I don't know about you, but query letters are not my favorite things to write. In fact, I may skip over a publication if I see that a query is required. I know, this is not a great attitude! Writing a query letter brings back memories of writing an outline in school. I remember stressing over that too; I never knew which details to include and how to pare the info down into important points. With this in mind, I've decided it's time to brush up on my query letter writing skills. Care to join me?
The editors of Writer's Digest share their thoughts online in the article, Advice on Writing Query Letters. It contains all the commonly asked questions, such as what to include in a query letter, advice for unpublished writers, and info on writing a book query. They even include tips on proper query etiquette, which alone could make or break a sale.
Armed with and refreshed by this information, I am planning on sending some queries out soon. How about you? Share your query writing tips and stories, we'd love to hear them!
Happy writing!
Hi Karen,
ReplyDeleteWhat works for me is this:
I've already kind of pre-written my article so I use the intro paragraph of that article as the intro of my query. Of course, if I get the assignment, by that time I may change it.
If the article is lengthy, with different sections or points made, I will next give a brief outline.
Then I follow that with info about length, timeframe, myself, etc.
Never hurts to learn more, tho, so I will check out this link. Thanks for sharing it.
Carol
Great tips, Carol! Thanks for sharing:)
ReplyDeleteHi Karen -
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check out this article in the morning. I could use more tips on query letters.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Susan,
ReplyDeleteDitto for me, but I think I mentioned that. Bug me if I don't soon become an expert, okay? :)
Blessings!