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another day, another cover letter
Well, it's one more cover letter anyway. This one is for a very different novel, and again, if anyone would be willing to look it over for me and have any feedback whatsoever, I'd be so pleased/owe you one/etc. Just a single page this time!
I really only have three cover letters to work on; that's no so bad, is it? (Leaving aside the synopses for now.) As I believe I mentioned before, I am trying to fool myself into thinking these things are fun to do, so maybe I will be better at them and less plodding, and hopefully they will become more fun to read. I at least suffered less writing this one.
Also, I tried to add in one of those "compare my book to other books" paragraphs, which makes me groan because I hate comparing things, but I am trying to do things properly! So I hope that worked out all right.
Sometimes an evil plan comes along that's so completely ridiculous, no one but a ridiculous man can thwart it. That's why the city of New Carthage needs a hero like Bob Smith in I, Private Eye.
Arguably the worst private detective ever to pound the pavement of that august and dilapidated metropolis, it's doubtful if Bob has ever solved a case without a sidekick's assistance. Now, sadly sidekick-less, homeless, and about as down on his luck as it's possible to be without going all the way under, Bob is on the verge of giving up and in severe danger of achieving irreversible frostbite when an old friend comes to him with the one thing he's been needing most. She has a case for him.
The punk psychic Atari, who stalwartly refuses to serve as his sidekick, has predicted the murder of her mentor. Or so she claims, but it's a ploy to get Bob to come with her and stop freezing to death. When the faux foreseen murder occurs in truth, that's when the trouble begins. After receiving a mysterious phone call asking for his help, he finds himself facing a challenge he's never dealt with before: more than one case at once. As well as playing host to a gloomy prison escapee, a long-lost uncle, and a gerbil named Adolf, none of whom are willing to be his sidekick. It's funny how things add up.
One crime leads to another, as snowballing leads to an avalanche. When the police appear to say that Bob's to blame, he finds himself suspiciously in possession of damning evidence. Who could have set him up, and why? With his new companions at his side, Bob goes on the lam as well as on the job, and his hunt for answers will lead him through many strange alleyways and eating establishments. At the center of a spiraling conspiracy, he encounters something else he's never dealt with before, as it's a bit fancy for his tastes: a nemesis. Bob faces ex-actor Brad Johnson, the man whose community theatre career he accidentally ruined in his college days. If only Brad's second career choices hadn't been bioengineering and revenge. Brad's plan involves the destruction of both Bob's reputation and the city, but he fails to account for Bob's secret weapon. Bob has amazingly dumb luck. He accidentally manages to defeat his nemesis, improve the lives of several people, and save the lives of countless more. All in a day's work for--actually, it takes several days and involves him losing consciousness more than once, so he's never quite sure how much work it was, daywise.
Bob's succession of disasters and downfalls is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, but written for adults, with a liberal dose of private eye parody and a smattering of Terry Pratchett-esque absurdist humor and flights of fancy.
Thank you for your time.
I really only have three cover letters to work on; that's no so bad, is it? (Leaving aside the synopses for now.) As I believe I mentioned before, I am trying to fool myself into thinking these things are fun to do, so maybe I will be better at them and less plodding, and hopefully they will become more fun to read. I at least suffered less writing this one.
Also, I tried to add in one of those "compare my book to other books" paragraphs, which makes me groan because I hate comparing things, but I am trying to do things properly! So I hope that worked out all right.
Sometimes an evil plan comes along that's so completely ridiculous, no one but a ridiculous man can thwart it. That's why the city of New Carthage needs a hero like Bob Smith in I, Private Eye.
Arguably the worst private detective ever to pound the pavement of that august and dilapidated metropolis, it's doubtful if Bob has ever solved a case without a sidekick's assistance. Now, sadly sidekick-less, homeless, and about as down on his luck as it's possible to be without going all the way under, Bob is on the verge of giving up and in severe danger of achieving irreversible frostbite when an old friend comes to him with the one thing he's been needing most. She has a case for him.
The punk psychic Atari, who stalwartly refuses to serve as his sidekick, has predicted the murder of her mentor. Or so she claims, but it's a ploy to get Bob to come with her and stop freezing to death. When the faux foreseen murder occurs in truth, that's when the trouble begins. After receiving a mysterious phone call asking for his help, he finds himself facing a challenge he's never dealt with before: more than one case at once. As well as playing host to a gloomy prison escapee, a long-lost uncle, and a gerbil named Adolf, none of whom are willing to be his sidekick. It's funny how things add up.
One crime leads to another, as snowballing leads to an avalanche. When the police appear to say that Bob's to blame, he finds himself suspiciously in possession of damning evidence. Who could have set him up, and why? With his new companions at his side, Bob goes on the lam as well as on the job, and his hunt for answers will lead him through many strange alleyways and eating establishments. At the center of a spiraling conspiracy, he encounters something else he's never dealt with before, as it's a bit fancy for his tastes: a nemesis. Bob faces ex-actor Brad Johnson, the man whose community theatre career he accidentally ruined in his college days. If only Brad's second career choices hadn't been bioengineering and revenge. Brad's plan involves the destruction of both Bob's reputation and the city, but he fails to account for Bob's secret weapon. Bob has amazingly dumb luck. He accidentally manages to defeat his nemesis, improve the lives of several people, and save the lives of countless more. All in a day's work for--actually, it takes several days and involves him losing consciousness more than once, so he's never quite sure how much work it was, daywise.
Bob's succession of disasters and downfalls is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, but written for adults, with a liberal dose of private eye parody and a smattering of Terry Pratchett-esque absurdist humor and flights of fancy.
Thank you for your time.
no subject
Honestly it got iterated so often that he's "never solved", "never dealt with" that by the second "never dealt with" [nemesis] I was kind of :/ Maybe more "But at the center of a spiraling conspiracy, he encounters something a bit fancy for his tastes: a nemesis" if you really want to play off the mention of eateries, or something like "But he chokes on finding an unexpected nemesis" or something.
Also, is it really only dumb luck that has him winning? I know it's supposed to be humor but idk. The books you mentioned I haven't read but I read Good Omens which iirc has it winding down on "His" decision--which is still kind of a loosely-hinged thing but it has some kind of positive character trait. Even if it's just dogged persistence combined with the sheer luck or near-foolish (...actually foolish) kindheartedness, it just seems kind of deflating to come to that at the end.
no subject
Oh, not at all--it is actually much more than just dumb luck, but the whole story, being built up on a complicated series of events, will be fleshed out in the synopsis.
It is in no small part his kindheartedness and the help of/bonds with the friends he makes that saves the day! (Along with some other things. And the dumb luck, of course, which is much more a running joke than what the plot is based on.) That's why I said it was his "secret weapon"; I didn't mean to imply that that was what the entire plot hinged on, so I should clarify that. He's a very well-meaning man. I'll have to add a mention, especially if you think it's disappointing as-is. Great idea! I was worried that since I can't give a good idea of his friends within a few paragraphs, it might not make much sense, but I can emphasize them somehow.
Thanks so much, again. It's really helpful to me to get the feedback of someone who doesn't know the story at all, because then I realize things I missed adding in that seem obvious to me, but which might give a misleading impression of the story, which is the last thing I want to do.
no subject
And--yeah. I was pretty sure there was a bit more to it than that, it's just again saying there is, because it did seem a bit weird.
No problem! I'm glad if it helps at all.
no subject
Yeah, that makes sense!
It definitely wasn't clear enough. I'm editing it now, and I think (hope) the new version is a lot better and clearer on those counts.
It helped a lot! Thanks again.