Writer's Resource Center

How to Write a Query Letter

Published on October 24, 2004 by John Hewitt in Writing

Query letters are a much-debated practice in the writing community. The majority of writers swear by them, but others feel they are a waste of time. There are many successful writers who stick to sending completed manuscripts or informal, ultra-brief queries. This practice has especially grown in the age of email, where a less formal writing style has taken root. See Bob Sassone’s article The Query Trap if you want to look further into that strategy.

Here are some advantages to writing a formal query letter:

A well-written query letter helps prove to an editor that you are qualified to write the piece.
Sending completed articles blindly can indicate to an editor that you either failed to sell the article before, are submitting an article that was not written specifically for their publication or are attempting to resell a previously published article.
Short, informal queries will often go unread or will be given less weight by an editor if they are a stickler for the formal process.
A formal, detailed query gives you the opportunity to do preliminary research for a piece that can then be quickly converted into an article.
When submitting a query to an online publication, your query will look better than 90% of the other queries being submitted to that publication.

In the age of email, much can be said for the ability to quickly send off a brief query. This is very possible these days, and may result in more sales than writing a formal query for each publication you wish to write an article for. Still, if you want to impress an editor, online or otherwise, a formal, well-written query letter is a way to do it. Below is a point-by-point description of how to write a query letter.

Know your target

Study any publication before you submit a query letter.
Get writer’s guidelines for the publication if they are available.
Study the publication’s masthead to identify the appropriate editor for your query. Do not rely on Writer’s Market. Editors change jobs frequently.
You may send the same subject query to more than one publication, as long as they do not compete and you have taken the time to make sure the subject is appropriate for both publications.

Your query letter should have a professional look.

There should be no spelling or grammar errors.
Be sure to include the date on your letter. This can be important if you feel later on that your idea has been stolen.
It should be addressed to the appropriate editor. Use their full name and do not use Mr. Mrs. or otherwise. The exception to this rule is Dr. or other professional title.
The publication name and address should be correct.
The salutation should be formal.
If mailed, the paper and the letterhead should be clean and professional. Standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper should be used.
Single-space your paragraphs and double-space between paragraphs.
If mailed, the Query should include Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE)so that the editor can return your article or reply to you conveniently.
Include your name, postal address, email address and phone number in the letterhead or at the bottom of the letter.

Your query letter should be interesting

Your query should introduce a fresh idea/topic/angle.
The idea should be set off in the type so it is easily viewed.
Your idea should be presented at the very beginning of your letter.
Your lead-in should excite the editor.

Your query letter should be specific

Keep your query letter to a single page in length.
Lay out exactly what you intend to include and exclude from your article.
Give a proposed article length. Round to the nearest 100 for under 2000 words and to nearest 500 for articles over that length. The length should be appropriate for that publication.
Identify which section of the publication you believe your article fits within.

Your query letter should be persuasive

Include writing samples that are appropriate to the publication, article topic, and writing style you believe the publication is looking for.
Present any credentials or awards you have that show you are qualified to write, especially about this subject.
Identify other similar publications that have published your work.
Identify any sources you have that you feel would help persuade the editor.
Your article should show why you are the best and only person to write this article for them.
Close your letter with a phrase such as: “I look forward to hearing from you. Please write or call if you have any questions.”

Respond promptly when a query is accepted

When an editor expresses interest in (solicits) your article, send it to them promptly. In your cover letter, remind them of their request.
You do not need to enclose an SASE when sending your article.

What you should not do in your query letter

Do not mention who has rejected the piece before.
Do not include other people’s statements about your article.
Do not tell the editor how long and hard you have been working on this article.
Do not mention the assistance of others.
Do not tell them that the piece still needs work.
Do not request advice, comments, criticism or analysis.
Do not talk about how thrilling it would be to be published.
Do not include inappropriate or off-subject information about yourself.
Do not discuss the rights you wish to sell.
Do not discuss price or payment.
Do not give your social security number.
Do not give or discuss copyright information.
Do not wear out your welcome by writing too much or failing to get to the point.
Do not query without studying the publication enough to know whether your idea is appropriate.
Do not waste your time querying an unreceptive editor over and over again.
Do not present ideas for several different articles in the same letter. This can be done once you have established a rapport with an editor, but should not be done in a blind query.
Do not use obscenities or inappropriate content.
Do not send inappropriate, off-subject samples.

Sample Query Letter:

Max Swift

Securities Editor

Money Bucks Magazine

1010 E. 10200^th Street

New York, NY

August 22, 2000

Dear Max Swift,

Proposed Article:

You’ve Got Fraud! How Internet con artists can crush your portfolio

Last Monday, the Enforcement Section of the Massachusetts Securities Division ordered a temporary cease and desist order against three men it accuses of manipulating the stock market by flooding Yahoo.com with tens of thousands of false and misleading statements about Biomatrix Inc (BXM.N) and Genzyme Corp (GENZ.O). This is the latest in a growing series of civil and criminal lawsuits against people who manipulate stocks through mass emails or in this case, by posting misleading statements on financial discussion boards. My article will detail the trend from the perspective of three people.

A securities trader whose legitimate stock analysis email newsletter has contended with fake announcements by people who acquired his mailing list.
A lawyer who represented a client in a case similar to the Massachusetts case.
An investor who blames her loss of $70,000 in the stock market on fraudulent discussion-board posting.

In my article I will discuss the negative effects of fraud on investors and companies. I will also discuss how you can protect yourself from fraud. More importantly, I will show how you can be victimized by the trend even when you don’t receive a fraudulent email or read a misleading post. Because such fraud can cause an individual stock to both rise and fall dramatically, investors who never see the misleading information can still end up investing in a bad stock or dumping a good one.

My article would be an excellent fit in your Caveat Emptor section’s ongoing coverage of investment potholes. As is customary for that section, I will include a sidebar of ways you can protect yourself from Internet investment fraud. My advice will include: verifying any news through conventional sources, keeping an eye out for any unusual email from online newsletters, never trusting blind e-mails, and carefully watching or avoiding discussion boards altogether. The last point, that discussion boards rarely result in good investments, will also be a focus of the article. If you would like, this can also be turned into a sidebar.

In addition to the three sources above, I have access to dozens of other securities professionals, legal authorities and investors. I have been a professional investment counselor for the past fifteen years and was one of the earliest adopters of Internet trading. As a former state representative, I authored several investment fraud bills that are still on the Arizona law books. For the past two years I have written a weekly investment article for Phoenix Business Insider. I have also published investment-related articles in Worthwhile Investor, Smart Stock Analyst and Fund Advocate.

Enclosed are reprints of three of my recent articles covering investment and the Internet. These articles will demonstrate both my knowledge of the subject and my ability to convey that knowledge to the reader. Your readers need to know about this looming crisis and how it can affect their investment strategies. Please call my office to discuss any further details or resolve any questions. Thank you for your consideration.

Regards,

John Doe

Box 901010

Scottsdale, AZ

85528

408-101-0011

Enclosures:

Clips

SASE

About the letter

This author of this query letter may or may not have some advantages over you. The author is someone who has all of the experience and credentials necessary to write the article, and has already secured sources. You may not have everything he has, but you need to know how it sounds when you do.

Note that the query is timely. The author may have been researching Internet fraud for months, but he went out and found an article that ties his research to that week’s news. Also note that none of his sources are from the particular case he mentions. Instead, he uses that case as a selling point for his research. Quite possibly he has already written a related article for his column, and he now wants to reuse part of it to make a national sale. There is nothing wrong with this practice. Selling similar articles (not just reprints) to different markets is perfectly acceptable.

Tags: article, query, query letter, query letter to an editor, Sample Query Letter

72 Comments

Copywriting: Writing to Sell

Published on October 23, 2004 by John Hewitt in How to Start a Writing Career

A copywriter writes documents (copy) intended to sell, entice, influence, persuade, or educate consumers about a product or service. This writing can take many forms. These include, but are not limited to, advertisements, brochures, product announcements, press releases, speeches, data sheets, product packaging, sales letters, scripts, presentations, mailings, web sites, flyers, and even menus.

Copywriters often work for advertising agencies, marketing firms, and public relations firms. Many copywriters work directly for the company that sells the product they write for, especially in the case of catalog companies and other companies involved in direct consumer sales. There are also many copywriters who freelance, offering their service to various firms on a short-term basis.

Copywriting should not be confused with business writing, though on some projects they may overlap. The rules of copywriting often fly in the face of the rules for standard business writing. Perfect grammar does not always make for good copy, but word usage is critically important. Word choices such as when to use “but” instead of “and”, can mean the difference between inviting copy and forbidding copy. This does not mean, however, that a writer must have a giant vocabulary. In fact, unless the particular audience requires it, most ads are written to be understood by anyone with at least fifth-grade reading skills. A writer should have a firm understanding of the rules that govern advertising writing, and the differences between words that in other cases might be interchangeable. Consider the difference between these two sentences.

The new Tivoli Storage Manager provides the system-wide backup your corporation needs, but it won’t break your IT budget.

The new Tivoli Storage Manager provides the system-wide backup your corporation needs, and it fits your IT budget.

The first sentence conveys two positive aspects of the product, separated by a word with negative connotations, while the second used a more positive link. That sort of detail may not ruin an advertising campaign. It may only be the difference between a hundred sales and a hundred and one sales. Given the option, however, any company would want that extra sale. By the way, you get extra credit if you noted that the word break might not be the best word to use in a product description.

Because of their ability to get the details right, the best copywriters are highly valued. Writers who know all of the tiny differences between one word and another, and can use them to sell a product, are worth the high prices they charge. Those prices can lead to jobs that pay in the six figures, especially for freelancers. Established freelancers currently charge as much as $150 an hour.

Copywriters must have several goals in mind. They must first get the customer’s attention. If the copy never reaches the intended audience, and if it can’t stop them long enough to get them to pay attention, then anything else that follows is useless. There are many ways of getting a customer’s attention, but the general rules are to keep it short, be as specific as possible, use language that attracts interest and most importantly, keep the advertising focused on the benefits to the customer.

Copywriters should also be able to make a product distinguishable from the competition. Whether there are three or thirty other similar products or services on the market, a copywriter should be able to identify what makes this product special: craftsmanship, cost, reliability, customer satisfaction and support, speed, style, or anything else that makes the product or service distinct.

These are just some of the things a copywriter must consider. Another major issue is credibility. You must be able to back up any claims made in your advertising, and any direct comparisons with other product must be based on proven facts. False advertising is illegal.

To be a successful copywriter, you should be both a good writer and a good salesperson. If the idea of sales and marketing appeal to you and you consider writing one of your talents, then this can be an excellent and lucrative career choice. To get started in a copywriting career, you should first develop and test your skills. You should begin by reading more on the subject. There are several guidebooks listed at the end of this article. You should also pay attention to the advertising around you. Look through a magazine and critique the advertisements. A good way to develop your early skills, and to create a portfolio to show prospective employers and clients, is to take existing advertisements and improve on them. Don’t limit yourself to magazine ads, however. Look at all of the different types of copy listed in the first paragraph of this article. You may want to practice all of the different styles, or you can focus on the types of copy that are most interesting to you. Copywriters often have specialties.

After you are more familiar with copywriting, you should look for your first employment opportunity. This might be a junior position at an advertising or marketing firm, or it might be small jobs for the people you know. You can offer to produce free or inexpensive brochures/fliers/ads for your dentist, doctor, and hairstylist or for any friends with advertising needs. Little jobs like these will give you experience working with new copy, and they will also get you used to working with clients, even if the first clients don’t pay. The key is to improve your skills, and to build a portfolio of your work. From there you can branch out to bigger clients and better paying jobs.

Tags: article, Tivoli Storage Manager, write, writer

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Finding Time to Write

Published on October 23, 2004 by John Hewitt in How to be a Productive Writer

Make the Time
Most people don’t make writing a high enough priority. They intend to write, but end up running errands or whatever. They use these activities as excuses not to write. Turn that around. Make writing an excuse not to do other things.
Change the Kind of Writing You Do
If you only have a half hour a day to devote to writing, that is still a significant amount, if you do it every day. Unfortunately, writing the Great American Novel may become a depressing task if you have limited time. Try writing personal essays, or poetry, or short stories. Pick some projects you can complete. Build up your chops before setting out on a project that may take years. If you do have a long project, don’t let lack of progress depress you. Write something else for a while then come back to it. Just keep writing something.

Train Yourself to Write Fast
Remember in high school and college when your evil instructors made you write timed essays? Make yourself do the same thing. Give yourself 45 minutes to write a coherent article or short-short story. You may not be successful every time, but that is why you keep working at it. It’s a skill you learn to develop.

Simplify Your Life
Take a look at all the projects you are currently working on, not just writing but in your whole life. Try to eliminate a few things. Analyze your days and figure out exactly where the time is going. Cut back on some of the less important tasks. Watch 2 hours of TV instead of four. Give up on that afghan you’ve been knitting. Go out twice a week instead of every night. Decide that you aren’t going to bring home your work. Make some sacrifices. Decide that your writing is worth it.

Figure Out the Best Times of the Day for You to Write
It’s a combination of when you are most alert and when do you have free time. Pick that time and write.

Don’t Answer The Phone
Don’t come to the door. For as little or as much time as you are writing, do only that.

Decide Whether Or Not Writing Is A Priority
Writing is not for everyone. If you keep trying, and failing, to make the time to write, then it may not be for you. You may want to write, but if the desire is not enough to keep you from doing more entertaining or pressing activities, then perhaps writing isn’t for you. It may become more meaningful to you at another point in your life, but don’t feel guilty about letting it go. When it is important enough to you to make some sacrifices, you’ll be able to make them. Until then, adjust to the fact that writing is something you like, but not necessarily enough to be a writer. Myself, I would love to take up painting. It looks like a wonderful hobby. I realize though that I just don’t have the time to devote to it now. At a later stage in my life, who knows? But I guarantee I don’t feel guilty about not doing it now

Tags: Great American Novel, TV, write, writer

9 Comments

Writing Productivity – Overcoming Writer's Isolation

Published on October 23, 2004 by John Hewitt in How to be a Productive Writer

One of the hardest problems writers face is isolation. Writing, especially freelance writing, is a solitary task. There are many advantages to this, such as the lack of distractions and the ability to work in (or out of) your rattiest clothes, but there are disadvantages as well. Isolation can cause loneliness, lack of structure, and can deprive you of valuable feedback. Here are some methods for dealing with these problems.

Eat Lunch Out — Don’t be afraid to go out every once in a while, especially for lunch meetings. Most friends and associates who have a nine-to-five job will be free for lunch, and your lack of a boss makes it easier to meet them on their schedule and still have time to eat. Don’t cry over the lost time of an hour and a half lunch. Instead, schedule your errands around lunch so that you can get your day’s trips out of the way. Just remember that you still need to spend the same amount of time writing and researching. Your advantage is flexible time, not more time.
Join Professional Groups — There are many groups that cater to writers, and many that cater to just about any professional. Such groups as the Public Relations Society of America, The National Writer’s Union, and the Toastmasters are worth looking into. Look for groups that meet at least once a month. Don’t be afraid to bring business cards. This is all about making connections, on both a personal and professional level.
Maintain Structure — The advantage of working at home is NOT working without a schedule, it’s being able to create your own schedule. Put what you plan to do that day down on paper and check it frequently. Develop a workable schedule. For some people it is just a list of the day’s activities, while others need a fixed hourly timetable. Find what works for you and stick to it.
Consider a Part-Time Job — Even for people who can afford to just write, having a part-time job is worth considering. If isolation is your problem, then look for a job that will keep you in contact with many people. It is an especially good idea to find a job that will help you meet people with similar career goals, but it is also refreshing to have a job that has nothing to do with writing. It’s a judgment call for you to make. Just be sure that you don’t spend too many hours at your job, and that the job doesn’t drain you. Ten hours a week is a good amount– anything over twenty will become a distraction. If money isn’t a problem, consider volunteer work. It will make you feel good.
Join a Health Club — Sitting in front of a computer eight to twelve hours a day isn’t exactly good for the body or mind. You need to balance your work with exercise, and joining a health club is a good way to both stay fit and be around other people. Schedule it as part of your routine. Exercising at the same time every day will not only add structure and regularity, but it will help you make friends because you’ll be seeing the same people every day.
Make Friends On-Line — The wonderful thing about having e-mail, Facebook and Twitter friends is that you can take a break and write them whenever you are feeling lonely or isolated, and they can do the same. Also, if you make friends in the industry, you can often get feedback on your work. Just don’t spend all your time writing letters instead of working.
Walk Outside – I often forget the outside world exists. Sometimes, just stretching your legs and breathing a little fresh air will keep you going when you need to get a project done.
Don’t Forget That You Have a Radio / MP3 Player– Television is too much of a diversion while working, but silence can be just as problematic. Turn on the radio, preferably to a type of music that won’t be distracting for you. Some people like to turn to a news station, but I found myself listening to news rather than working so I stick to music now.
Break The Routine – Schedules are important, but every once in a while you need to go out and do something that your nine-to-five friends don’t get to do: going to a matinee, hiking, visiting a museum, having a picnic or whatever suits you. Again, remember that you still need to spend the same amount of time writing. That means either starting earlier or working later.

Tags: exercise, Health Club Sitting, write

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