INTRODUCTION
To make writing your query letter easier, you should have a standard paragraph that you include in your initial query to an editor. Based on what you know about your interests, after Assignment One, and on the writing you have already done, begin building that paragraph. If you have a huge list of publications, then you already are doing this. If you don't have a long list or if your list is in one area and you want to target another area, use what you have. For instance, when I wanted to write about health issues, I had no writing credentials in that field. However, I had done volunteer work with a health agency. Also, I joined a couple of writers' organizations. After I gave the editor my paragraph on what the article would be about, I ended with a paragraph describing my background. It was something like this:
As well as having written articles for [list of publications], I have been involved for the past two years as a volunteer in [name of health agency]. I am a member of the Writers Guild of Manitoba and the Canadian Authors Association.
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I must digress for a moment, to talk about language. Because I'm Canadian, living in beautiful downtown Winnipeg, recently surrounded by the Red Sea, I am torn between the British and the American usage of words. Because I write for more American markets than Canadian ones, I often use the US dictionary -- favorite not favourite, analyze not analyse. But I prefer travelling to traveling. So there are inconsistencies in my language use. And I also often use part sentences such as the previous one. I do this partly because I'm trying to be conversational in these lessons but also because it's a writing style of mine.
THEORY
A number of people asked about determining the income you want and the effort that must be put into earning it. It's done like this: the average work year is structured around 2000 hours a year (50 weeks at 40 hours a week -- the other 2 weeks are your holiday time). Because you work at home, you have to add in a little extra overhead to cover things that your employer takes care of for you if you work a day job. I have heard long discussions of this figure and it varies from 10-30%.
