By Susan Finch
I’ve been writing query letters since I was 19, when I sent out pitches to the likes of Penguin Press, assuming they would immediately buy my novel and scribble out a check for an enormous advance. I’m sure you know how that turned out. A tiny rejection slip of paper appeared in my …… Click here to keep reading…
May 6, 2013 Advice, Query letters
By Linda Formichelli
During a Freelance Writers Den free teleseminar I hosted a few weeks ago, one caller asked: How many queries do I need to send out each week?
This has got to be one of the top questions I get from writers. Everyone wants to know: How many pitches do I have to do to …… Click here to keep reading…
Mar 28, 2013 Advice, Marketing, Query letters, You Ask, We Answer
By Diana Burrell
When I’m speaking at conferences, teaching, or chatting with other writers, I’m often asked how long I spend writing a query letter. The answer’s a little embarrassing: anywhere from five minutes to five+ years! It’s usually my lede giving me all the trouble, the first few sentences of my query letter. If my …… Click here to keep reading…
Feb 28, 2013 Advice, Query letters, Writing
By Linda Formichelli
Should you try to break into that magazine with a quick Letter of Introduction (LOI) or a fully fleshed-out query?
Sometimes, it’s best to do both.
If you don’t have a lot of clips and/or experience in the topic of the magazine you want to write for, an LOI can fall flat. You’re basically saying, …… Click here to keep reading…
Dec 27, 2012 Advice, Marketing, Query letters
By Linda Formichelli
After critiquing hundreds of queries through my Write for Magazines e-course — and after receiving many unsuccessful pitches from would-be Renegade Writer guest posts — I’ve pinpointed the one mistake most writers make that doom their queries:
They don’t do nearly enough research.
For example, I received a pitch from a guest poster …… Click here to keep reading…
Nov 12, 2012 Advice, Query letters