Query Letters

A query letter is a document you send to a publisher before sending them your work. The point of it is so the editor can scan a few paragraphs and know if it is something promising without reading the whole paper. It entices them into wanting to see your work.

It's a one-page document, single-spaced, Times New Roman 12 font, with one inch margins all around. Within that page you have to convince the editor you have a story or article he's interested in. You also have to show why you're qualified to write on that topic. Above all, be brief. Editors recieve mountains of submissions and a long query letter will likely annoy them more than anything.

Formatting is critical. The formatting for a query is as follows:

Desperate Writer
P.O. Box 666
Paris, Texas 12907
September 3, 2008 (All four of these lines should be centered, but the other lines are fine where they are.)

Lucy Scots (Editor’s name)
Editor (Their title, associate editor, department editor…you can find their title in the magazines masthead or their website.)
Magazine’s name (Breakaway, etc.)
001 Main Street
Anchorage, AK 44490

Dear Ms. Lucy Scots:

You want this first paragraph to grab the editor’s attention and shows what the topic of your writing will be. Tell how your work is needed. If you’re doing an article, mention what form you’re doing it in such as narrative, how-to, journalistic, etc. You want to inform them what kind of rights you’re offering, and there’s a link to the right describing all that.

In this second paragraph show all the points in your article and the research you did, whether that be scripture, statistics, or interviews. If you’re writing a story, give a general outline of the scenes at this point.

This part of the letter convinces the editor you’re the right fit for the topic you want to write. You can share a little personal details that will show him you care about your topic. This is also a great place to tell him all the places you’ve been published. Don’t sweat it if you haven’t been published before. You can get around it by not even mentioning it. Don’t tell them you’ve never been published.

At this point you tell him what the status of your story or article is. Is it completed? Also convey that you’re willing to work to make your piece excellent. Even if they accept it, they might ask you to revise something. No editor on planet earth wants anything to do with a writer who refuses to revise or change anything in their work.

Thank you for your consideration,

Desperate Writer

Got a headache yet?

So what convinces an editor that a person is worth publishing? Here's some words from an editor of CollegePlus. She also is the moderater of Around the Bloc (http://www.freewebs.com/aroundthebloc/index.htm), a Yahoo! group of Christian writers.

If we could discover the answer, there would be many happy writers and less frustrated editors! :-) There are so many variables involved in the publishing process that it's hard to pinpoint what exactly convinces an editor.

But before you give up hope, there are some basic guidelines to follow when submitting an article, book, or poem:

1) Proofread? Do you have any errorers? Eryrors? Errors? LOL As this rather ridiculous example shows, you should check your spelling!

2) Get someone else to proofread after you.

3) Make sure the entire article flows logically from one part to the next. If it is a story, make sure there are no loose ends or unanswered questions.

4) Be professional in your presentation/submission. Use standard font (12 point) and format (1" margins).

5) Read the Writer's Guidelines!!! Often, the guidelines spell out exactly what the editor is looking for-- right down to the last nitty gritty detail! Make sure your submission matches the editor's requirements.

I hope this long post has helped.