Successful Queries: Kevan Lyon and “Let Us March On,” by Shara Moon
The best way to learn how to write a successful query is to read one. In this installment, find a query letter to agent Kevan Lyon for Shara Moon’s book, Let Us March On (William Morrow).
Welcome back to the Successful Queries series. In this installment, find a query letter to literary agent Kevan Lyon (Marsal Lyon Literary Agency) for Shara Moon's novel, Let Us March On (William Morrow).
Shara Moon is a historical fiction author dedicated to spotlighting little-known heroines who have shaped and influenced pivotal moments in American history. Let Us March On, published by William Morrow/Harper Collins, is her debut historical fiction novel, and marks the culmination of years of research into the extraordinary life of Elizabeth “Lizzie” McDuffie. To learn more about her and her upcoming projects, visit www.sharamoon.com.
Here's Shara's query:
Dear Ms. Lyon,
I hope this email finds you well. Your client, Kaia Alderson, referred me to you and your agency. I understand you are looking for more historical fiction submissions and presently I’m looking to publish more historical women’s fiction, particularly women of color. Since writing and publishing my last historical in 2016, I have been fascinated with telling the story of Cathay Williams, the first and only known black female Buffalo Soldier.
Williams, who enlisted in the United States Army in 1866 under the pseudonym “William Cathay,” went on to serve in the military posing as a man for several years. Although there were hundreds of women posing as men who served during the Civil War, Williams was the first African American woman to enlist and the only documented woman to serve in the US Regular Army. In my opinion, she is an “unsung hero” and her story needs to be told.
Under my own pseudonym, Lena Hart, I have independently published a total of 16 contemporary, historical, and romantic suspense novels and novellas to date. Several of my titles have landed on both the Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s top 100 list. I was part of the historical romance anthologies, THE BRIGHTEST DAY and DAUGHTERS OF A NATION, with Alyssa Cole, Kianna Alexander, and Piper Huguley, which both garnered critical acclaim, including starred reviews from Library Journal and features in the Washington Post and Shondaland.
Additionally, I have presented at several reader and writer conferences, including RT, RWA, and Writer’s Digest, while remaining strongly committed to growing my writing career and bringing readers my very best stories. I hold a bachelor’s in Advertising/Public Relations, with a minor in Marketing, and a master’s in English Language & Literacy, with a background in teaching English Composition and Creative Writing.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss my works further, specifically my desired historical fiction projects.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Best,
Shara Moon
Check out Shara Moon's Let Us March On here:
(WD uses affiliate links)
Agent Kevan Lyon's commentary:
Shara’s story of pivoting from one genre to something all new, is a phenomenon I am seeing a lot more with my clients and other authors I speak to. As publishing trends shift and change, it can feel overwhelming to writers, trying to understand why it feels like the market for the book they started a year ago now seems to have shifted in new directions.
Often this calls for a “pivot” by an author, to try something all new, and maybe write the story that has been nudging at them for a while. It can be creatively refreshing and exciting, freeing authors to work outside their comfort zone. In Shara’s case, she was interested in writing stories the market was looking for at that time, stories about women of color in our history, an area long underrepresented in publishing.
Her pitch immediately captured my attention because she was describing a type of story that I was on the hunt for—stories of under-represented voices in historical fiction, about women specifically. I also represented a friend of hers who was writing in this genre, who referred her to me. After reading her sample pages, I knew that she was an author I wanted to work with. Her writing was strong and immediately captivating.
We worked together to develop the story idea, and she got to work on the research and pages for a novel that we went on submission with. We quickly found an interested partner with her editor at Morrow Publishing.
Shara's thoughts on the submission process:
In the summer of 2020, I approached Kevan Lyon about my desire to write historical fiction. I had spent years cultivating my craft and positioning myself as an accomplished indie author. However, as my personal and professional goals began to evolve, I found myself eager for a change. It didn’t help that the romance industry was also going through its own challenges and setbacks. Having grown disenchanted with writing and publishing romance, I realized a pivot was necessary if I wanted to continue doing what I loved.
History, particularly Black women in history, have always been a passion of mine yet these “hidden figures” remain wholly underrepresented and undiscovered in publishing. Inspired by Black historical fiction authors like Piper Huguley and Vanessa Riley, I was motivated to share my own story ideas with the right agent or editor who could turn my thoughtful gems into literary gold.
Kevan Lyon happened to be that agent…
*****
Kevan Lyon is a founding partner of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. With over 25 years in the publishing business, including over 15 years as a literary agent and many years on the wholesale, retail and distribution side of the business, Kevan brings an informed and unique perspective to her work with clients. Her background on the buying and retail side of publishing affords her helpful insight into what types of books will sell and how to market them. Kevan holds an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.
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