Queries are not written like business letters or emails; they are specifically designed to sell your articles.
Every query should be:
What reaction do you think this will generate? Yes, a rejection slip. Why? Your letter was boring and didn't grab the editor's attention.
What I usually suggest to new writers is to write the article and then write the query. This has a twofold effect. First, you will know you can write the article, and second you can take information from the article to compile the query. When you become more experienced you can simply write the query and when it is accepted, write the whole article.
Here is a simple formula:
Dear (get the person's name right)
Great Headline (Title)
First paragraph is the hook to get the editor interested. There is no "warm-up" paragraph. In fact, this first paragraph could be the lead of your article. For example: When Adam White bought his first block of land in (name of town) almost ten years ago, he had no idea his investment portfolio would reach nearly $2 million.
The second paragraph should include some good facts and figures.
Third paragraph confirm that the person is willing to share his strategies for wealth.
Fourth paragraph lets the editor know you can provide some excellent photographs.
Fifth paragraph state when you can have the article ready and the word count plus number of images. If you have special qualifications in the subject/topic, let the editor know plus your experience.
Please don't finish your query with... Thank you for your consideration. Just get in and give the editor a great idea and then get out.
Make sure all your contact details are on the top of the letter. If you are sending the query by email you can still use this formula, but your details could appear at the bottom of your email.
Sell the editor with the first paragraph of the query and he/she will commission you and offer a good rate of pay.
barb clews is an award winning journalist with nearly 1,000 published articles to her credit. She has been a writer and editor for 15 years and is the author of "Article Writing for Freelancers" and "20 Tips to Increase Writing Skills" Visit barb clews to subscribe to "Words that Work", Barb's monthly ezine packed with tips for writers.
recurring maid service Wilmette ..Gathering information from interviews is really simple. You ask the... Read More
Looking for another no cost promotional tool? Your fee will... Read More
All of us, the authors, know that to enhance our... Read More
Once you learn the benefits of article writing, you may... Read More
Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More
One of the best ways to promote your website is... Read More
Original quotes, when used at the beginning or at the... Read More
Although this may sound like a funny metaphor, if you... Read More
Article Marketing Builds Momentum and TrafficWhen I started submitting articles... Read More
Why do so many internet marketers waste their time on... Read More
Not doing what, you ask.Writing and submitting articles.Writing articles is... Read More
It is not my intention to give you a 5... Read More
When writing articles for publication, it is important that you... Read More
Whether you own your own affiliate website, or subscription website,... Read More
IntroductionThere are two ways to submit to magazine editors.One is... Read More
For me, to decide to start a home business was... Read More
Evaluation of a Home-Run ArticleI've been writing articles and posting... Read More
The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the... Read More
Knowing exactly what an editor wants.Unfortunately, many new writers struggle... Read More
You want your business to be noticed by thousands daily.... Read More
Ok, today we are going to talk about one of... Read More
If you have an entertainment website then you're always looking... Read More
Do you know one of the most powerful marketing techniques... Read More
1. Choose A Topic.You need to choose either a hot... Read More
Writing for websites -- content, as it is called --... Read More
last minute cleaning help Highland Park ..I have seen the question asked so many times. How... Read More
Online PR in the form of website and ezine article... Read More
Rejection is part of a writer's life. You must cope... Read More
Everyone that publishes a newsletter or ezine knows that the... Read More
Article marketing works like this. The majority of webmasters are... Read More
So how can you make your article worth reading?It's all... Read More
One of the most tried and true methods of self-promotion... Read More
It's all the rage. It's what everyone is talking about.... Read More
There are times when I want to write an article... Read More
Writing articles is one of the best ways to get... Read More
How does a writing agency market itself effectively in a... Read More
Never before in the history of the business of writing... Read More
Article marketing-the simple act of writing one 400 word article... Read More
Queries are not written like business letters or emails; they... Read More
There are many schools of thought on how to build... Read More
Find definitions from Q to Z... ~~~~~~~~~~~ Q ~~~~~~~~~~~ Query... Read More
How would you like to have your name and web... Read More
All of us, the authors, know that to enhance our... Read More
Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?I... Read More
MS: Bob, how important have Ezine Articles been in achieving... Read More
Not doing what, you ask.Writing and submitting articles.Writing articles is... Read More
Writing and submitting articles to article banks is a well-known... Read More
As a follow up to my previous article on the... Read More
Have you ever seen articles that are not only related... Read More
When you have to share what you've created, where do... Read More
Article Writing |