Put your best foot forward, or lead with your strongest selling point. Here are the most common ways to begin a query:

• Maybe you’ve been vouched for or referred by an existing client or author; mention the referral right away.
• If you met the agent/editor at a conference or pitch event, and your material was requested, then put that upfront.
• Starting with your story premise is a classic opening—and my preferred opening—when you don’t necessarily have a good custom or personalized opening for the person you’re querying.
• Some queries start in an informational manner, which is also fine: “[Title] is an 80,000-word supernatural romance…”
• Published or credentialed writers might start with their successes, especially if they’ve won awards or received an MFA from a well-known school. However, few fiction writers begin their query by talking about themselves because most are unpublished. (This isn’t a problem, though.)

Starting with a catchy one-sentence hook

Some say it’s essential to open with a catchy, one-sentence hook (sometimes called a log line) that sells the “sizzle” of your story. Agents might even require it in their submission guidelines, which tells you something very important about their taste: they want a high-concept story that can be boiled down into a single line. More on this in a moment.

My preference for the opening (if you are not sure)

I generally recommend beginning with the story premise for fiction and memoir. You can launch right into it, without explaining upfront that you’re seeking representation or that you’re writing in a specific genre—or adding any other prefacing comment. Believe me, agents know what you want when they receive your query; you don’t have to explain your purpose. Instead, just sell them.

Sometimes it’s better to start the query with a bit about yourself, especially if you’re traditionally published, were previously represented by another agent, or have special qualifications or accolades. That may help an agent more carefully consider your material.

If you do have a superlative one-sentence pitch for your book, then sure, start the letter with that. But I wouldn’t bend over backwards to produce it, as not every book is a high-concept work that’s going to make jaws drop. Some agents may ask for this stupendous sales line at the beginning of your query, and if your hand is forced, do the best you can. Just understand those agents are looking for a very particular type of work, and not everyone will have that one-in-a-million hook that elicits a gasp within seconds of reading or hearing it. (But every author should be able to at least craft a decent, clear, and interesting log line, even it’s not fall-out-of-your-chair amazing.)