You Ask, We Answer: Should I query a short or send in the whole thing?
Rebecca asks: When I pitch a short FOB to a magazine, do I include the entire short in the query? For example, if it’s a one paragraph short, that’s my entire lede and article in one. Instead of including a lede, do I just describe what I am planning on doing, or do I just give away the whole thing in the query? How do I handle this?
You can do either, depending on how long your short is (how’s that for a weird phrase?) and how excited you are about writing it. I broke into Details and Psychology Today by sending them already-written shorts (via fax, yet!), but I’ve also pitched shorts via query letter.
If you feel a query would take just as long to write as your short, go ahead and write the short and send it in. Keep in mind, though, that the pitch for a short doesn’t need to be quite as long and detailed as a pitch for a longer article.
A query for a short also doesn’t need to be as research-intensive. For example, you probably don’t need to interview your sources and include quotes in a pitch for a short, which would make it easier to write the query than to write up the entire piece regardless of length.
Readers, how have you successfully sold shorts: via query or by sending in the entire piece? Please tell us about your experiences in the Comments section! [lf]
If you liked that post, you might also like:
- You Ask, I Answer: How Close Do I Need to Come to the Assigned Word Count?
- Bust My Excuse: I’m Not Sure How Long a Query Should Be!
- You Ask, We Answer: Can I Resell an Article That’s in Limbo?
- You Ask, I Answer: When Can I Send My Query to a New Market?
- Public Service Announcement: Writers, pick up the phone!
Sep 24, 2007 Advice, Query letters, You Ask, We Answer
I love this blog, but I’m so new to this business that I have no idea what an FOB is!
Can anyone give me a definition or example of what a short FOB is? Thanks!
Tiffany, FOB stands for Front Of the Book — those short pieces that typically appear at the front of the magazine.
Not to worry…I have a post that explains all these acronyms coming up next week!
I know this is an old post, but please bear with me…
I swear I was just reading in your book something about sending a short article with an intro. letter instead of a query that may be longer than the article. (Of course I can’t find where I read this info.)
The question is, if this is an actual article submission-500 words, can I rightfully send it simultaneously? Should I include in the intro letter that that it is a multiple submission, is not going to competitors and is only a one-time right?
Hi, Jess,
You can do whatever you feel comfortable with. It’s so unlikely that two editors will want the same piece that I don’t think there’s too much risk to sending it out to a few places at a time. If you decide to simultaneously submit, though, I wouldn’t let the editors know.