How to Write a Query Letter That Sells
In this section, you get access to my number one tool for getting work as a freelance writer, a query letter that I have used for well over 21 years. On the surface, it appears quite simple, but do not be deceived. This method is extremely powerful. Once you learn how to adapt it to your writing, it will work its magic for you.
Note: It may be tempting to skim this info, but I recommend you read every word of this report. I have used this letter to make many hundreds of thousands of dollars. You can, too.
Research the Publication
Before you get started, some preparation is in order. Once you have determined what publication you want to write for, you need to do some up front research before you send in a query letter. This is essential. Never send in a query without reading back issues. Occasionally, you will only be able to access a snippet of past articles or the magazine will ask you to become a subscriber which, of course, costs money.
The solution is to write to the magazine and ask them to send you some articles as samples. Here is an example of what the letter would look like (one of my students sent this to a HR firm):
Hello,
My name is Carol, and I am a freelance writer. I have been working in a professional business environment for the past 20 years and, for more than half of that time, was in a management position. These positions involved coaching and mentoring, employee conflicts, customer complaints, employee incentive programs, hiring new staff and employee performance reviews, to name a few. I wrote several training modules and was a ‘go to’ person for business correspondence. As of late, I have written several articles and over 200 article rewrites.
I was looking over your Web Site for some past articles, as I would like to write for you, and I would like to get a sense of the articles you publish. I feel that there may be topics that I could write about which would offer value and information to your publication. Can you send me a few samples of the articles?
Kind regards,
Carol
Note the Structure of the Letter
• The writer begins by stating that she is a freelance writer
• She writes about her relevant background in business
• She writes about her business writing and article writing
• She states that she could not see article samples on their Web Site
• She states her interest in writing for them and in coming up with topics
• She concludes by asking for some article samples
General Writing Query
Once you have article samples from the back issues, you have what you need to write a query letter. Here is the query letter, followed by an explanation of how it works.
Your name here
Your address here
Good Afternoon/Dear Mr. xxxxx,
1. My name is Nathan Segal and I work as a writer and as an artist/photographer. As a writer, I have written for a variety of computer magazines over the last four years and have written hundreds of articles on the topics of profiles, hardware and software reviews, tutorials, tips and tricks and buyers’ guides.
In the past year, I wrote over 100 articles for Streaming Media World on a wide variety of topics. Other magazines I have written for include Visual Convergence, The Computer Paper, Smart Computing and for Computer Courseware International, where I wrote a training manual called: Fundamentals of 3D Graphics, about computer animation.
2. I have several story ideas that I would like to present to you.
3. Shooting Products for eBay: In this article, I’ll guide the reader through the steps of shooting products for eBay, including film camera options, digital cameras (what types to use), file transfer, the use of scrims, macro photography, tabletop setups, scanning, uploading issues, etc.
How to Optimize your Images for the Web: This article would address methods of compressing images, including JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Other options covered would be weighted optimization and selective use of color palettes.
Quality Results Using a Film/Digital Copy Stand: This article will detail how to photograph flat copy and artworks on the wall. The reader will learn about even-lighting techniques, polarizing methods, scrims, tungsten vs. flash, etc.
4. If you have other ideas about what you would like to see in an article, I would like to hear about them and if you have any Writer’s Guidelines, I would appreciate a copy. Could you tell me what your publication pays for articles? One last question: Do you pay on acceptance, by submission or on publication?
I look forward to your response.
Yours truly,
Nathan Segal
An Explanation of the Structure
1. Here, we look at the structure. At the top, you need to include your name, address, and the name of the editor you are writing to, if possible. Sometimes that information is not obvious when researching the publication or, if it is a large publication, there may be a wide number of editors and managers, so it's difficult to know where to send your query. Here, I recommend using a salutation such as “Good Morning,” or “Good Afternoon.” If they like what you have written, the query is likely to go to the correct party.
In the beginning of the query letter, it is important to state your title and position, followed by mentioning any writing that you have done for other publications. If you don’t have any credits, omit this step and post your résumé at the end. Another option is to find some magazines where you can write free articles and build some quick credibility that way. This is what I did when I was beginning my career.
2. After that, you state that you have several story ideas to present to the editor.
3. Next, list three article ideas. This is important, because if you submit only one idea and the editor rejects that, you’ve blown it and you might need to wait awhile to make another attempt. By submitting three ideas, you give the editor options. Sometimes the editor will choose one story and, sometimes, all three.
In this section, you notice that each story idea has a title, followed by a brief description of a few sentences. This is all you need. Writing long descriptions is unnecessary and is a waste of time. NEVER, EVER, write the article, then try to pitch it to an editor. If the editor rejects the story, you have wasted your time. Never work on speculation. Only write the article once you get approval. This maximizes your resources and your time.
4. This last section is extremely important. This is where you ask for input from the editor, in case your article ideas are off track (if they are, revise your submission and send it in again). If the Writer’s Guidelines are not obvious on the magazine’s Web Site or in the resource information section, ask for it. Every magazine has a writing or style guide, even if it is not immediately obvious. Be aware that if you write in the wrong style, you could lose the assignment.
Finally, if you do not know what the magazine pays for articles, ask them. Some publications pay by the word or page. Some magazines pay on publication or upon receipt of your story. This is important because some publications might sit on your story for months before publishing it. There was one time where I had to wait nine months before I received my check, which created havoc with my cash flow.
Submission Notes
When sending in submissions, here are several things to observe:
If you are starting from square one as a writer and you do not have any articles to your credit, I recommend that you include a skills-based résumé.
If you have writing samples, I recommend you send 2-3 in place of a résumé and place them in your document after writing the query letter. If you have articles that match the topic or your query, that would be even better.
Testimonials (aka client feedback) are highly recommended. These are very powerful, especially if you can provide full names, cities and/or Web Site and email addresses. Use two or three with your query letter.
Important: Never send in a query with attachments. Many magazines have filters in place to strip these out since they might contain a virus. If you send in submissions with attachments, your query could be automatically filtered and/or deleted. The editor you sent your query to is unlikely to open your message for fear of unleashing a virus within their system.
Instead, include everything you want to send within the body of your email message.
Do Not Use Microsoft Word for Email or HTML
Do not use MS Word for email messages. MS Word has a tendency to insert undesirable characters into your message. This is especially noticeable with quotation marks and apostrophes. As an alternative, compose your text in ASCII format using Notepad on the PC or similar on the Macintosh. Another option is to use a third-party program like Textpad for the PC.
The above paragraph about MS Word especially applies if you intend to send in HTML submissions for posting on Web Sites.
NEVER, ever, use MS Word for this purpose.
MS Word creates an enormous amount of code when it makes a conversion to HTML and it will create a nightmare for the editor on the other end. Instead, use a program like Dreamweaver, which will give you pure HTML output. The downside of Dreamweaver is the cost, so if you want a no frills HTML editor, I recommend NoteTab, which offers several options: Text editor, a replacement for Notepad and an HTML editor.
Send Queries by Bulk Submission
When sending out queries, here is the procedure I follow. I gather information about the magazines I want to write for and place that information in a file. I note the name of the publication, Web Site, masthead, writer’s/submission guidelines and copy all of that into a text document with a section for additional notes.
After that, I structure the queries so I can send them out in groups of 10 at a time. This keeps me focused and efficient.
Follow-Up Notes
Once the query letter is complete, it is important to follow up, whether by email or phone seven to ten days after your initial email message. Doing so makes sure that they got your message. You can also find out if the editors have reviewed your query and if they like your ideas.
When you call, let them know who you are and what you wrote in your email message, in case it has been misplaced or if they never received it. If the latter resend it and then follow up again, seven to ten days later. This keeps your topics and your name fresh in their minds. During the phone call, ask the editor if they want a particular type of article. That information will help you shape future queries.
Finally, when speaking with an editor, be brief.
Do You Want Ongoing Work?
Propose a series of articles on one topic. This technique is especially effective once you have achieved consistent results when working with an editor.
When I was writing for WebReference, I pitched the editor on writing a series frequently. I received permission to write several, one on stock photography, one on video with Camtasia Studio and one on 3D modeling and animation.
I Can’t Think of Any Query Ideas
Therefore, you go through past issues. Ideas will come from there. Writing is all about the slant, or the direction you take when you tell a story. All it takes to come up with a new story from an old topic is to approach it from a different angle. As an example, let us say that someone wrote an article titled: “How to Create a Great Ebook Cover.” You could rewrite that as “Hidden Design Secrets of the Pros,” or “5 eBook Design Mistakes to Avoid.”
This is one of the most important chapters in my book, and it could make you a fortune if you use it correctly. I look forward to your comments.