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 Full Name (with e-mail address)
Subject: To [Editor’s Full Name], [Job title] : Re: Submission Query
Date: Today’s date
To: [Editor’s e-mail address]
Dear [Insert editor’s First Name, Last Name],
I would like to submit an article for “[insert publication’s name].” The full title is [“insert title of article”], in which I explain and develop the discipline of Logic. My article runs [insert word count].
The discipline of Logic has a curiosity stashed away in its cupboard: Professional logicians intuitively know the ‘mapping’ of a certain truth-table sequence onto Logic and also know the equivalent relation and use it informally. However it is not mentioned or explained in the literature, let alone formalized. That is to say, if you pick up a Logic textbook (any branch of Logic) will entirely be absent. However, a good many professional Logicians (in Academia) will tell you that it is nothing new for them and that they know and use that which I
explain.
My intent is to bring this hidden reality into the public and enrich the knowledge and vocabulary of all those—from the philosopher to the lay-person—who are interested in (any branch of) Logic.
In brief, my article has to do with:
(a) the sole ‘hidden’ or ‘unknown’ output of a two-input bi-valued truth-table— all the others are not only established outputs but have a counterpart in Philosophical Logic; and,
(b) the ‘Necessary Condition’ of Philosophy which has no established equivalent ….
My article not only informs the reader about these (missing) theoretical relationships, but reveals the same using real-life perspectives so that he/she can intuitively grasp the underlying ideas and connections.
After reading your guidelines for contributors, I feel that my article fits perfectly into [insert publication’s name; name of department; name of column; name of special section; etc.
I hope you decide to review “[insert title of article]”, and if so, I can e-mail you my completed article as a .doc file.
As a vocational and technical writer I have been published over twenty times in such publications as [insert names of publications/websites]. These publications comprise diverse pieces on technology, philosophy, and education.
I have put a selection of these articles in an online portfolio at [include your website address or URLs to specific articles] to showcase my communicative and persuasive skills.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Your First Name, Last Name
2. Query Letter Sample: Academic Journal – 11 Steps to a Perfect Pitch
Follow these steps and comments to write your query letter.
STEP 1: ADDRESS YOUR QUERY LETTER
From: Your Full Name (with e-mail address)
Subject: To [Editor’s Full Name], [Job title] : Re: Submission Query
Date: Today’s date *NOTE: If you are e-mailing this query, then you do not need to include a date since your e-mail account will automatically insert a time and date
To: [Editor’s e-mail address] *NOTE: Always get the e-mail address of the editor or the person in charge of accepting submissions, such as [email protected]. Never e-mail a query letter to a general e-mail address such as “[email protected].” Always include the Job Title, such as Editor, Managing Editor, Editorial Assistant, etc.
STEP 2: START YOUR QUERY LETTER BY ADDRESSING THE EDITOR
Dear [Insert editor’s First Name, Last Name],
STEP 3: PROPOSE WHAT YOU: 1) INTEND TO WRITE OR 2) WHAT YOU WANT TO SUBMIT
I would like to submit an article for “[insert publication’s name].” The full title is [“insert title of article”], in which I explain and develop the discipline of Logic. My article runs [insert word count]. *NOTE: Editors prefer to know how long your article runs in number of words, such as “700 words.” You may also decide to use a different measure of length, depending on the type of publication. For example, a newspaper journalist might write, “My article runs 12 column inches in your newspaper.” This writer decided to write “It runs five single-spaced pages in 12-point font because it is an academic journal piece and this is what the editor goes by. When in doubt, always use word count.
STEP 4: EXPLAIN—BRIEFLY—WHAT YOUR ARTICLE IS ABOUT
*NOTE: In submitting a complex article to a trade, academic, scientific or peer-to-peer journal, the paragraph(s) to explain your article’s concept may be more wordy than if you were to submit a query letter to a consumer magazine.
The discipline of Logic has a curiosity stashed away in its cupboard: Professional logicians intuitively know the ‘mapping’ of a certain truth-table sequence onto Logic and also know the equivalent relation and use it informally. However it is not mentioned or explained in the literature, let alone formalized. That is to say, if you pick up a Logic textbook (any branch of Logic) will entirely be absent. However, a good many professional Logicians (in Academia) will tell you that it is nothing new for them and that they know and use that which I
explain.
STEP 5: EXPLAIN WHY YOU WROTE THE ARTICLE
My intent is to bring this hidden reality into the public and enrich the knowledge and vocabulary of all those—from the philosopher to the lay-person—who are interested in (any branch of) Logic.
In brief, my article has to do with:
(a) the sole ‘hidden’ or ‘unknown’ output of a two-input bi-valued truth-table— all the others are not only established outputs but have a counterpart in Philosophical Logic; and,
(b) the ‘Necessary Condition’ of Philosophy which has no established equivalent ….
*NOTE: Include a few important points that your article covers. Be brief and simple. Use a bulleted or indented list for easy reading
STEP 6: EXPLAIN HOW THE PUBLICATION’S READERS WILL BENEFIT FROM READING YOUR ARTICLE
My article not only informs the reader about these (missing) theoretical relationships, but reveals the same using real-life perspectives so that he/she can intuitively grasp the underlying ideas and connections.
STEP # 7: HOW DOES YOUR ARTICLE FIT INTO THE PUBLICATION?
After reading your guidelines for contributors, I feel that my article fits perfectly into [insert publication’s name; name of department; name of column; name of special section; etc.
STEP # 8: CALL-TO-ACTION
I hope you decide to review “[insert title of article]”, and if so, I can e-mail you my completed article as a .doc file.
STEP #9: EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE EXPERIENCED IN WRITING THIS ARTICLE
As a vocational and technical writer I have been published over twenty times in such publications as [insert names of publications/websites]. These publications comprise diverse pieces on technology, philosophy, and education.
STEP 10: SHOW SAMPLES OR PUBLISHED CLIP
I have put a selection of these articles in an online portfolio at [include your website address or URLs to specific articles] to showcase my communicative and persuasive skills. *NOTE: If you have any related experience that helps establish your credibility in writing your article, also include it. For example, if you had worked as a professor for 15 years, you may want to include this experience
STEP 11: CONCLUDING
I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Your First Name, Last Name
