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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Quitting smoking might be a good idea if work places keep refusing to hire smokers!

More hospitals refusing to hire smokers

As of July 1, two Philadelphia hospitals will no longer hire smokers.
 
 
 
 
Two Philadelphia hospitals will no longer hire smokers as of July 1. Is what you do on your own time — no matter how unhealthy it is — your boss' business?

As of July 1, two Philadelphia hospitals will no longer hire smokers.
PHILADELPHIA — With just days to go before two of the city's most prestigious hospitals refuse to hire smokers, the ban has relit a debate about the wisdom of regulating workers' behavior away from the workplace.

Both the highly rated University of Pennsylvania Health System, which includes the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, as well as the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, named by US News and World Report as America's top children's hospital this year, will join dozens of hospitals across the country when they implement their policy on Monday, July 1.
The move has generated criticism among civil liberties activists, hospital employees and even doctors who fear that smokers will lie about their habit — and therefore become less likely to seek help in stopping it.

"It's not all slopes that are slippery, but this one really is," said Lewis Maltby, a former American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who now runs the National Workrights Institute in Princeton, N.J. He is critical of an employer's intrusion into the private time of employees.
"What you do in your own home on your own time is none of your boss's business unless it affects your work," he said.

Maltby noted that drinking alcohol, eating lots of junk food and not exercising are also bad for you. "Virtually everything you do in your private life affects your health," he said, wondering what other kinds of hiring restrictions could come to pass.

Related: Hiring a smoker costs bosses $6,000 a year
Desonia Mapp, 52, who has worked as a nursing assistant at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for 13 years, said she was "dumbfounded. I couldn't believe they were doing this," she said as she took a cigarette break in the shade near bicycle racks outside the hospital last week. "If I drank, if I do whatever I do outside of the workplace, where does it end?" Mapp will not be affected by the new policy, which only applies to new hires.

Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, also has serious doubts about the policy. "It is blatant employment discrimination," he said. "Employment decisions should be made based on a person's qualifications for a position.

"Once you step over that line and you start making decisions based on the group to which a person belongs that has no bearing on their actual qualifications, I think that's really dangerous," he said.
Ralph Muller, the chief executive of the sprawling University of Pennsylvania Health System, said the system was focusing on the health ills of smoking rather than issues like obesity because of the "50 years of science" behind smoking research.

The policy at Penn, with more than 28,000 employees, will extend to all of the university's health centers, including three large city hospitals, a center for advanced medicine, and six other clinics and medical practices. UPenn's clinics and offices in New Jersey will not be affected, because New Jersey is among 29 states and the District of Columbia that have passed smoker-protection laws preventing employers from discriminating against employees or job applicants because they do or do not smoke.
Penn and the children's hospital, which are affiliated but run as separate corporate entities, will have similar programs, with one exception. Penn will rely on an applicant's word on tobacco use, while the children's hospital will test applicants to determine if they're smokers. Those who admit to having started smoking after hiring would be offered a smoking-cessation program but would also have to pay higher health insurance premiums — about $30 more a month, said Robert Croner, senior vice president for human resources at the children's hospital, known locally as CHOP.

Whether the policy will shrink the available labor pool so that hospitals end up with vacancies they cannot fill does not seem to be much of an issue. CHOP has some 12,000 employees.
"It is something we have on our minds, but we don't think it will have that disruptive of an impact," Croner said of the applicant issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 43.8 million adults — 19 percent — in the U.S. were smokers in 2011.

Related: Do smoking bans really work?
The Cleveland Clinic, with 42,000 employees, said that fears of a shrinking labor pool had proved unfounded when it became one of the first and biggest medical centers to impose its no-smokers policy in September of 2007.

"It really never reduced our pool," said Dr. Paul Terpeluk, the Cleveland Clinic's medical director for employee services.

Statistics on how many hospitals nationwide have the policy are hard to come by, but Boston's Siegel estimates the number at 50-60 health care systems around the country.
"I definitely believe it is a trend," he said. "It may reach the point where it is pretty much everybody doing this."

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Prenatal Smoke Exposure

Prenatal Smoke Exposure Associated With Adolescent Hearing Loss

Main Category: Hearing / Deafness
Also Included In: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 24 Jun 2013 - 2:00 PDT

 
Current ratings for:
Prenatal Smoke Exposure Associated With Adolescent Hearing Loss



Prenatal smoke exposure was associated with hearing loss in a study of adolescents, which suggests that in utero exposure to tobacco smoke could be harmful to the auditory system, according to a study published Online First by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) is a public health problem and exposure to tobacco smoke from in utero to adulthood is associated with a wide variety of health problems, the authors write in the study background.

Michael Weitzman, M.D., of the New York University School of Medicine, and colleagues studied data for 964 adolescents (ages 12 to 15 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006 to determine whether exposure to prenatal tobacco smoke was associated with sensorineural hearing loss in adolescents.

Parents confirmed prenatal smoke exposure in about 16 percent of the 964 adolescents. Prenatal smoke exposure was associated with higher pure-tone hearing thresholds and an almost three-fold increase in the odds of unilateral low-frequency hearing loss, according to study results.

"The actual extent of hearing loss associated with prenatal smoke exposure in this study seems relatively modest; the largest difference in pure-tone hearing threshold between exposed and unexposed adolescents is less than 3 decibels, and most of the hearing loss is mild. However, an almost 3-fold increased odds of unilateral hearing loss in adolescents with prenatal smoke exposure is worrisome for many reasons," the study concludes.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our hearing / deafness section for the latest news on this subject.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Why is it hard to quit smoking?

Why is it Hard to Quit Smoking?


Smoking is emerging to be one of the major causes of death in the modern world. This is attributed to the growing consumers of tobacco. Tobacco is responsible for the death of 1 in 10 adults all over the world, which translates to around 5 million deaths every year. It is because of this fact that cigarette smoking is now a public health priority.
 
As we mentioned previously, the boom in cigarette smoking occurred sometime during the First World War. Tobacco companies were successful in including their products as part of the military ration. At the time, soldiers under the stress of warfare took up smoking. And since then, the tobacco industry has grown through an increased consumer patronage all over the world.
 
With the prevalence of cigarette smoking came its adverse health effects on its consumers. Smoking poses dangers directly and indirectly to the public. An indirect public health concern that cigarettes may pose is accidental fire. As for the health risks in smoking tobacco, the disease mainly strikes the cardiovascular system, resulting to heart attack, respiratory tract diseases, and even cancer.
In spite of these risks, the number of cigarette smokers all other the world has not dropped considerably. Though several smokers claim to have been meaning to quit this habit, they just find it so difficult. The fact is that after smoking for quite sometime, quitting smoking will prove to be very hard, but not impossible.
 
Why is it hard to quit smoking?
 
Foremost, this is because most smokers become addicted to the nicotine contained in tobacco products. Nicotine has a deadly addictive power. How? When a person puffs a cigarette, nicotine particles find their way to the lungs through inhalation. From there, nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream just like the oxygen people breathe. It travels with the blood to the brain where it locks onto certain receptor areas. Dopamine is then released into the brain.
This is the chemical that makes the smoker feel a euphoric sensation. Smokers find it difficult to quit because not knowing what to do with their hands is another common complaint among ex-smokers while quitting. Once people get hooked, smoking becomes a big part of their lives. They seem to enjoy holding on a stick of cigarette and puffing on them. And after a long period of lighting up, it becomes a routine. As a fact, humans are creatures of habit. By some force of habit, smokers find themselves reaching for a cigarette and lighting it up automatically without thinking about it.
 
Certain "triggers" in the environment may also hamper a smoker's desire to quit. Things may turn on a smoker's need for a cigarette. These may be feelings, places, and moods. Even the things done routinely may trigger this craving for a smoke.
 
For those who have been smoking for quite a while already, they may not realize it but they form some emotional attachment to cigarettes. They find the cigarette calming and comforting during those stressful times. Cigarette smoking somehow becomes an extension of their social life, particularly when they are emotionally at the highest or lowest. Giving the smoker a feeling that giving up smoking would seem like giving up a trusted friend.
 
These are only some of the major reasons why it is hard to quit smoking. But there are also several strategies and quitting techniques that may aid smokers to finally give up on this tenacious habit. Quitting smoking all begins with one's intention to stop. They must have the will power to overcome the craving for smoke. There are also a lot of quit smoking products in the market. These may also be worth trying. Support groups are proved to be very helpful, too.
 
Smokers must understand that to quit smoking may take more than one attempt. They must also try several methods before they can finally succeed. Smoking is a stubborn habit because it is closely tied to the acts in the course of people's everyday lives. Even so, with determination, will power, and a strategy, to quit smoking is not out of the question and we will discuss some of the methods in further chapters.
 
Gaetane Ross is a Certified Natural Health Consultant who has spent over 4 years focusing on Nutrition and Health. She also specializes in Alternative Medicine, Spiritual Healing and Healthy Lifestyle.
 
If You Sick Of Trying to Quit Smoking By Using Patches, Gum, Sprays or Pills... That Fail Every Time, you need to visit:

Friday, June 7, 2013

Hiring A Smoker Costs Employers $5800 A Year; Another Reason To Quit Smoking : Healthy Living : Medical Daily

Hiring A Smoker Costs Employers $5800 A Year; Another Reason To Quit Smoking : Healthy Living : Medical Daily

The fear of quitting smoking

Overcoming Your Fear of Quitting Smoking


Quitting smoking isn't the easiest task to achieve, especially if you have a fear of not knowing what your life will be like once you sever the strings with nicotine.
The fear of quitting is a terrible affair, you've smoked so long that you can't remember what it's like to live without it and that scares you.
This was the main reason that kept me smoking for over 10 years, I was scared to quit because I thought I was about to lose something special in my life. But this is a scam that's fabricated by the big addiction. It warps our perception and tricks us into believing that its something we need or want.
 
Some of the main scenarios are;
 
I can't enjoy a night out or party without having a smoke.
If we have a night out with friends that smoke, we tend to believe that we may be left out. You subconsciously look at the situation as a membership to a special club and you do t want to leave. But there's no better feeling than not have to leave a party or club to step outside in the freezing cold or pouring rain to light up.
 
Smoking helps me deal with the stress in my day-to-day life.
This must be the most common, what we don't realize as smokers is that stress can't be solved by having a smoke. Lets say you're having a bad day at work and you get into an argument with a co-worker. You decide to leave the room and have a smoke to 'calm' yourself. You return to the room but the situation is still there. So has smoking helped? Of course not.
 
Smoking is a part of my daily routine, a part of my life and I cant break it.
Although smoking does become routine it's definitely not a part of your life. For something to become a part of your life it must be wanted or needed and I'm pretty sure you neither want or need smoking.
 
I've tried to quit smoking with patches and gum and failed so I guess I'm stuck with it.
Nicotine replacement is not the be all end all. There are much more effective ways to quit smoking. Don't ever give up giving up!
 
Over half a million Americans die each year from smoking related illnesses. Don't let nicotine trick you into needing it, don't put yourself in that half a mil statistic.
For an effective method of quitting smoking that doesn't rely on NRT or going it cold turkey, please read the Smash Smoking kindle ebook to find out how. My ebook is available worldwide on kindle.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Cure all Illnesses in 3 minutes!!! Spread LOVE not HATE!!!


How to get your book published

Get Your Book Published


Finding a publisher can be difficult, particularly for children's books. There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that you may need to send your manuscript to hundreds of publishers before the best offer arrives. And, unless you are already a published author, you will probably have to pay some of the publishing costs. The good news is that almost no publishers want a paper manuscript any longer. Publishers today prefer that you send a proposal by electronic mail. This makes it much easier and less costly to contact publishers. However, your proposal must be perfect and that takes time.
 
Don't waste your time sending a proposal to a publisher who doesn't specialize in your type of book. You are not going to change their mind and they receive hundreds of proposals each week. So, research publishing companies carefully. Search within each company for books of your type. You can often begin by using search terms related to your book's title and content. Some of the larger companies have departments for specific genre. Search for "science fiction, self-help, children's," or whatever genre your book represents.
 
Narrow your search to those publishing companies that publish your type of book and are currently accepting submissions. "Once you find a publishing company that specializes in your genre and scheme, get ready to contact them.
 
Some people prefer to seek a literary agent first. While literary agents can and do find publishers for novice writers, this method is not often successful. Literary agents seek published authors, established in a certain genre. If you've never been published before, your chance of successfully obtaining an agent for your first novel is poor. Like find a publisher, being represented by an agent requires an excellent proposal and just the right opportunity. Meanwhile, you can and should go ahead and contact publishers on your own. You can always seek an agent later.
 
Each publisher prefers his or her own specific way of receiving information. That means you must research each publisher on the Internet. Look for something that says, "Submission Guidelines." This will tell you precisely what to send, and how to send it. Read this very carefully. If they are seeking a manuscript that is different from yours, forget them and move along. If your book seems to be a good fit with the publisher's interests, then create a proposal that will fit their guidelines. Some publishers are very diligent in rejecting author proposals that do not address each content requirement from the submission guidelines. Do not take this lightly.
 
Step one is developing a terrific book proposal. Proposals must include very specific information in a very particular format. Fail to do this and your proposal will be rejected. In the absence of other directions, your proposal should include a table of contents, sales attributes, author biography, synopsis, chapter titles, market analysis, competitive analysis, and marketing strategies. Each portion of this proposal is critical. Take your time and use at least one page for each content topic. The synopsis might require several pages. Sometimes the publisher will request several chapters, or the first three chapters. Read their submission requirements very carefully. Tell them who will buy your book (market analysis and sales attributes), why it is better than similar books (competitive analysis), and how you will persuade people to buy it (marketing strategies). Take your time and give each topic a page of its own. If you're still uncertain about what to write, dig deeper with Internet search efforts. There is a great deal available.
 
Publishers receive hundreds of proposals daily and they will gladly delete yours if you fail to follow directions carefully. Remember, you not only must attract their attention, they must also desire your type of book. Sending a proposal for a horror fiction novel to a publisher who specializes in children's books is a waste of everyone's time. Even if you find the right publisher for your work, you must convince the publisher why the public will enjoy your book, who will buy it and how you will sell it.
Acquire lists of prospective publishers on the Internet. Use search terms to find publishers for your topic and genre. Some companies will sell you a list of publishers. You can largely find them on your on. Plan to contact a few hundred publishers via the Internet. That's right a few HUNDRED. Being published is like getting a job. Your proposal is your resume. The better it is, the more interviews you will obtain. The more proposals you send, the more positive responses you will receive. The first offer is not necessarily the best. And, in this world, patience is most definitely a virtue. It might take months or years. But this I guarantee... the more proposals you send each week, the faster you will be published. Two or three proposals per week just won't get the job done.
 
You may not wish to contract with the first publisher that accepts your book, especially if it is a vanity publisher. Today's publishing industry can be a little difficult to comprehend. Traditional publishers are turning into vanity publishers. Very few traditional publishers will offer you a contract without asking for some money, unless you are already a successful author. But, it can happen and you certainly can negotiate over costs.
 
Traditional publishers still have a great attribute. They will print your book, store it, contract with distributors and use their channels of influence to get it up on all of the major retail sales listings quickly. They will market your book in ways that would be difficult to accomplish on your own. And, they have distribution channels that you do not. With self-publishing, or vanity publishers, you need to do those things on your own. If you simply want to have a nice book with your name on it for your coffee table, then vanity publishing might be fine. But, if you want people to read it, a traditional publisher is more appropriate.
 
Then there is the critical issue of marketing. Many vanity or self-publishing publishers will print your book, but not market it. Yes, it will be in their on-line catalog. But how many people read that? Who will place your book on the Internet sites of Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Target and Wal-Mart? How will your book be sold in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia? Who will distribute it? Who will process sales and pay for shipment? Who will promote your book at book fairs around the world? Who will generate radio, television and viral Internet marketing? These are all reasons why traditional publishers are the best way to go. Besides, you'll receive royalties twice a year, which a pretty nice feeling.
 
Send each publisher an e-mail cover page that will get the reader hooked on your book. Explain why that particular publisher is a good fit with your book (yes, you will have to research the publisher in order to do this). If possible, attach your proposal. If the publisher will not accept attachments, then you'll need to use the e-mail cover page and hope for a proposal request reply. But, there is another alternative.
 
While most publishers are reticent to open an attachment from a stranger (would you?), they won't hesitate to open an Internet link. So, create web pages for your book and embed them within your e-mail cover page. This is easy and free. Anyone can create a web page for a book (use any free service, like Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, Word press, Geocities, etc.). Create a one-page synopsis, packed with features and reasons why people will purchase it. Then, embed the link for that web site into your e-mail letter to the publisher. While many publishers fear opening attachments from strangers, virtually none of them fears opening a web site.
 
I created four web sites for my book and I provide a few interesting articles as well. This took about three days to create. It cost nothing. In fact, some large Internet companies, like Google, will pay you per click if you allow them to advertise on your site. Instead of paying for web site development, create your won and make money by selling advertising on it.
 
The more times you send a proposal to a publisher, the better you will become with embedding Internet hyperlinks into your e-mail cover page. Again, this is a very simple process. In many e-mail programs that use Word as an editor, you can right-click on any word and then select the button for "Hyperlink." When your reader clicks on that word (while compressing the "Control" key), your web site will emerge in their browser. Within your web site, you can have a tab or link for your proposal, as well as your biography. Or, you can write a proposal on the load page. That page can offer links to other pages that review and sell your book in greater detail.
 
Do not be discouraged. Being published is a numbers game. You might need to send out a hundred proposals to get one good offer and you might need to obtain three offers before you are satisfied. That means you might need to send out a three hundred proposals to receive just the right offer. You will want a publishing company well suited to your book and with the right financial arrangements. I had four existing publishing offers before I was satisfied that I had the best offer. Be very, very patient.
 
Beware of publishers that lack integrity. There are a few bad apples in every industry. Be aware of publishers that require you to pay to have your work analyzed or edited. They of course will charge for that service, or refer you to a subsidiary that will charge you for the service. Some publishing companies are very happy to put your book in print, for free, or for a "nominal printing fee." Such publishers may do little or no outside marketing. You pay them a fee and they will print your book and give you a few copies. But, don't expect to see your book at Amazon, Borders or Barnes & Noble. Don't look for it on the shelf of your local bookstore. It might not even have a distributor. If you have no distributor, your book will not be on the shelves of bookstores and it will not appear on the Internet web sites of popular stores.
 
You can check on suspicious publishers by typing their name into Google or any other robust search engine. If your search reveals a multitude of negative comments from authors, then you know that this publisher is not for you. One such company offered to publish my book before they could have possibly had time to read it. On the Internet, I discovered that thousands of authors had become extremely dissatisfied with this particular publisher. Some of these publishers are not deceptive, but offer little in return for a signed contract. In publishing, as in life in general, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't. Again, if your name is not Stephen King or Tom Clancy, you will probably have to contribute towards the expense of printing and publishing. If that's the case, make certain that your publisher will market your book after you pay (unless you're only in it to have a book to display on your coffee table). Caveat Emptor!
 
When you have a publishing offer that you like, have a lawyer look it over, preferably a lawyer with book contracting experience. Meanwhile, you should research publishing contracts on the Internet. Look each contract over carefully. Be prepared to negotiate portions of it. My publisher agreed to add some marketing activities that I requested. In return, I agreed to have some portions removed, improving marketing potential. It's a give and take relationship that will benefit both parties. Be prepared to negotiate over the fine points of the contract.
 
Traditional publishing contract royalties can be anywhere from 10% to 24%, but are often in the range of 12-18%. Royalties are usually paid every six months and are counted only for retail sales. My publisher offered an excellent royalty and was also was able to have my novel listed quickly on Amazon as a Kindle Book. Royalties for Kindle books are the same percentage as hardcover and paperback sales. Unless you are only interested in having a nice book on your coffee table, nothing is more important than sales. And, nothing is more important for sales than marketing and distribution. Focus on those aspects in your contract negotiations.
 
Some authors prefer to use a publishing agent. Unless your name is James Michener, good luck. Agents rarely take a chance on an unknown author, even if your book is already in print. A good agent can vastly increase sales. From that perspective it's a useful concept. Of course, they will take a percentage of your royalties in return. My feeling is that if you can obtain an agent, it will only help your objective become reality. However, beware of spending too much time trying to find an agent, instead of obtaining a publisher. Once published, you can always search for an agent later.
Finally, after you have obtained a publishing contract, be prepared to help market the book yourself. That means contacting regional bookstores and retail outlets. Request book signings at stores. Obtain newspaper articles about your book. Conduct public speaking events and tours about the book. Marketing is time consuming and often frustrating. But do not count on your publisher to do everything, particularly if you are a new author. Be willing to do your own marketing. The harder your effort, the larger your royalty checks will be.
Charles S. Weinblatt
Author, "Jacob's Courage: A Holocaust Love Story"
http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/

Saturday, June 1, 2013

How to write a query letter for agents and publishers


How To Write A Kick-A** Query Letter

You can find guidelines for writing query letters in many different places: online at sites like Charlotte Dillon's, in resource books like Writer's Market, or at your local writer's group or conference.
 
However, I thought it might be helpful for me to post the query letter I used when I was seeking representation for One Night in Boston. Of the 42 agents/editors I sent it to, 36 requested either a partial or a full manuscript as a follow-up, which is a pretty good return. Ultimately, I secured publication with Samhain Publishing, and it will be a Summer 2007 release.
 
In total, I've queried 4 novels over the last 6 years and received all kinds of feedback along the way. Now, I'm sharing with you the tips I've found most helpful:
 
1. You are writing a business letter, or a business email, depending on the agent's preference, so follow the standard format. Contact info, paragraphing, spacing, closing, should all be appropriate and correct.
 
2. Open your query letter with straightforward information. Some people suggest a "hook" in the first paragraph--just don't make it too long! I'd also suggest including the title of your work, the genre, the word count, and why you're contacting the agent (reference, response to conference pitch, found the agent on Agentquery.com, etc).
 
3. The middle paragraph(s) should include a general description of your work, including the main characters and their struggle/conflict. What is their central goal? What is the overall theme of the story? How is this work both similar to, and different from, other works on the shelves today? What will make this attractive to the target audience? Who is the target audience?
 
4. Include some brief biographical information about yourself. This means any education/experience with writing and any publishing history or contest wins you might have. It doesn't mean a long-winded description of how your great-aunt loves your work or how your three cats keep you company when you write in the wee hours of the morning. If you don't have any publications to your name, or specific background that relates to your genre or topic, then don't put anything at all.
 
A simple statement such as "The Mystery of Seven Slippery Sisters" is my first complete novel is fine.
 
5. Close with an offer to send more material, if you haven't included any in the first mailing. Make sure to indicate that the work is complete (and it should be, if you're querying agents).
 
6. Proofread twenty times. At least. Then give it to five other people and ask them to proofread it. By the way, this includes confirming the spelling of the agent's name. Don't rely on one website or source for this; I'd check at least 2 different places.
 
7. Open your letter/email with Dear First Name Last Name of agent. "Dear Agent," "To Whom It May Concern," and "Dear Sir or Madam" are too generic and suggest that you didn't do your homework. You need to target a specific individual, and I recommend using the person's full name rather than Mr./Ms./Mrs. to avoid any possible gender screw-ups. Ashley Grayson, for example, is a man. Wonder how many query letters he receives addressed "Dear Ms. Grayson..."??
 
8. Make sure to follow the agent's guidelines when submitting material. Some will ask for a query letter only. Some accept emails only. Others want the first three chapters. Include a SASE for snail mail responses. Tell them they may recycle the partial/full manuscript unless you want to pay the return postage to get it back.
 
9. Make a generous list of agents to target. Many people have an "A," "B," and "C" list of their top choices, and they work their way down. Unless the agent says "No multiple submissions," I recommend sending your query letter to multiple agents each day/week/month, according to your timeline. The query process can take a long time, and there's no need for you to wait for a reply from each single agent before you send out another query.
 
10. Your query letter should be no longer than 1 page (or its equivalent, for an email). Really, agents slog through sometimes hundreds of queries each day. Get to the point, and grab their attention. Period.
 
Okay! Below is my original query letter for One Night in Boston, along with a few notes in brackets. Good luck with those queries, and remember: do not let rejections stop your query process. What one agent turns down, another may very well scoop up with excitement and enthusiasm. Keep at it!
 
Dear Susie Agent:
 
Can anything really change in 24 hours? Can everything?
 
My mainstream romance novel, One Night in Boston, offers a twist for the contemporary romance reader because it takes place over the course of a single day and night. (Think of the award-winning television show "24" translated into the romance genre: twenty-four hours unfold in twenty-four chapters.) Complete at 85,000 words, One Night in Boston tells the story of Maggie Doyle and Jack Major, college lovers who meet ten years after their relationship ends and discover a renewed attraction that is both stronger and more complicated than the first love they shared. As RWA indicates that you are an agent who is accepting new romance writers I thought you might be interested in taking a look.
 
[Opening paragraph includes general info about the book, its length, its topic, what makes it unique, and why I'm sending her this letter]
Maggie, a single but struggling entrepreneur in rural Rhode Island, faces foreclosure on her interior design business, thanks to a spiraling small-town economy and her mother's nursing home bills. Her only option: find the stepbrother she hasn't spoken to in years and convince him to loan her the money she needs. Jack, meanwhile, has carried on his family's business legacy and become CEO of a major Boston corporation. He's also just become engaged to a successful attorney, who's planning the city's biggest wedding and driving everyone crazy doing it. Though the marriage will join two prominent families and please his father, sometimes Jack still thinks about the fireworks of his first love.
 
Maggie's search for her stepbrother leads her directly to a high-profile charity ball...and to Jack. A dance, some reminiscing, and a spontaneous kiss startle them both into realizing that old feelings haven't died. But then Jack's fiancée arrives at the ball, and Maggie flees only to find herself trapped in a violent storm that has closed half the city streets. Jack follows her, but when Maggie reveals the reason she left him in college, and the reason she cannot be with him now, both are forced to realize that people change, that memories are tempered by years, and that time alters even the things we most want to stay the same.
 
[Two body paragraphs give a very general overview of the hero and heroine, their goals, their conflicts, and the underlying theme of the book: that time changes everything, whether it's 24 hours or 10 years]
 
I am an RWA member who earned her PRO pin in 2003. Previous online publications/contest wins include "Time for Teacher", a narrative essay published by RunnersWorld.com in 2002, and "Hawkman and the Widow Thompson" (short story) and "Untitled" (poem) which won 1st and 2nd place in WriterOnline's Mystery Contest (2003) and 5 Senses Contest (2004), respectively. I am currently working on my next One Night...book, which will also explore the ways and places desire can bloom overnight. A synopsis, sample chapters, or the complete manuscript of One Night in Boston is available upon your request. Or, you may prefer to read an excerpt on http://www.allieboniface.com. I am available via email (allieb@allieboniface.com) or telephone (999-999-9999). Thank you for your time and consideration.
 
[Closing paragraph, while a little long, mentions my previous writing experience - notice no full-length publications - my membership in Romance Writers of America, which indicates an interest in and familiarity with the genre, and my contact info. While I did mention my plan for future One Night books, it's not a wise idea to query more than one project at a time. Notice it's a only a mention, here]
 
Sincerely,
 
Allie Boniface
Allie Boniface
Author of ONE NIGHT IN BOSTON
http://www.allieboniface.com
http://www.allieboniface.blogspot.com