Writing a Query Letter

You're an editor. You have arrived at your desk and sigh when you see the pile of letters awaiting you. You have an important meeting with your managing editor in half an hour and you can't put off going through what you know is a bunch of query letters from hopeful freelance writers. You have to look at them but you don't have to read right through each letter. You quickly scan through the pile but if the letter is more than two pages, you put it aside; if you aren't interested in reading on after the first paragraph, you put those letters aside too. If you're lucky, you are left with one or two interesting queries.

As a writer, your aim is to have the editor notice you, to take your letter and read it right through, and to hopefully offer you a commission - or at least, a promise to look at the finished work. You've begun with all the right tools - clean white paper and a good printer with plenty of dark ink so you don't strain the editor's eyes -and have targeted the right market and know the editor's name; now you have to actually write something.

Editors are busy people and they want experienced writers. Experienced writers know that the query letter is as important as the finished article and they will work on that letter until it is everything it should be. What should a query letter be? What information should it contain? How can you phrase it so that any editor reading it will want to know more?

Your idea is only good if it grabs the reader from the very first words. Your query letter is no different. Editors read a lot of letters and submissions and they learn to scan quickly; your aim is to stop that scanning, to make them linger over the words, to read them all, and with excitement. Yes, it's the same thing that you do with your article or story - hook the reader.

Clearly communicate the topic of your article or book. You can be straightforward, or you can open with a surprise, a question, or something about you, the writer and your expertise, if you feel that this is more important to your topic.

Be succinct and clear; don't let a good opening paragraph deteriorate into waffle. The middle section of your query letter is where you sell your idea, and the ending is where you sell the fact that you, and only you, can tell this story or write this article. Tell the editor what s/he needs to know to whet their appetite, but don't reveal the whole thing. This part takes practice; tell too little and you've lost them; tell too much and the article is already written! Don't forget to mention how many words your article or book manuscript will run for.

An experienced writer will send a few copies of similar published work with their query letter. If you don't have any publishing credits, don't despair. Life experience counts as well and you can mention these, either in your closing paragraph, or throughout the whole letter. Just make sure that these revelations blend in naturally with your topic.