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Beginner’s Guide to Query Letters

You are a novice in the freelancing world and now you are ready to submit articles or short stories. You want to be able to sell your work.

The query letter is your first contact with the editors or those responsible for buying what you have to sell. You need to make a good first impression. A query letter is a mini advertisement and introduction of both you and your work. It has to be concise, intriguing and enticing all in a one-page letter.

Sound daunting? It can be if you are not comfortable with writing query letters. But here is a brief outline of one, paragraph by paragraph. You will have to tweak and practice as time goes on, but this format can act as your template. In this electronic age, most of your sales will come from email queries but that does not mean it’s less formal than snail mail. It must look professional and stand out from the others that cross an editor’s desk day after day. Do not use butterfly stationary or fancy headers in your mail; this screams “Amateur”! Keep it simple on plain white paper or background. And get used to these “cold sales” approaches; it accounts for 95% of your sales.

Here are some steps, paragraph by paragraph, to get you started. And remember, you will probably have to tweak until you are comfortable, and each letter should be personalized for each submission.

First, make sure you have done your homework. Nothing cries “clueless” as someone who addresses a letter to the wrong person! You will not only uninformed, but you will probably not make the sale. Do not automatically send it to the editor; research to establish there are no “sub-editors” who look after different sections of the publications. Sometimes there are people who look after the gardening sections, or the food sections in homemaking publications. And make sure you spell that persons name properly. 

Here is the standard heading to use:

Your name

Address

Town, Prov.

Postal code

Contact phone no

Email address

Editor or contact name and title/department

Agency/publication

Address

Town, prov.

Postal code

Dear Mr./Ms. “name”:

Ok, let’s move to the body of the letter:

Paragraph 1: State the reason you are writing; IE: “I am seeking publication of my short story (or article), ‘the name of your story’ based on my experiences with the judicial system.” If you are capable and willing to carry on more articles in a series, state that. If you currently composing a longer version of the article in book form, state that also. If you have a background in this subject matter, for instance, if you are a police officer writing a murder mystery or a non-fiction article on forensics, state that very briefly, (see above).  You will expand on your credentials later on the letter if you have any. If you do not have credentials, be quiet! Just let enthusiasm for your article/story shine instead. Be sincere, simple and direct. Also, if you are working on other works in this particular genre, briefly state them in one sentence. I like to finish this paragraph with something like, “I offer this psychological thriller (or murder mystery, or factual researched article) for your consideration.”

Paragraph 2: Whether it is an article, short story or novel, this is where you introduce your work for submission. You could put a one to three sentence synopsis of what the piece is about; IE: “Sara Powers is a lonely but gifted psychic new to city life, but already has a relationship with the local RCMP department. They enlist her help in tracking the same serial killer who has caused Sara disturbing, sensual dreams of a ghostly, vampiric young man who captures her admiration as well her loathing. It soon turns to fear as she realizes he is stalking her.” State how long it is in word count and make sure it fits within their length parameters. Also, it should be ready to submit on request already formatted to their specifications. If it’s a novel, state that it’s complete; this will show you can stick to something until it’s conclusion. Very few publications accept unfinished manuscripts, especially from new writers. Think of this as your work’s audition. Here is also where you can mention if you enclosed any clips or outlines to your work. Only do so, however, if the submissions requirements call for it. Otherwise, mention you are willing to send said clips or an outline if requested. 

Paragraph 3: This is where you outline in more detail any background or credentials you may have. Are you a social worker writing a drama about a runaway girl’s experiences? Outline how many years you were in the profession and what makes you uniquely qualified to write this article or book. Flaunt any experience you have. Are you a stay at home mom writing a political thriller? Keep quiet! Keep your statements to why you felt driven to write this particular piece. If you have been published in any publication or contributed to non-paying markets and it has your by-line on it, include that in general terms, perhaps naming the publication or website. This is where having a “writing resume” is very handy. Keep it simple and professional as you outline your background, no matter how extensive or modest it may be.

Paragraph 4: This is your standard goodbye. Do not press for response times; if it says to expect 6-8 weeks to pass before a reply, then wait for that time. Do not be aggressive; “If I don’t hear from you in two weeks, I’m sending this to someone else!” They may just rip it up and respond negatively, like “Go for it!” You’ve just burned a bridge! If you have not heard from them for a month after the required deadline, however, a polite phone call or email inquiry is not out of line.

A Few Added Notes:

My first query letter, while good enough to elicit a response from an editor requesting to see my short story, was awkward and incomplete. I had done my research, and I followed the above format, but my nervousness and amateur status showed through. I expected to be rejected; I was forewarned that will happen nine times out of ten and I was not disappointed. I had neglected to outline my other achievements in having unpaid but by-line articles published, and where they were. I had also neglected to state my titles with some websites I wrote for. My description of the article itself was disjointed and awkward.

But I did not immediately assume I could never submit to them again. In fact I put the magazine particulars aside to use at a later date. I knew they had not rejected me; only my article. The door was still open. I also used that opportunity to celebrate; I was no longer sitting on the fence, but with this first query, I was now playing with the big boys!

It will take practice and tweaking your letter to get it right, and you may find that some letters will work with some editors, and some other format is needed to attract other editors. You will learn through numerous submissions what works and what doesn’t work. This format is to be used as a guideline for those new writers, and I have found success with this one. You are free to experiment to see what you are most comfortable with. Only through practice and submitting, submitting, submitting, will you become more comfortable and confident in your query letters. When you find a formula that works, as eventually you will if you stick to it, it’s like finding a gold mine.

Good luck!

Lead BookAdz Interviewer, S.L. Bartlett, has written several editorials and freelance items for her local and county newspaper, as well as satirical essays. Bartlett is also a book reviewer for BookAdz and a staff writer for Silver Moon Magazine.

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