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.
query letter
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
10 Steps for Writing a Magazine Query
A query letter is a sales pitch: your goal is to convince the editor that your article idea is of interest to her readers and that you are the best person to write it.
Report Writing Made Easy
Without enough planning, a report can seem unclear and uninformed, and it shows little understanding of the client’s needs.
Don’t Fall Into a Query Letter Quandary!
He wrote the book on how to write killer query letters. In this interview, author John Wood shares his knowledge based on 17 years of working as an editor.
How Your Query Letter Can Land You The Assignment
Before you ever send a query letter to an editor, you need to first READ the magazine. If you’re writing an article about mountain climbing don’t send it to a writer’s magazine or a tech magazine.
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.
Queries vs. Articles: Which is best?
Even if you do write the article first, however, that doesn’t mean that you should ignore the query process. Think of the article as your product — and a query letter as the marketing tool
How to Write a Successful Query
As editors become increasingly swamped with inappropriate manuscripts, more and more publications are closing their doors to unsolicited submissions.
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
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.
Freelance Writing – Effective Tips For Writing a Bid Proposal
You can start your freelance work by registering with Freelance job providing websites such as Elance, Odesk, GetaFreelancer etc. Sign up, make your profile and there you are, ready to bid
Cover Letters for Short Stories
When I first began submitting my short stories for publication, I had no idea that cover letters existed until I’d chosen to submit my story to a publisher whose submission guidelines required that a cover letter accompany every manuscript.
Children’s Book Publishers – How to Wow Them With a Perfect Query Letter
A query is a business letter asking permission to send the project described. It is either sent without an accompanying manuscript, or with two or three sample chapters (the publisher’s guidelines will state which form the query should take)
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.
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 →
Sample Query Letter: Food/Lifestyle Magazine
QUERY TYPE: E-mail query PITCHED TO: Editor SOLD TO: Food/Lifestyle magazine AUDIENCE: General audience TYPE OF PITCH: Full article, 1,200+ words COMPENSATION OF SOLD ARTICLE: $500 (US) (estimated price) 1. Food/Lifestyle Magazine Sample Query Letter From: Your Full Name (with e-mail address) Subject: To [Editor’s Full Name], [Job title] : Re: Submission Query Date: Today’s… 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 →
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 →