How are you marketing your articles? As a writer prospecting potential clients, your query letter is your marketing tool. What does it tell the editor about you?
Show me... the Market
Show the editor that you know his magazine. Jeff Peck, the editor of Insider's Journal, recently wrote, "...I end up rejecting fully 90 percent or more of the submissions because would-be authors simply don't take the time to understand what our publication is about." Are you sending out random queries shotgun style or are you using laser targeting to pinpoint your target magazine? As published authors, it should be the latter. Most editors recommend reading several back issues. Sending an article on living like a tightwad to an affluent parenting magazine won't work. If you think a few hours learning about your market is a waste of time, then sending out queries wastes both the editor's time and your time.
Show me... the Readers
Show the editor that you know who her readers are. Your query needs to show that you understand who will be reading your article. The Christian Librarian caters to librarians at Christian academic centers. Christian Library Journal meets the needs of academic librarians, but is also read by homeschooling parents, church librarians, school librarians, and public librarians. These two magazines have similar topics, but address very different needs. Be specific when stating the planned content of your article. When the information in your article matches the interests of the readers, the editor will give you a "go".
Show me... the Perspective
Show the editor that you know his magazine's perspective. This is similar to understanding the readership. Focus on the Family provides articles to help families live out their Christian faith. Many other Christian magazines publish similar articles. What makes this magazine unique is their focus on offering only this type of article. From interviews to humorous anecdotes to serious topics, Focus on the Family only publishes articles that provide distinct methods families can follow to grow closer to Christ together. Every magazine has a unique perspective and focus. Many publications place mission statements on their website on the "About Us" page. Some even include it in the writer's guidelines. Make sure that your query reflects the fact that your article will mesh with the editor's goals.
Show me... the Theology
Show the editor that you understand the theology of her magazine, whether or not you are a member of her denomination. Joan Alexander, an editor at Regular Baptist Press, states, "We hear from many writers who are not appropriate for our readership. We prefer that our contributors be well acquainted with our church customers and their theological and cultural perspective." If you are a member of an affiliated church, be sure to let the editor know. If not, you can find the information about the denomination's theology on the internet, books, or people you know in that denomination. In your query, give the editor specific examples of what you intend to put into the article that show her that you understand the unique religious views of her readers.
Show me... the Style
Show the editor that you can write in his magazine's style. Whether scholarly, educated, or conversational, your introductory paragraph (which should be vivid enough to be the first paragraph of your article) should be written in the magazine's style. Scholarly articles offer research driven theses and specialized vocabulary. Conversational pieces often begin with anecdotes or questions and continue in a chatty way. Other stylistic items are more specific. Living Light News always includes the ages of interviewees, contains locations specific to where an edition appears, and almost every news story begins with a testimony of God's goodness. Reading and analyzing back issues reveals these nuggets of information. Show the editor that you understand the style and make a sale.
As an experienced, professional writer, you analyze back issues of the magazines you want to write for. You know their readers and their perspectives. You write in the correct style. Does your query letter show your competence?
Terri Pilcher is the author of MONEY Markets 101: 101 Markets That Pay Writers in 6 Weeks or Less and the editor of a searchable online database of writer's guidelines and theme lists (2-day FREE trial). Both are available at http://www.powerpenmarketsearch.com.
She also publishes a FREE weekly markets e-zine for writers; sign up at http://www.powerpenmarketsearch.com.
Culver prom limo ..It is important for all webmasters to realize that if... Read More
It's stunning sometimes how far article marketing has come over... Read More
Although this may sound like a funny metaphor, if you... Read More
Writing dozens, hundreds or even thousands of articles and making... Read More
Not every web designer has the time ? or skills... Read More
If you market online, whether it be your own information... Read More
Sharing knowledge on the web can be a very powerful... Read More
By avoiding these common mistakes, you will greatly improve your... Read More
There's one key rule that every writer should understand before... Read More
Marketing on a budget is tough. This is a universal... Read More
This is precisely what I am doing here today (and... Read More
Would it be worth it to master a technique that... Read More
Many people which in online business world find difficulties in... Read More
This article is dedicated to those who are afraid to... Read More
Is Putting your Articles in the Public Domain really a... Read More
Writing quality articles is time consuming for the very best... Read More
"But I've only been on the Internet 3 months! How... Read More
Writers have one basic need -- readers. We all want... Read More
I am sure that there would have been a moment... Read More
Abandon your frustrations and get a fresh start by trying... Read More
Your publicity dreams may include being featured in Forbes, Fortune,... Read More
Rejection is part of a writer's life. You must cope... Read More
This is the "real" Money Maker in the Mail Order... Read More
Writing for websites -- content, as it is called --... Read More
Part 1 of a 2-part series To read Part 2... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..It is a well known fact that writing, distributing and... Read More
I once wrote an article in which I offered the... Read More
You have decided on a great idea and researched a... Read More
There are two primary factors in creating a successful reference... Read More
Knowing exactly what an editor wants.Unfortunately, many new writers struggle... Read More
People who have an idea for a website sometimes require... Read More
Free publicity can help to spread the word about your... Read More
Articles are a fantastic source of links and additional traffic... Read More
Rejection is part of a writer's life. You must cope... Read More
Marketing on a budget is tough. This is a universal... Read More
Writing an article is not an easy task. You have... Read More
Making your articles available for reprints by other ezine publishers... Read More
The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the... Read More
"When you provide good information from which readers can learn... Read More
Ready to jump on the keyword article bandwagon? Billions of... Read More
The ezine article is of major importance to the world... Read More
In this article I will show you how to use... Read More
MS: Bob, how important have Ezine Articles been in achieving... Read More
As a follow up to my previous article on the... Read More
You want your business to be noticed by thousands daily.... Read More
I was busiy submitting some articles I ghost wrote for... Read More
If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More
Congratulations! You've written your first article (or possibly your 10th... Read More
Article Marketing Builds Momentum and TrafficWhen I started submitting articles... Read More
If you want to really make your article "SELL" then... Read More
Article Writing |