Lorraine Mace answers readers’ queries.
Alicia from Estepona,
Spain, wants to query magazines, but isn’t sure what she should put in the
email. She writes: I’ve seen on
websites and in magazines that freelancers should query before submitting
articles. I’ve sent lots of emails asking editors if I can write for them, but
only one replied and that was to say I had to be more specific about what I had
to offer the magazine. Does that mean sending my work CV?
No, not at all. Sending a query is not the same as applying
for a job. A magazine editor has certain slots that are written in-house by
permanent employees. There are other slots that are written by freelancers, but
the same writer will fill that column every issue. What you are looking to fill
is one of the many slots supplied by freelance writers that are not allocated
to a specific writer.
First things first – you need to know that what you want to
write fits the magazine you are going to query. This means reading several back
issues to get a feel for style, word length, tone and content.
Assuming you’ve done that and have an idea for an article
that will absolutely fit with the magazine’s readership, the next thing to do
(before writing the article) is to send a query to the editor.
You need to treat this as a business email. Editors are busy
people, usually with inboxes overflowing with unsolicited emails. This means
you need to make the subject line striking enough to stand out from the rest –
more on this later.
What is a query?
This is simply a one page email outlining the article’s
content and gives reasons why the editor should commission you to write it.
To whom and from
whom?
Always address the editor by name and use Dear Whoever. Once
you have built a relationship with an editor you can switch to Hi, Hello, or
any other friendlier form of address.
Make sure you have your full contact details in (or after)
your signature.
What to say after the
greeting
The opening paragraph is crucial – this is where you will
make or break your query. If it’s a strong opening the editor will read on. If
it isn’t, he or she will move on to the next query. Below are some ideas for
strong opening paragraphs.
The first line of your planned article – provided it is
attention grabbing!
A quote from someone you have interviewed for the article
A shocking statistic
A relevant newspaper headline
Follow this up with a short description of how you intend to
deal with the subject matter – including mentions of interviewees (if any).
Why You?
Having outlined the article, you need to say why you are the
right person to write it. Give relevant
details of your personal history that promotes your credibility and/or
professionalism (as related to the subject matter). If you’ve been a chef in a
top restaurant and want to give an insider’s view, mention the work background.
However, if you intend to write on global warming, telling the editor how hot
it was in the kitchen is not going to influence a decision in your favour.
And lastly
Mention any relevant writing credits if you have any and say
you can produce clips (copies of previously published work) if wanted. If you
have not yet had any success, simply leave this part out.
Subject heading for
the email
Only decide what to put in the subject line after you’ve
written the email. By the time you’ve reached the end you should have a better
idea of what angle you can take. It needs to be to the point and eye-catching.
A play on words or the punchline to a joke can work, as can a short, sharp
statement. You need to tailor the hook in the heading to the subject matter of
your proposed article.
Good luck!
Lorraine
Mace is the humour columnist for Writing Magazine and head competition
judge for Writers’ Forum. She is a former tutor for the Writers Bureau,
and is the author of the Writers Bureau course, Marketing Your Book. She
is also co-author, with Maureen Vincent-Northam of The Writer’s
ABC Checklist (Accent Press). Lorraine runs a private critique service for writers
(link below). She is the founder of the Flash 500 competitions covering flash
fiction, humour verse and novel openings.
Her debut novel for children, Vlad the Inhaler, has now
been followed by the second in the trilogy, Vlad’s
Quest.
Writing as Frances di
Plino, she is the author of four crime/thriller novels featuring Detective
Inspector Paolo Storey: Bad Moon Rising, Someday Never Comes, Call
It Pretending and Looking for a Reason by Crooked
Cat Publishing.
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