A Query About Queries
I received a question about queries from one of our members. I'm very excited to post the answer from Linda Formichelli, our guest blogger today. She is co-author of "The Renegade Writer" and "The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock." I highly recommend both books.
Debbie Moose asks, I am a food writer with more than 10 years of experience in writing and editing, have written award-winning food columns and am completing my
second cookbook. However, I can't seem to write a decent query. I make
this statement based on the fact that they rarely work. The majority of
assignments I've received have been results of personal
contact/acquaintance with editors, not from cold queries. I realize
it's hard to break into publications like Gourmet, Saveur, Bon Appetit,
etc., but I must not be coming across well in the query letters. I've
tried to do what people suggest (study the publications, tailor the
ideas, etc.). Ideas? Resources?
Linda's answer:
First off, if you're getting enough assignments through personal contact
with editors, why not work to your strengths by fostering even more
relationships with editors? Send intro packets with clips to new-to-you
editors, and send your current editors holiday cards, congratulations
cards when they get promotions, and news items of interest to them.
But I can also see why you'd want to query -- often when editors come to
you with assignments, they're not as interesting to you as the article
ideas you come up with yourself.
Without seeing your queries I can't comment specifically on why you're
not having success. Some common mistakes my e-course students make are:
* Being too vague. Telling the editor that you "want to write a story on
X" is not enough. What about X do you want to focus on? What makes this
topic new and important for the magazine's readers?
* Being too professional. If your articles go over well but your queries
don't, I'll bet you're choking under pressure when you try to pitch
ideas. Many writers do, and by trying too hard to come across as
professional, they sound stilted and boring instead. Take some risks and
sound like yourself!
* Not following up. I always say that persistence is the most important
trait a freelance writer can have. I interviewed one writer for The
Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock who said that the majority of
her assignments come from follow-ups. Keep track of your queries and
follow up on each one after two or three weeks with an e-mail or a phone
call. If you get a personalized rejection, send a quick thank-you and
brainstorm more ideas for that editor right away. (And take that
rejected query and zap it to another magazine.)
Happy querying!
Linda Formichelli
Co-author of The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to
Freelance Writing Success and The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock.
URL: http://www.lindaformichelli.com
The Renegade Writer Blog: http://www.therenegadewriter.com
Thank you, Linda, for being our guest blogger today!
I have one more possible suggestion. I was having the same problems with queries last year when I took two online classes offered through freelancesuccess.com. After I took the classes, I had more success than ever sending out queries. Be aware, freelancesuccess.com is not for inexperienced newbies to the freelance world. It is a membership forum for experienced professionals. The query classes are not inexpensive and again, are not for people who haven't had at least moderate success as a freelance writer. If you are very new and green to freelancing and you're interested in an online query class, email me at fivecoat@kcnet.com