Few things cause more angst for beginning writers than the dreaded query letter. A query letter is simply a business letter pitching your story idea to an editor. It's no mystery, but it does require you to do your homework.
Before writing your query letter, take time to analyze the publication, review back issues, and study the guidelines. It also pays to invest in several good books about writing effective query letters.
To help you write a query letter that lands an assignment, here are two query letters that did just that:
Query to Associations Now Magazine
Dear Mr. Briscoe,
Did you know that the greatest obstacle people with disabilities face isn't their physical limitations, it's the response of others to their disability? While times have changed for people with disabilities, outdated language, attitudes, and perceptions continue to create friction and misunderstanding in the workplace.
I propose a short article, "Disability Etiquette 101," for the communications column of Associations Now. The article will discuss why association staff should avoid:
- Terms and phrases like "able-bodied," "handicapped," and "suffers with," when talking with or about someone with a disability
- Shaking hands when greeting someone with a disability
- Implying a person with a disability is "courageous," "brave," or "special"
As a staff writer for an association in the Washington, DC area who lives with a disability, I can bring a fresh perspective to the topic. An experienced freelance writer as well, I know how to meet tight deadlines, write clean copy, and engage your readers.
May I write "Disability Etiquette 101" for Associations Now?
Clips are available upon request.
Sincerely,
Mary J. Yerkes
Query to Credo Magazine
*The writer has an established relationship with the editor, so there was no need to mention qualifications.
Dear Stefanie,
A December 2006 survey, conducted by TRU, revealed an alarming number of teens in dating relationships are being controlled, abused, and threatened using technology. Consider these shocking statistics:
- Almost two-thirds of teens (63%) surveyed reported threats of physical harm using a cell phone, email, IM, text, or chat.
- Sixty-eight percent of teens surveyed report boyfriends or girlfriends that share private or embarrassing videos or photos.
- Sixty-nine percent of teens surveyed report using information posted on a networking site like MySpace, Facebook, etc. to harass another teen.
- One in three teens who have been in a relationship (30%) said they had been text messaged 10, 20, or 30 times an hour by a partner who asked where they were, what they were doing, and who they were doing it with.
I propose an article, "Teen Dating Abuse & Technology," for the November 2008 issue of Credo magazine, Fighting Against Violence. This article will define teen dating abuse using technology, what teens need to do to stop it, and why telling a friend or trusted adult can save their emotional health, and, in some situations, even their lives.
I look forward to your response and to working with you again sometime soon.
Regards,
Mary J. Yerkes
The Importance of Good Queries
Mastering the skill of writing a query letter is vital to a successful career as a freelance writer. Some say it can make or break your career. A smart writer does all that it takes to learn to write query letters that grab an editor's attention.
Go ahead. Dazzle editors with your queries. The payoff can't be beat.
(For additional samples of query letters that worked, this writer recommends The Renegade Writer's Query Letters that Rocked: The Freelance Writer's Guide to Selling More Work Faster, by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell.)
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