Freelance writers can decide between submitting a finished article or a query letter to an editor. These days most editors prefer a one-page query letter, usually emailed. But before you pitch any article, you must know what magazines publish your topic.
article pitch
Top 10 Tips to AVOID in Writing a Query Letter
Your query letter helps you to propose an idea for an article that you are interested in writing. Be sure to avoid these 10 errors.
Top 10 Tips to AVOID in Writing an Email Query Letter
Email queries are the latest avenue for sending unsolicited submissions to a magazine office. As long as their writer’s guidelines allow it, most editors are willing to receive your email query letter into their inbox.
Top 10 Tips to Generate Repeat Clients and Writing Assignments
Strong relationships with clients tends to create long-term work and repeat jobs from the same clients. Here’s how you create those relationships.
10 Tips to Create Your Writer’s Resume Before Applying to Freelance Jobs
Not every freelance writing job requires you to submit a resume; however, many high-paying writing jobs do, especially in the fields of copywriting, public relations, technical writing, and professional magazine writing.
Top 10 Topics to Pitch to Shopping & Style Magazines
Writing for style and shopping magazines is one of the most lucrative niches for freelance writers. These magazines target high-net-worth and high profile individuals and celebrities. They serve as the ultimate shopping guides, offering the latest news in celebrity fashion, makeup, style and hair makeovers.
Top 10 Topics to Pitch to Music Magazines
Learn about the hottest topics that music magazine editors frequently want from freelance writers and how to successfully pitch them.
Top 10 Topics to Pitch to Men’s Interests Magazines
In terms of freelance writing, what would interest men the most? The way society has programmed men, they’re attracted to and gravitate towards certain topics, and these are summed up as Men’s Interests.
Top 10 Topics to Pitch to Hunting Magazines
If you are a freelance writer who wants to write for popular hunting magazines, then review our list of hot topics that you can pitch to editors.
Top 10 Hot Topics to Pitch to Editors at Health Magazines
Health magazines focus on human health and fitness with an emphasis on living a healthy lifestyle. These magazines usually target individuals who want to prevent lifestyle diseases and medical conditions or who already have them but want to live a healthier lifestyle.
Writing the Query Letter
Negative or non-responses to query letters are why some writers give up and self-publish. Self-publishing is an entirely different process that is not without its own pitfalls, and is costly and the subject of another article
Writing the Knockout Query Letter: How to Catch a Book Editor’s Attention
A query letter is one or two pages written in the format of a formal business letter. It should be brief, and it should pique the interest of any publishing executive who reads it.
Writing an Author Bio – Examples of Professional Bios
Learn to write an attractive author bio by following the six rules of author biographies and our breaks down of two professional sample bios.
Why Freelance Writing Clients Should Hire You
Do you know how to convince prospects to hire you for a freelance writing job? Here are 8 tips that you can use to pitch yourself to potential clients.
Why Dont Magazine Editors Like My Article Ideas?
Use this list of 10 common reasons for rejection as a tool for crafting article queries that make it hard for editors to respond in any other way than ‘yes!’
How to Write the Perfect Pitch!
If you are reading this then you are either looking for information on how to write a query letter or your curiosity has been exited by the heading
How to Write the Best Query Letter
If you plan on submitting an article for publication, the query letter is your new best friend. Written more frequently than any paying piece, this short letter is your chance to shine to the editor.
How To Pitch A Story
Here are some helpful tips on how to pitch a story to an editor and how you can ‘hit a homerun’ with your article pitches.
Surefire Ways To Get Your Magazine Article Queries Accepted
There are certain ways to get your magazine queries accepted. Read the following article to find out how.
Freelance Journalism – How to Pitch Ideas to Newspaper Editors
Freelance journalism is not only a way to open a door to a full time reporting job; many prefer the freedom that freedom that freelancing allows and also the fact that they can start without a college degree.
Writing for the Holidays: When to Write and Pitch Your Seasonal Articles to Magazines
Writing for holiday issues of magazines can be a little tricky. At least for me. I only think of ideas for articles and stories during the actual holiday. The problem with that is it’s way too late, or way too early, to then send it into the magazine.
Writing E-mails to Editors: How to Pitch, Correspond, and Present Yourself Professionally
Just because you’re working in a freelance creative profession instead of a corporate field, it doesn’t mean your e-mails should be sloppy or casual. E-mail messages should display your professionalism and build relationships with editors who will publish your work.
How to Write the Perfect Article Pitch
Submitting your article ideas to an editor might feel like an overwhelming task. I like to simplify it by thinking that writing is similar to selling a product. You’ve just got to know how to market it! If that feels overwhelming, don’t worry. Here are some tips on how to write article summaries
7 Reasons Why Editors Reject Excellent Articles
Sometimes the acceptance of a manuscript or an article seems a question of editorial accident and not a circumstance of clever salesmanship. Let’s suppose you’ve written an excellent story and sent it to an editor. The odds of acceptance are threatened by a variety of factors.
What Editors Really Want: 10 Tips for Freelance Writers and Book Authors
Have you ever tried repeatedly to get into that one elusive publisher or magazine only to get rejected over and over again? Ever wonder what makes the editor tick? What exactly is it that they want from you? You’re not alone.
How to Condense Your Thoughts and Words to Write Better Articles
The hardest lesson aspiring writers need to learn is how to condense their writing– to not be afraid of leaving things out. Our thoughts and the language that we use to clothe them seem exceedingly important to us.
How to Get Tantalizing Testimonials from Your Clients
One of the most important marketing tools, especially for freelance writers, is the mighty testimonial. Why? Before the project begins, and often well into it, there are few, if any tangibles. That spells high anxiety for your prospects before signing on the dotted line
Surviving the First Six Months of Freelance Writing
In reality, anyone with writing skills can make it as a freelance writer, but it does take some time to learn the nature of the industry. Ultimately, being a freelance writer means the writer is in charge of his or her own career, and that means having to find steady employment.
Getting the Best Mileage for Your Writing: How to Sell Your Article to Multiple Publications
A little rewiring of the basic components, a new perspective, even reworking your original pitch can propel your story from its humble local beginnings to the national and international stage.
How to Make Your Article SEO-Friendly Before Selling It to an Editor
Tired of getting your magazine submissions rejected, or worse, ignored, with no response? Learn to make every article SEO-friendly and well-researched with quotations and statistics that would pass the scrutiny of even the toughest fact checkers and you are likely to see more of your articles published.
How to Make Guest Blogging Worth Your Time
I have often heard writers ask if guest blog posting is worth it. Some people will say no, that it’s a waste of time. But I say it’s not – if you use your time wisely. Choose only blogs in your niche that can be profitable for you.
How I Broke into Freelance Writing Based on One Idea
Everyone has a story about how they began their freelance writing career. Learn how to do the same from the experiences of one successful writer.
Getting the Most Mileage Out of Your Articles
As freelance writers we all know that the more mileage we can get out of an article or story, the better off we will be. It takes time to write an article or story and you want to be able to get the most for the time you’ve spent.
How Freelance Writers Can Generate More Assignments from Past Editors
Connecting with editors from your past leaves the door open for future assignments and referrals to other publications. Learn these top tips on how to reconnect with past editors.
Disgusted and Rejected: A Freelance Writer’s Point of View on Unfair Publishing and Payment Practices
Not all editors acknowledge the receipt of a manuscript or query letter. If the writer, after waiting beyond the response time, inquires about his submission, then he risks incurring editorial wrath and his submission is returned, unread. This is an opinion piece on the unfair publishing and payment practices freelance writers often encounter in their efforts to get their work published.
Freelance Writing for Agriculture Trade Publications and Websites
Learn how to write for agriculture and farming trade publications and websites from a freelance writer who has been doing it for more than 12 years.
8 Tips to Maximize Your Freelance Writing Earnings
Want to earn more as a freelancer? Learn about eight proven ways to maximize your freelance writing earnings without sacrificing more time or quality.
How Introverted Freelance Writers Can Ask For Referrals
It’s common knowledge that referrals are an effective way for freelancers to get new business. After all, it’s easier to sell your services to a potential client if they know someone who is already satisfied with your work. Clients who come to us via referrals tend to be easier to close than those we approach through cold emails and job applications.
Attention Women Authors! Get Your Articles Noticed by Magazine Editors
Women writers will find there are many opportunities for magazine writers. There are magazines on most any topic you can think of.
How to Pitch Your Story Idea or Script to Hollywood
Have a completed script or story idea you’d like to pitch? The best method is by calling the producers production office.
Crafting the Perfect Pitch – Query Letters that Kill
If you are reading this then you are either looking for information on how to write a query letter, or your curiosity has been exited by the heading.
Screenwriting with Impact: 6 Tips for Vastly Improving Your Scripts
The screenplay you’ve pounded out on your trusty word processor is finished at last! Here are 6 ways you can improve it immediately.
Writing for Teen Magazines: What You Need to Know
If you want to get published in the teenage market, you have to be familiar with the slang that kids these days use. This, among other helpful tips.
Freelance Writers: Don’t Waste Your Time with Query Letters
Virtually everything ever written about freelance writing and getting published says that you need to write query letters. It’s a waste of time, nowadays.
How to Write a Perfect Cover/Query Letter
The recipe for creating the perfect cover/query letter is simple: give editors and agents what they want, no more and no less. Read how inside.
Are you missing the mark with your queries and cover letters?
If you want to be a busy working freelance writer, you can’t continually miss the mark with your queries. Here are some tips for hitting the target.
6 Freelance Writing Niches That Are Often Overlooked
Learn about six common and not-so-common writing niches. This author explains writing gigs such as grant writing, writing resumes and cover letters to unemployed workers, and writing employer handbooks and other business-type documents.
5 Industries That Will Hire Freelance Writers
You may not believe that tourism is increasing but it is thanks to baby boomers. This group won’t give up travel. They have the funds to travel wherever and whenever and like to get a good deal. If you’re interested in travel writing, now is the time to get started
Parenting / Lifestyle Magazine Sample Query Letter
QUERY TYPE: E-mail query PITCHED TO: Editor SOLD TO: Parenting/lifestyle magazine and website AUDIENCE: Parents, women TYPE OF PITCH: Full article, 1,500+ words COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: $575 (US); $20/photo (estimated price) 1. Parenting / Lifestyle Magazine Sample Query Letter JoAnne Campbell, freelance writer P.O. Box 2222 New York, NY 10012 Phone: 212-000-0000 E-mail: [email protected] August… Read more →
Sample Query Letter: Music Magazine
QUERY TYPE: E-mail query PITCHED TO: Editor SOLD TO: Music Website selling classic music CDs AUDIENCE: Classic music enthusiasts TYPE OF PITCH: Full article, 750 words COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: $115.00 (US) 1. Music Magazine Sample Query Letter —–Original Message—– From: Jack Campbell [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, December 01, 20XX 4:54 PM To: ‘[email protected]’ Subject: To Nancy… Read more →
Boxing Magazine Query Letter Sample
QUERY TYPE: Print query (mailed) PITCHED TO: Editor SOLD TO: Boxing magazine and its companion website AUDIENCE: Boxing enthusiasts TYPE OF PITCH: Full article, 3,000 words COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: $775.00 (US); editor paid extra for photos The following italicized text is a full query letter sample, followed by a step-by-step explanation of the email’s various parts…. Read more →
Bridal Magazine Sample Query Letter
QUERY TYPE: Print query (mailed) PITCHED TO: Editor AUDIENCE: Bridal/Wedding Magazine TYPE OF PITCH: Freelance Jobs COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: N/A This is a sample “pitch letter” that a freelance writer sent to a magazine editor, inquiring about upcoming writing gigs. The freelance writer pitched herself as a skilled freelance writer who is educated about… Read more →
Sample Query Letter: Parenting Magazine
QUERY TYPE: E-mail query PITCHED TO: Editor SOLD TO: Parenting magazine AUDIENCE: Parents TYPE OF PITCH: Full article, 1,800+ words COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: $2,000+ (US) (estimated price) 1. Parenting Magazine Sample Query Letter From: Rosemary Campbell, writer [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, December 01, 20XX 3:54 PM To: ‘[email protected]’ Subject: To Nancy Williams, Editor : Exclusive interview… Read more →
Sample Query Letter for a Childhood Obesity Article
QUERY TYPE: E-mail query PITCHED TO: Editor SOLD TO: Health/lifestyle website AUDIENCE: General public TYPE OF PITCH: Full article, 1,200+ words COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: $500 (US) The following italicized text is a full query letter sample, followed by a step-by-step explanation of the email’s various parts. 1. Query Letter for a Childhood Obesity Article From: Your… Read more →
Academic Journal Query Letter Sample
QUERY TYPE: E-mail query PITCHED TO: Editor SOLD TO: Academic Journal (print) AUDIENCE: College Professors TYPE OF PITCH: Full article, 2,000 words COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: $75.00 (US) honorarium The following italicized text is a full query letter sample, followed by a step-by-step explanation of the email’s various parts. 1. Academic Journal Query Letter Sample From: Your… Read more →
Inflight Magazine Query Letter Sample
QUERY TYPE: E-mail query PITCHED TO: Editor SOLD TO: Inflight magazine AUDIENCE: General public/travelers TYPE OF PITCH: Full article, 1,500+ words COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: $1,200 (US) The following italicized text is a full query letter sample, followed by a step-by-step explanation of the email’s various parts. 1. Inflight Magazine Query Letter –Original Message– From: Your Full… Read more →
Sample Query Letter: Pregnancy Magazine
QUERY TYPE: E-mail query PITCHED TO: Editor SOLD TO: Parenting / Pregnancy magazine AUDIENCE: Parents TYPE OF PITCH: Full article, 1,000+ words COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: $750+ (US) (estimated price) The following italicized text is a full query letter sample, followed by a step-by-step explanation of the email’s various parts. 1. Pregnancy Magazine Sample Query Letter —–Original… Read more →