Lesson 2: Writing Query Letters
In this lesson you will learn about query letters and how you should structure a query letter.
Lesson Introduction and Objectives
Query letters, if done properly, show that you are a professional writer, and save time and money. Many magazine editors do not even accept unsolicited articles, but will look at query letters from freelancers. Sending a letter first to see if an article idea interests the editor can be done much more quickly than researching and writing a whole article. If you send an article instead, you run the risk that the editor may not even read it and that it may not be returned. You may also have spent a lot of time and money on research.
However, be sure to always check the writer’s guidelines of the magazine. Some editors would rather receive actual articles than letters of enquiry. At the beginning, too, you may feel more comfortable writing an article rather than a query letter. Writing a query letter can be more difficult than writing an article, so you may be better off sending unsolicited articles at first, if allowed by the guidelines.
Many magazines have web sites now where you can read sample articles from back issues to give you an idea of their style and content. Many of them also contain writer’s guidelines which will tell you whether they accept unsolicited articles. Often query letters and articles can be emailed which saves the time of printing them out and mailing them. Many editors, however, still like to receive queries and articles by post.
Like anything, writing good query letters takes practice. I read about one freelance writer who aims to send one per day, which is an excellent idea.
Objectives and Resources
After this lesson you should have a clearer idea of what a query letter is and how to write one. Resources I will use are The Handbook for Freelance Writing by Michael Perry and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles.
