How to Write a Query Letter
October 24, 2004 by John Hewitt
Query letters are a much-debated practice in the writing community. The majority of writers swear by them, but others feel they are a waste of time. There are many successful writers who stick to sending completed manuscripts or informal, ultra-brief queries. This practice has especially grown in the age of email, where a less formal writing style has taken root. See Bob Sassone’s article The Query Trap if you want to look further into that strategy.
Here are some advantages to writing a formal query letter:
- A well-written query letter helps prove to an editor that you are qualified to write the piece.
- Sending completed articles blindly can indicate to an editor that you either failed to sell the article before, are submitting an article that was not written specifically for their publication or are attempting to resell a previously published article.
- Short, informal queries will often go unread or will be given less weight by an editor if they are a stickler for the formal process.
- A formal, detailed query gives you the opportunity to do preliminary research for a piece that can then be quickly converted into an article.
- When submitting a query to an online publication, your query will look better than 90% of the other queries being submitted to that publication.
In the age of email, much can be said for the ability to quickly send off a brief query. This is very possible these days, and may result in more sales than writing a formal query for each publication you wish to write an article for. Still, if you want to impress an editor, online or otherwise, a formal, well-written query letter is a way to do it. Below is a point-by-point description of how to write a query letter.
Know your target
- Study any publication before you submit a query letter.
- Get writer’s guidelines for the publication if they are available.
- Study the publication’s masthead to identify the appropriate editor for your query. Do not rely on Writer’s Market. Editors change jobs frequently.
- You may send the same subject query to more than one publication, as long as they do not compete and you have taken the time to make sure the subject is appropriate for both publications.
Your query letter should have a professional look.
- There should be no spelling or grammar errors.
- Be sure to include the date on your letter. This can be important if you feel later on that your idea has been stolen.
- It should be addressed to the appropriate editor. Use their full name and do not use Mr. Mrs. or otherwise. The exception to this rule is Dr. or other professional title.
- The publication name and address should be correct.
- The salutation should be formal.
- If mailed, the paper and the letterhead should be clean and professional. Standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper should be used.
- Single-space your paragraphs and double-space between paragraphs.
- If mailed, the Query should include Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE)
so that the editor can return your article or reply to you conveniently. - Include your name, postal address, email address and phone number in the letterhead or at the bottom of the letter.
Your query letter should be interesting
- Your query should introduce a fresh idea/topic/angle.
- The idea should be set off in the type so it is easily viewed.
- Your idea should be presented at the very beginning of your letter.
- Your lead-in should excite the editor.
Your query letter should be specific
- Keep your query letter to a single page in length.
- Lay out exactly what you intend to include and exclude from your article.
- Give a proposed article length. Round to the nearest 100 for under 2000 words and to nearest 500 for articles over that length. The length should be appropriate for that publication.
- Identify which section of the publication you believe your article fits within.
Your query letter should be persuasive
- Include writing samples that are appropriate to the publication, article topic, and writing style you believe the publication is looking for.
- Present any credentials or awards you have that show you are qualified to write, especially about this subject.
- Identify other similar publications that have published your work.
- Identify any sources you have that you feel would help persuade the editor.
- Your article should show why you are the best and only person to write this article for them.
- Close your letter with a phrase such as: “I look forward to hearing from you. Please write or call if you have any questions.”
Respond promptly when a query is accepted
- When an editor expresses interest in (solicits) your article, send it to them promptly. In your cover letter, remind them of their request.
- You do not need to enclose an SASE when sending your article.
What you should not do in your query letter
- Do not mention who has rejected the piece before.
- Do not include other people’s statements about your article.
- Do not tell the editor how long and hard you have been working on this article.
- Do not mention the assistance of others.
- Do not tell them that the piece still needs work.
- Do not request advice, comments, criticism or analysis.
- Do not talk about how thrilling it would be to be published.
- Do not include inappropriate or off-subject information about yourself.
- Do not discuss the rights you wish to sell.
- Do not discuss price or payment.
- Do not give your social security number.
- Do not give or discuss copyright information.
- Do not wear out your welcome by writing too much or failing to get to the point.
- Do not query without studying the publication enough to know whether your idea is appropriate.
- Do not waste your time querying an unreceptive editor over and over again.
- Do not present ideas for several different articles in the same letter. This can be done once you have established a rapport with an editor, but should not be done in a blind query.
- Do not use obscenities or inappropriate content.
- Do not send inappropriate, off-subject samples.
Sample Query Letter:
Max Swift
Securities Editor
Money Bucks Magazine
1010 E. 10200th Street
New York, NY
August 22, 2000
Dear Max Swift,
Proposed Article:
You’ve Got Fraud! How Internet con artists can crush your portfolio
Last Monday, the Enforcement Section of the Massachusetts Securities Division ordered a temporary cease and desist order against three men it accuses of manipulating the stock market by flooding Yahoo.com with tens of thousands of false and misleading statements about Biomatrix Inc (BXM.N) and Genzyme Corp (GENZ.O). This is the latest in a growing series of civil and criminal lawsuits against people who manipulate stocks through mass emails or in this case, by posting misleading statements on financial discussion boards. My article will detail the trend from the perspective of three people.
- A securities trader whose legitimate stock analysis email newsletter has contended with fake announcements by people who acquired his mailing list.
- A lawyer who represented a client in a case similar to the Massachusetts case.
- An investor who blames her loss of $70,000 in the stock market on fraudulent discussion-board posting.
In my article I will discuss the negative effects of fraud on investors and companies. I will also discuss how you can protect yourself from fraud. More importantly, I will show how you can be victimized by the trend even when you don’t receive a fraudulent email or read a misleading post. Because such fraud can cause an individual stock to both rise and fall dramatically, investors who never see the misleading information can still end up investing in a bad stock or dumping a good one.
My article would be an excellent fit in your Caveat Emptor section’s ongoing coverage of investment potholes. As is customary for that section, I will include a sidebar of ways you can protect yourself from Internet investment fraud. My advice will include: verifying any news through conventional sources, keeping an eye out for any unusual email from online newsletters, never trusting blind e-mails, and carefully watching or avoiding discussion boards altogether. The last point, that discussion boards rarely result in good investments, will also be a focus of the article. If you would like, this can also be turned into a sidebar.
In addition to the three sources above, I have access to dozens of other securities professionals, legal authorities and investors. I have been a professional investment counselor for the past fifteen years and was one of the earliest adopters of Internet trading. As a former state representative, I authored several investment fraud bills that are still on the Arizona law books. For the past two years I have written a weekly investment article for Phoenix Business Insider. I have also published investment-related articles in Worthwhile Investor, Smart Stock Analyst and Fund Advocate.
Enclosed are reprints of three of my recent articles covering investment and the Internet. These articles will demonstrate both my knowledge of the subject and my ability to convey that knowledge to the reader. Your readers need to know about this looming crisis and how it can affect their investment strategies. Please call my office to discuss any further details or resolve any questions. Thank you for your consideration.
Regards,
John Doe
Box 901010
Scottsdale, AZ
85528
408-101-0011
Enclosures:
Clips
SASE
About the letter
This author of this query letter may or may not have some advantages over you. The author is someone who has all of the experience and credentials necessary to write the article, and has already secured sources. You may not have everything he has, but you need to know how it sounds when you do.
Note that the query is timely. The author may have been researching Internet fraud for months, but he went out and found an article that ties his research to that week’s news. Also note that none of his sources are from the particular case he mentions. Instead, he uses that case as a selling point for his research. Quite possibly he has already written a related article for his column, and he now wants to reuse part of it to make a national sale. There is nothing wrong with this practice. Selling similar articles (not just reprints) to different markets is perfectly acceptable.
For more information:
- 10 Ways to Make Editors Hate You Before They Even Know You
- 5 Ways to Start Making Freelance Money TODAY!
- Super Simple Submissions Tracker
- 40 Fabulous Faults of Freelance Failures
I really appreciate the tips given on your website. It really gave me the isight I was looking for. Good things follow those who do good. I believe in an afterlife.
Great information — clear, to the point, and an excellent sample letter too. Thanks for the resource!
Thanks, it’s always helpful to know how to write a query letter, specially for us who suck at writing
I appreciate the help on what not to put in query letter. I have been published but not sellingSo Iany b
I am a children’s author with 12 manuscripts completed I am trying to find a literary agent. Recnetly I did a mass mailing with a brief query, synopsis and then the completed manuscripts ( I sent 5) To my horror I realized I sent the letter with several grammatical errors…after editing it…do I resubmit to these editors who I am sure won’t even get past the letter to let alone the manuscripts?
Thank you for sharing this information. I am hoping to send many query letters out and did not know what exactly to say.
Todah rabah,
Zippy
Heh. This was interesting enough. I really do appreciate, however, the
“What you should not do in your query letter”. That’s probably what helps the most.
It doesn’t hurt to try!
Thank you so much for the concise information. I didn’t really know how to write a query. The information is clear and simple. The best part is the sample letter. That brings it home for me.
thank you for this pertinent information. I am hoping to apply your suggestions to the fiction query I am writing.
Thank you so much for the concise information. I didn’t really know how to write a query. The information is clear and simple. The best part is the sample letter. That brings it home for me. ALSO thank you for this pertinent information. I am hoping to apply your suggestions to the fiction query I am writing.
Thanks for the info! This was EXACTLY what I was looking for in a how-to example.
I am new to the freelance writing industry and I want to get my work seen, published,
and eventually get paid for it. Your information is right to the point with an
excellent, relevant example. Now I can send out my samples with confidence!
Thanks again! =)
Karen:
Yes, resubmit to those editors with a more carefully written letter. I would avoid mass mailings if I was you. Most editors do not care for them.
SJLuke,
Keep plugging way. You will start to get paying gigs if you keep up the work.
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[...] How To Write A Query Letter by John Hewitt. I especially like the section on what NOT to put in a query letter. [...]
I have been searching for articles on the necessity of query letters for
magazine and newspaper articles. Yours is the first I have found. Thanks
1) Is it correct that you should always send a query letter and not simply
send the article itself.
2) COuld I state that the article is part of a book I am writing at the time?
Thought the example was too long. You told us in the guidelines to keep query letters to a page ??
The information presented on your site is going to be used in my next attempt to attract the interest of an editor for my next article. Great help
The Do’s & dont’s, always a great help in seeing other ideas that work.
It seems many of these folks need to make sure they use spell check. I thought I was the worlds worst speller.
I did appreciate the don’ts list.
Thanks
[...] “How to Write a Query Letter” at Poewar.com. [...]
Thanks for the information,i just need address where to send my query letter.
Is there a agent directory for screen writters
Thanks again
Salutation
Mark
Thank you for the example query letter. I was stumped on how to do this and the example made it very clear how to proceed in writing one myself.
I am a fiction writer. I have completed two books, and am frustrated by the range of AUTHORITATIVE and contradictory information about writing query letters to agents. Would you give me a resource you consider truly authoritative on the subject?
some of your billeted suggestions end in periods, others don’t. good thing your how-to isn’t a query letter…
but seriously, thanks for the info. look forward putting it to work.
bulleted, not billeted, ha! good thing for me too, eh?
[...] Query Letters That Worked!: Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments and learn more about writing query letters. Look for a grain of truth in the criticism you receive, and if you find it, work to write better [...]
Thank you for the insights. Some of the best information you can find anywhere on writing query letters.
Excellant letter. I see now I can make my query letter more interesting and not simply factual. I was doing the ‘bare bones’ approach, but I realize I can ‘flesh out’ my information and make the editor want to see more of what I’ve written. Thanks for the help
I am in the process of writing some short stories for children’s literature.They are more or less “picture books” and am aiming for age groups of between three and possibly up to seven or eight. I have finished one story and am working on a few more,these short stories are sort of a series. I need to covert what I have written into manuscript form as well as produce some query letters. I am a bit intimdated by the book publishing wold and really don’t know which publishing company is the best one where I might get good results meaning a possible offer to publish the book and if there will be a contract involved?I’ve looked up and read about some publishing companies where they offer a flat fee,others offer a fee plus sort of a percent commission on sales if I understood it correctly?I don’t know if I should just randomly contact agencies or choose specific ones?The other thing that troubles me is which artist/illistrator will be chosen for the book(s)?Ideally I would prefer to do the artwork,but I’ve also read that things rarely happen that way, especially for new writers. As the writer, would I have any influence on the illistrator chosen, or am I kept out of it totally? As a writer,I would like to have some say and influence as to which artist is chosen to do the illistrations. I would appreciate any information and advice other, more experienced writers can provide.
Thanks for the great tips. I have been writting for two years now. I have written two full lenghth featured film scripts, a televsion pilot, and a public service annoubcement.
Should I give them all that information?
Your information has helped in my effort to complete a query letter. I have written for years but have only recently sought publication. Oddly in my research I found publishers prefer a writer to go through a literary agent. Is that normal? Also in a query letter should a writer be specific about names and titles of their charactors also the specific details of the story or should it be kept general? I wasn’t sure due too protecting the original story line. Thankyou for your help and I truly appreciate any advice you have too share. sg
1 - Should a query letted observe the same formatting requirements as a formal proposal or manuscript, i.e. spacing, margins, indents, font size/type and so on?
2 - Is it seriously damaging if the query letter is not addressed to a specific person? Some websites don’t call out who does what.
3 - How critical is the length of the query letter? Some manuscripts are so long, and cover such a diversity of topics, that it’s very very hard to keep a description of them down to one page. My own, for example, is 280,121 words.
4 - Is it advisable to include humor or similar informality in the query letter or should the wording, etc. be kept strictly businesslike.
Thank You
Dave Harman
Sincerely: Thank you for the information. I see the road to publication as a dirt road full of potholes and break-downs; it’s truly unfortunate many of the people you meet along the way seem impersonal, uncaring and discourteous. I have some really good stuff in the trunk but I’m still waiting for a good Samaritan.
P.S. Line 16 of things not to do… ‘donein’ - how do you like me so far:)?
Never give up.
[...] Send a query letter to a trade magazine about writing an article for them that positions you as an [...]
[...] turned up scores of other bad examples that writers have included in their queries. Two sites, Writer’s Resource Center and Suite 101 both listed very helpful advice about what not to [...]
Thank you for your help.I found this after I had already written 90 letters.Luckily my letter was close to your guidelines.I have a question however.
One of the return letters asked for a “copy of treatment”
Im not sure what that is,please elaborate.
Daniel Campbell
I don’t know what you sent a query for, but the most common definition of treatment can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_treatment
It is basically short-story style summation of a screenplay
Thank you! I’m a Broadcasting major having to take journalism classes. No offense, but I don’t like journalism and it’s not what I want to do. And for class I have to write this stupid thing so thank you for explaining it bette then my teacher!!!!
[...] http://www.poewar.com/how-to-write-a-query-letter/ [...]
“What you should not do in your query letter” is the best part.
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I’m a writer and proofer. I noticed this:
Do not present ideas for several different articles in the same letter. This can be done once you have established a rapport with an editor, but should not be donein <[space between] a blind query.
:o)
@ DSB
Corrected.
Thank you.
Great information! Thank you very much. I found your site very useful…
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These are great tips. Another good tip is to call before sending a letter and make sure you are not wasting your time.
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Great tips, thanks a ton. I am trying to get my manuscript published and have just finished the synopsis and sent out my first query letter today.
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I love the advice! I wrote an 82 page book, and need to wrtie a query letter.
Good luck Allison. I hope you find a publisher.
Great advice! Especially the “Don’ts.” I am going to bookmark this to review it before writing my next query.
Thank you for sharing!
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