Why I Haven’t Written a Query SInce 2010–And 5 Ways You Can Stop Querying But Still Make a Living as a Freelance Writer
Many writers hate querying — they despise the interviewing, they groan at the thought of following up, and they would rather put a spike through their forehead than research markets.
Well, guess what? Your goal as a writer isn’t to pitch and pitch and pitch to keep the work flowing in forever.
It’s to stop having to query.
Writing long, researched queries is what you do to break into new markets and build your client base. But once that client base is built, you don’t need to keep on querying unless you want to.
Here’s my dirty little secret: I haven’t written a query since June 2010.
And I only wrote it because I happened to come up with an idea I loved and wanted to write. It ended up selling to Women’s Health, and ran in their April 2011 issue.
So how do I keep my writing schedule comfortably full? Through years of writing on-target queries and turning in error-free, on-time articles, I built relationships with a core group of editors who I enjoy working with. When these editors have something they need written, they come to me. When they move on to other jobs, they take me with them.
That’s not to say I never market. I have sent out some old pitches I was hoping to revive for new markets, I send the occasional letter of introduction to a trade or custom pub, and I stay in touch with my current and past editors occasional e-mails. I also frequently update my LinkedIn profile and check out who’s been viewing my profile in case it looks like any editors have been scoping me out.
But at this point, my biggest form of marketing is building and maintaining relationships with my current editors and clients.
It took me about 13 years to reach this point through trial and error, but you can do it much more quickly by learning from my experience. Here’s how:
1. Be picky. This is something I was terrible about in the past. I would take any work that came to me, even if I saw multiple red flags. Writing for clients who don’t treat you well is not the way to build sustainable relationships — because you’ll never be happy writing for them, and they’re not the type of clients who will give you good, reliable work. So try to weed out the PITA clients and do your best work for those you love.
2. Write for fewer, smaller publications. The national magazines make for impressive clips, but as I discussed here, most of my income comes from trade and custom publications. These are the kinds of magazines whose editors will come to you with work. The consumer magazines? They pretty much expect you to pitch every time.
3. Build relationships. Treat your good clients like gold. I have editors I would do anything for. They know this, but don’t abuse it. So thank them for their great work, send them cards when they get a promotion, have a baby, and so on, and go the extra mile to make sure everything you turn in is on time and the best it can be.
4. Ask for referrals. The editors who love you and have you in their stables of writers can recommend you to other editors in their group who will likely treat you the same way. Don’t be afraid to ask for introductions.
5. Keep the marketing machine going. Instead of spending all that time generating and writing lengthy queries, you can work on your writer website, update your LinkedIn profile, send out letters of introductions, or shoot multiple mini-pitches to your current clients. (They probably won’t require you to send them a long query for every idea since they now know you and your work.)
How about you — is your goal to stop querying? Are you already at that point? If so, how did you do it? [lf]
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Mar 1, 2012 Advice, Marketing, Query letters
This is definitely something I’m working towards. I definitely hope I can get to this point sooner than 13 years into my career. While building relationships is important, I often get afraid that I may be seen as overly pushy by sending cards for every milestone and occasion. So right now I’m trying to find the balance.
In addition, I know to get around sometimes you do need to ask for the introduction. But when do you do it? You certainly don’t want to over step your boundaries and ask for it too soon.
Yeah, it probably didn’t need to take 13 years. I think I didn’t wise up until we adopted our son and suddenly I didn’t WANT to work 40 hours a week.
As for striking a balance, you need to go with your gut. I’m sure you have a good feeling od when you’re overstepping bounds!
I got my first trade magazine account when the editor came to me on a late Friday afternoon and needed a story done (with an interview) by Tuesday. I said yes. I knocked it out of the park, and he continued to assign me work for every issue for a number of years.
Picked up his “rival” by sending an LOI. Same thing.
No querying, tons of clips.
Have since backed off magazines. The research kills the hourly rate. Specialized copywriting pays my bills now. But so many clients ooo and ahhh over those magazine clips, so I’m glas I have them.
Good for you! And I agree, copywriting clients love seeing magazine clips.
Great article, and sound advice.
Thank you!
I’ve come to the same conclusion on magazine writing as Allena (“The research kills the hourly rate”) and am trying to focus more on copywriting for a higher hourly rate. I figure the opportunities for copywriting are unlimited. Not so with magazines.
I don’t want my magazine work to represent more than 20% of my total income, and the magazine work I do handle primarily comes from editors who send me regular assignments.
Like Linda, I’ll go after the occasional impressive clip (or to break into a new niche or replace a client), but I consider it icing on the cake. Trying to make a living one query at a time would be too maddening for me.
Though I think if research is killing your hourly rate, you may be over-researching. My hourly rate for magazine articles typically comes out to about $250. Granted, I’m a fast writer, but I also am good at doing just the research I’ll need. I start early so I figure that if I don’t do enough research, I can always go back for more.
Oh yes, that is definitely something I am working on right now (not over-researching)!
I’ve also found that, in response to an LOI to a trade pub editor, I’ll sometimes get a request for ideas. In that situation, those editors don’t generally expect a full-fledged query, so I can respond with a few ideas. Editors like having the ideas, and the process is still very efficient for me.
Yes! I also liked to send mini-pitches to editors, and if they were interested they would ask for a more detailed pitch. That way I didn’t spend all my time on a query that was going nowhere.