The Query that Stuck

October 5th marks one year since I submitted my woodsy and whimsical middle grade novel to Wild Ink Publishing. All told, I probably submitted 70 queries for Fiona and the Forgotten Piano over the course of a year. (37 were tracked in QueryTracker. The rest are in a spreadsheet full of color-coding and ghost emojis.)

This query went out in a batch of "After this, I am taking a break" queries. I had a deadline because, a few weeks later, my son was born.

The query, and even the opening pages, changed significantly since I sent my first email in the fall of 2022. Shout out to my CPs, Patty and Rennae, for bearing with me through revision after revision of Chapter 1. Here is the query that got me a full request, and eventually, a contract with Wild Ink.

Dear Editors of Wild Ink Publishing,

I’m pleased to send you my novel, FIONA AND THE FORGOTTEN PIANO, a standalone middle grade fantasy with series potential. With themes of finding your people and your home, this 43,000-word heartfelt yet whimsical story will appeal to readers ages 8-12 who enjoy fantasy, nature, music, animals and exploration. FIONA AND THE FORGOTTEN PIANO has the magical forest of Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon, the whimsical travels of L.D. Lapinski’s Strangeworlds Travel Agency, and the curious voice of P.G. Bell’s The Train to Impossible Places.

Eleven-year-old Fiona has always admired the woods whose trees are like fingerprints, each one unique. When her piano lesson is interrupted by a disembodied note, one which seems to be coming from the trees themselves, her admiration turns to intrigue. But Fiona isn’t allowed in the woods. Even when a shadowy figure flits between the trees, she can’t bring herself to break the rules. It isn’t until the woods fall silent, so silent the leaves stop rustling that Fiona tiptoes beyond the safety of her yard. 

In a moonlit clearing, Fiona discovers a piano whose magical keys open doors to eighty-eight fantastical worlds. Wishing for a place she belongs, Fiona travels through worlds to locate the key that feels like home. She seeks advice from a gravity-immune baker, an arrogant hologram and psychic triplets. But when she enters a charcoal city where the mayor controls even time itself, Fiona must trust her instincts to escape his prison or risk losing her newfound friends.

As a biologist, I spend my days performing experiments and my nights concocting fantastical stories. I am a member of a supportive critique group and I compete in various kidlit contests throughout the year. I have been fortunate enough to be named a winner in Kaitlyn Sanchez and Lydia Lukidis's 2022 Fall Writing Frenzy contest. I also came in third place in Kailei Pew’s 2023 Kid’s Choice Kid Lit Writing Contest and received an honorable mention in Vivian Kirkfield’s 50 Precious Words contest. I write picture books and middle grade stories from Boston, Massachusetts where I live with my husband, my sun-bathing dog, NASA and my shadow-dwelling cat, Guinness. 

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Kate DeMaio

Fiona and the Forgotten Piano is now ready for pre-order! Check it out on these sites. I cannot wait for everyone to meet Fiona (and her froggy companion)!

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble