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One of the most important tools in the modern writer’s inventory is the query, a short letter pitching an idea to an editor. Although the query is of limited use to fictioneers, for writers of non-fiction nothing is more effective for landing new assignments and, eventually, achieving success in the field. If you can’t write a decent query, you won’t get many article assignments, period.
A typical query consists of three main elements: 1) a catchy introduction designed to hook the editor's attention; 2) a brief section outlining the subject to be covered, and the manner in which it will be covered; and 3) a synopsis of the writer's credits. A query should never be more than a page and a half long, and formatting tricks don't count -- print it in Courier 12 point with wide margins. Furthermore, the query should be grammatically perfect and utterly professional in nature.
The first section of a typical query, the introduction, is vital to the success of your sales-pitch. You need to get the editor interested immediately. There's nothing wrong with an entirely businesslike entry, such as the following:
This query is in reference to an essay I'd like to submit to your magazine. The 1,500-2,000 word piece is titled "The Last Confederate General." Most Americans don't realize it, but the Civil War was just as divisive for Native Americans as it was for those of European descent…
This particular example sold the piece -- a profile of Cherokee leader Stand Watie -- to America's Civil War magazine. However, this type of intro can be a bit boring, and editors have to plow through boring queries all day. Try for something a bit more creative, if you can:
The Texas frontier was still wild when, in the 1830s, John Parker established a stockade in what would someday become Limestone County, Texas. He called his station Fort Parker, and made his living farming and dealing with the first white settlers in that area, and with the Native Americans who called it home. Unfortunately, his activities soon caught the attention of local belligerents and on May 19, 1836, Fort Parker was attacked by several hundred Comanche, Caddo, and Kiowa…
This slightly more exciting intro helped sell the article, a chronicle of the ensuing siege of Fort Parker, to True West magazine.
The second portion of your query should be a quick overview of the subject you want to write about. Include a statement of why you think the article would be of interest to the publication's readers, and suggest both a length and a working title. In addition, let the editor know when you can have the material on her desk, and endeavor to meet the deadline; for most articles, I use a standard length of four weeks from the go-ahead.
If you get the go-ahead to write the article, it's critical that you stick to the suggested length and deadline unless the editor has stated otherwise. The editor might already have a particular publication slot in mind for your article, and she might be annoyed enough to reject it if you send her something too long or too short for that slot. Often, the editor will suggest a particular length and/or due date; follow her suggestions to the letter, particularly if you're working "on spec" and want to make the sale. Changing the title isn't particularly critical: it's a rare article that makes it all the way through the editorial process with its original title.
This leaves the third section of your query: your credits. This should be a tight paragraph detailing your professional sales, particularly those you've placed in publications similar to the one you're querying. This will give you a bit more credibility with the editor -- she'll see that she's dealing with a true professional. Don't stretch the truth, but don't be afraid to brag. If you have no publications to your credit, don't even mention this fact; emphasize instead your other writing credits (if any), your specialized knowledge that makes you an expert about the subject, or any relevant experience. Eventually, you'll accumulate enough credits to produce a decent credits section.
The query concept seems simple enough on the surface but, as I hope I've shown here, it can more difficult to construct a winning query than it might initially seem. Indeed, query writing can be some of the most difficult writing you'll ever do; but don't fret, because even if you don't score with a particular query, you'll still have gotten some good practice in the art or writing tight and to the point.
I'll leave you with an example of a successful query that hews close to the practices outlined above. The article I pitched here, the first for which I was paid on acceptance rather than on publication, appeared in the October 1999 issue of American History magazine as "The Florida Quagmire." This query isn't the most perfect example of the art, but the fact that I got paid sight-unseen for the article suggests that it was still effective.
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3 March 1998
Ima Publisher, Editor
American History
P.O. Box 8200
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8200
Dear Ms. Publisher:
It was a miserable, muddy, unpopular war, played out against the backdrop of a treacherous jungle where disease and the biota were nearly as great a threat as the human enemy. The war was costly in terms of both dollars and lives: the U.S. spent millions, and thousands died on both sides. It lasted for decades. The opponent was a determined civilian population that fought to a standstill a better-equipped American army, using guerilla tactics with a chilling disregard for casualties.
Sound familiar? Perhaps. It should have seemed familiar in the 1960s, when the U.S. entered the Vietnam War, because we'd been through a war like it before. It started in 1835, cost the taxpayers $20-60 million, and yielded a total of 1,500 dead American soldiers. It didn't officially end until 1934. Our opponents were the indigenous Seminoles of Florida.
The Seminole War has been called "a microcosm of the war in Vietnam," as unpopular among the folks back home as among the men fighting it, and ultimately a great national embarrassment. The American war machine, in its first real showing since the War of 1812, was shocked by the ferocity of the Indians' response, and never recovered from its initial surprise. The result was an immense loss of face, both at home and abroad, that could easily have been avoided.
I'd like to explain why and how in a 3,000 word piece titled "An Unholy Cause: the Seminole War and Manifest Destiny." The phrase "unholy cause" isn't mine; it was used by Major General Thomas Jesup, the leader of the U.S. forces in that war, to describe the conflict. While his first loyalty lay with the U.S., he felt the Indians had been ill-treated and was sympathetic to the Seminole cause. The proposed article will examine in detail the origins and history of the Seminole, the events leading up to the war, and the central events and key players of this reluctant conflict. I believe the piece would be of genuine interest to your readers, as devotees of American history. If you agree, I can have the finished manuscript (complete with footnotes and citations) on your desk within four weeks.
I'm a professional writer and historian specializing in history, both human and natural. My articles have appeared in such publications as America's Civil War, True West, Persimmon Hill, Military History, and The Trapper and Predator Caller. Several of my pieces, including a profile of Union General/Seneca Sachem Ely Parker, can be seen on the World Wide Web.
Thanks for your attention. I look forward to your reaction with great interest.
Sincerely,
Floyd Largent
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