Best Query Advice
October 9, 2008 by Terreece
Filed under Freelance Writing, Writing Tips
*Oopsie Note: I thought I hit publish on this hours ago! Goes to show, you always have to check your work!
By Terreece M. Clarke
One of the first things people ask me after “How do I get started with freelance writing,” and “Is there any money in that?” is how to write a great query letter.
A query letter is what’s going to get you into the door – wait, scratch that. A great email subject line is what’s going to get you into the door. The query letter is going to get you invited in for a moment, and that’s all you have – one moment to land that writing job.
Your query letter is like anything else you write. It has to grab the editor’s attention and make them want to read on. The very best advice I have I didn’t come up with on my own. My writing mentor hipped me to it: write your query letter exactly like you would write the article.
Start off with your anecdote, eye-catching statistic or quote:
“Every year 2,000 children are eaten by Smurfs.”
Then explain what the article will be about – this is a good bullet point area.
“This article will explore why Smurf attacks are on the rise and what parents can do to protect their children including:
- Keep them away from Smurf dwellings – red and yellow mushrooms.
- Don’t leave Smurf berries out around play areas.
- Keep a large brownish-orange cat at your residence.
Then mention a few sources:
“I will interview Dr. Gargamel who has recently published a book titled “Smurfette Rage – A Human’s Guide to Smurf Removal” and Smurf activist Mother Nature to provide perspective on human interference in the Smurf habitat.”
Setting your query up like your article will help the editor quickly sum up whether your pitch will fit with their magazine and if not, another angle they may want to see.
Okay FWJ – what’s your best query advice?
I would add to that that your query should be timely (taking into account the lead time of the publication). So, if you were pitching a magazine that plans its stories 6 months in advance, you could say something like “as temperatures thaw and children spend more time playing outside, springtime is the perfect opportunity to discuss Smurf safety.”
Ha! Springtime would be a good time to revisit Smurf safety – absolutely. No but seriously, great point Susan. No point in pitching Christmas in November.
1. Let your personality and style shine through. And make sure your style suits the publication.
2. Do your homework. Don’t pitch a story that they just ran in the last issue. I did this once and got called on the carpet like a real fool. (Of course, two years later I developed a long term relationship with the editor so I guess I made an impression!)
That was one of the most creative queries I’ve read.
1. Keep it brief.
2. Spell the name of the editor and the magazine correctly!
I use a variety of methods to get writing offers online like bidding for jobs in Freelance web sites and checking out forums. It works well for me.
Diana @ http://www.DianaTan.net