Every so often I find a topic being discussed on the bulletin boards that's answered so well I feel that I just need to quote it here. One poster asked, "So you've finally finished that first novel. What is the best way to submit it in terms of format, cover letter, length, simultaneous submissions, etc.?"

Some very helpful people answered:

There are different philosophies on all of this. In my experience, most agents will happily accept a one-page query or short email about a novel. If they are intrigued, some will ask for the whole book, but most will ask to see the first 15-50 pages. If they like those, they will ask for the rest of the book.

Some people I know have snagged agents by submitting a one-page letter and the first 10 pages. Make sure the opening of your book is strong. Agents won't wade through five to 10 mediocre pages to get to ''the good stuff.'' In fact, some will stop reading after the first page if it stinks.

The shorter you can make your initial pitch, the better. If you can summarized your book and intrigue an agent in 100-150 words, that's great. Remember a query letter has only one purpose: To get an agent to say, I want to see more. However, effective is more important than short. It's better to have an interesting long letter than a boring short one.

I suggest that everyone test their book through critique books before submitting it. In the same way, you should vet your query letter. If people say your query letter is great, perfect, send it out. If everyone says the query letter is terrible, redo it.

Getting good critiques -- especially on the novel itself -- can be difficult. Some people are overly harsh, some too kind. So you need to get a sense of someone's taste over time to see if you should give credence to it. Once you do find a core of people who you trust, keep working on your material until the reception from them is enthusiastic. If their comments are lukewarm, it's likely the marketplace's reception will be chilly.

Many agents will ask for an exclusive look. If you agree to this, your manuscript could easily be tied up for many months with someone who ultimately doesn't want to represent it. (From my and my friends experience -- including those of us who secured agents -- expect that a large percentage of those who ask to see the material will decide not to represent it.)

If you don't agree, some agents might refuse to look at your book.

Some writers I know will agree to the demand but then ignore it. Their philosophy is it's a tough world, and sometimes you have to lie. That's a matter for everyone to decide for themselves.

Another one pointed out, "Here's a link to an article and query example that breaks all the rules, but beautifully. It is a longer query, but it gives such a feel for the writer's voice, and style, and makes you want to read her book...which is ultimately the goal of any query.

Sometimes the danger with a too-short, formulaic query, is that there is no life to it, no hint of the writer's voice.

Every situation is unique, but this is worth checking out. The author is Cindy Dyson, and she has a book coming out soon, a debut novel called And She Was."

And then more two cents: "I thought this was a good article. But really her query is following a fairly typical formula, too:

1. Create some personal connection with the agent (praise his authors, mention you heard him speak at a conference.)

2. Tell about your background, and then relate that background to the subject of your novel.

I don't think this is really much more unusual, or likely to get attention, that the ''traditional'' pitch she mentions of summarizing the novel's plot.

The reality is most queries fall into a few broad structures. It doesn't matter which one you use. It just matters that you write a good letter."

It pays to check the boards!