This is a guest post by writer Kristine Hansen. She’s written for Wine Enthusiast, Yoga Journal, American Way (the inflight magazine for American Airlines), The Writer, The Onion, Audubon, Budget Travel, Backpacker, Town & Country, Midwest Living, and Time Out Chicago.

Don’t worry. I won’t go on and on about these lean economic times. But what we do know is that there are fewer publications to write for, and more freelancers in the pool. Making sure your query is nice and sparkly, and gets noticed, is key.

In the February 2009 issue of The Writer, I lay out five tips to make sure your query gets noticed:

1. Study the competition: Either subscribe to or flip through back issues of your target magazine’s competitors at a local library or bookstore. Take notes on what is — and is NOT — being covered and use that as a tool to help your target magazine set itself apart.

2. Angle for a specific department: Let the editor know where you would like to see this story published in his or her magazine.

3. Ask about special or theme upcoming issues: Knowing that a sex or design issue is coming up helps target your pitches.

4. Go with quirky: Think of offbeat gadgets, approaches and angles to convey common ideas (maybe it’s a new way to taste wine in Napa or a different kind of negotiation technique to get kids to listen to you).

5. Read back issues: Make sure your pitch hasn’t already been published in your target market. By subscribing to back issues you can make sure this never happens!

Here’s a sixth tip that did not make its way into the article.

6. Market yourself well: Chances are, you’re probably pitching an article idea you know more than a little about. So why not share this news with the editor? Just a couple of sentences on the tail-end of the pitch is perfect. Perhaps you have been a hobbyist knitter for 7 years and can therefore launch into an intimate chat with the woman you hope to profile. Or, you spent five years as a human resources manager and therefore have some awesome job-hunting tips that are off the beaten path. You are the expert and you deserve to get the very assignment you are angling for.

And here’s an extra tip:

7. Slow down: In the heat of the moment, right when a story idea flits through you, it’s easy to dash off a query and then hit “refresh” until the editor finally responds. Take a deep breath (yoga breaths if that’s your thing) and let it sit for a day, maybe even overnight. What you might discover during your time away is an added source, or a fresh idea for a sidebar. Not only will this make for a stronger pitch but you’ll feel more confident about its idea too.

If you liked that post, you might also like:

• Bust My Excuse: I’m Not Sure How Long a Query Should Be!
• Will Your Article Idea Fly? Here’s How to Find Out
• The Art of the Simultaneous Query
• Bust My Excuse: I’m Afraid of Doing It Wrong
• Are Queries Dead?