The first query letter I ever sent out was accepted by the publisher, but I have a confession to make about it. I stole the query letter. Yes, you read right. I stole it, and it worked wonders for me.
As a beginner, I was anxious to get word out about my work. I wanted to be published. So, as I was perusing a copy of the “Writer’s Market”, I took special care to analyze how the successful query letters in the beginning of the book were crafted. I read them over & over, and was able to get a really good feel for what they ‘sounded’ like.
After doing so, I took the time to work my query letter over a number of times, until the reading pace was the same as the one I had studied. When you put the two side by side, there wasn’t much difference other than the subject of the writer’s article and mine.
When it was finished, I carefully pasted it into an email, and sent it off. Several days later I received a reply. The publisher wanted to include my article in an upcoming issue of the magazine, and the rest is history.
If you are just starting out, I would strongly urge you to find good examples of successful query letters. Analyze them, and develop your query to sound & ‘feel’ just like them. It works – I know!
David Ware is a Virtual Assistant, successful freelance writer, husband & father. He can be contacted at dave@24hourassistant.com, or at http://www.24hourassistant.com
