How to Write a Winning Query Letter
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
One of the hardest things to do is get your foot in the door at a new publication. A winning query letter does three things:
1. It introduces you to the editor, and shows you know the magazine you'd like to write for. In the query below, notice the bulleted items. The writer's guidelines for Cat Fancy ask for an outline of what you'll cover in the article.
2. It's short, to the point, and grabs the editor's attention. Sure, it's hard to pack a lot of information into a small package, so you have to make sure you do it with punch.
3. It tells the editor what you can do for them, and how you'll accomplish it in your story.
The Sample
The sample query letter shown below resulted in the sale of the article to Cat Fancy Magazine, it appeared in the June, 2000 issue.
Dear Amanda Luke: (Try to get the editor's name. If you don't know if it's a man or a woman, don't risk it, address the query as I have done.)
I hope you'll consider this idea for publication.
LIVING WITH A DIABETIC CAT
by Sherril Steele-Carlin
Watching your cat grow old is as painful as watching your parents grow old. One of the diseases that often crops up in the aging cat is diabetes. Treating the cat with insulin often brings the disease under control. However, living with a diabetic cat brings challenges to be met by the entire household.
I propose an article that will look at:
- The signs not to ignore: How to tell if your cat may have diabetes.
- How to treat the disease, and some of the side effects that can occur.
- How to give shots to your cat.
- What to feed your cat to help control the disease.
I can provide illustrations of how to give the cat a shot, and some of the side effects of the disease. (Back leg partial paralysis, which occurred in one of my cats.) (Show why you're qualified to write the article. Even if you don't have clips, the editor may feel you have the experience to write about your topic.)
My publishing credits include Editor~Writer, The Original Farmers' Almanac, RANGE, Travelin', BackHome Magazine, Nevada Magazine, and ten historical articles in Silver & Blue, the alumni magazine of the University of Nevada, Reno. I've also had a piece in the textbook Writing for Magazines, by Myrick Land. (Even if you haven't been published in the same type of magazine you're querying, showing your other publications helps add to your credibility as a freelance writer.)
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Get Busy!
So, now's the time to get busy! Ideas are flying around in your head, and you have the basics of query letters down. Go to the library, study your favorite magazines, and write those queries!
