

“Ten Thousand Voices by Rick Kempa.” RATTLE. Summer 2013. http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2013/07/ten-thousand-voices-by-rick-kempa/

“Keeping The Quiet by Rick Kempa.” BOXCAR POETRY REVIEW Spring 2011. http://www.boxcarpoetry.com/027/review_rick_kempa_yohe.html

“The Poetry and Life of Allen Ginsberg: a narrative poem by Edward Sanders: A Review.” CLOCKWISE CAT. Issue #18 Summer 2010. http://clockwisecat.blogspot.com/

“American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell: A Review.” thecollagist.com. Issue #7 February 2010. http://www.thecollagist.com/archive/February2010/Yohe/index.html

“The Great Fires by Jack Gilbert: A Book Review” RATTLE #23. Fall 2005.

Academic:

“Ready Or Not.” WRITING ON THE EDGE Volume 20 #2 Spring 2010. UC Davis. Davis, CA.

“What Works For Me: Using Six Word Memoirs As Icebreaker and Intro To The Writing Process.” TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE TWO-YEAR COLLEGE. The National Council of Teachers of English. Spring 2010.

“Academic.” WRITING ON THE EDGE Volume 19 #2 Spring 2009. UC Davis. Davis, CA. Winter/Spring 2009.

Fiction:

"Brainstorm." Flash fiction at SMASHED CAT. Scheduled for January 2014. http://www.smashedcat.com/

“The Jacket.” FAT CITY REVIEW. June 2013. http://fatcityreview.com/the-jacket-john-yohe/.

"Humiliation." BLACK HEART MAGAZINE. June 2013. http://blackheartmagazine.com/2013/06/14/humiliation-by-john-yohe/.

“La Chingada.” SOL: English Writing in Mexico. scheduled for July 2013. Mexico City, Mexico. http://www.solliterarymagazine.com/.

"Umbrellas." AMARILLO BAY Volume 14, number 4. November 2012. http://www.amarillobay.org/contents/yohe-john/umbrellas.html.

“María José.” SOL: English Writing in Mexico: SOL Literary Magazine Anthology, edited by Eva Hunter. 2012: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. (Originally appeared in SOL: English Writing in Mexico. July 2011. Mexico City, Mexico. http://www.solliterarymagazine.com/fiction/john-yohe-maria-jose/).

“Horses.” SUBTLE TEA. Winter 2011. http://subtletea.com/johnyohehorses.html.

“Riding Dragons.” SLOW TRAINS. Volume 10, Issue 1, 2010. http://www.slowtrains.com/vol10issue1/yohevol10issue1.html.

“A Northern Michigan Myth.” HURON RIVER REVIEW #9. Ann Arbor, MI. Spring 2010.

 “Masquerade” CELLARROOTS. Eastern Michigan University. Ypsilanti, MI. Winter 2008.

“Water” LEFT CURVE Literary Journal Oakland, CA. Spring 2006.

“Piñata” RIVERSEDGE Literary Magazine Winter 2006.

“Punta Concepción” BRIDGE Literary Magazine, issue 13, spring 2005 Chicago, IL.

“They’re For My Husband” BEST AMERICAN EROTICA OF 2004, ed. Suzie Bright, Touchstone Books, Simon and Shuster Publishing.

“What You Are” short story: LEFT CURVE Literary Journal. Oakland, CA. 2003.

“They’re For My Husband” LEG SHOW. May 2002. New York, NY.

“Violent Sex” RATTAPALLAX. New York, NY. 2002.