Query Letters

In the world of publication, query letters are king. A query letter introduces the writer to the editor and tells the editor what the writer can offer his/her publication. The editor, in turn, determines which writer fits the publication's need based upon that query.

In this section, you'll learn how to write query letters that sell your ideas.

From Thought To Query
Teri Pilcher shares how to take your idea and turn it into a query letter that leads to publication.
Non-Fiction Book Proposal
Mary E. DeMuth shares the ins and outs of putting together a sample book proposal that leads to publicaiton.
The Five Paragraph Query Letter
Terri Main shares why query letters don't have to be rocket science. And the five main parts to writing a successful query letter.
Query Letters That Grab Attention
Julie Ortolon discuses how to write a great query letter. In this article, she shares query letter writing tips from top editors.
Using This Sentence Can Increase Your Acceptance Chances
Teena Stewart shares the importance of including the sentence, "I am willing to write on assignment", at the end of every query letter.

A 12 Part Series On Writing Query Letters By Terri Main

What Is A Query Letter?
Understand what a query letter is, how to understand query letters, and how they are used in publishing world.
How To Format A Query Letter
Learn why first impressions are important and how to make yours count by properly formating your query letter.
How To Write A Query Letter
Discover how to take the pain out of writing query letters by creating a query letter template.
The World's Worst Query Letter
Get tips on what not to include in your query letter.
Researching Your Query Letter
Simple tricks for doing minimal research so that you can write a query letter that gets looked at.
Rejected? Me? Why?
Discover the importance of reading a publication's writers' guidelines and how it can get your foot in the door of a major publication.
How To Read An Editor's Mind, part 1
Learn from a publication's writers' guidelines, cover, table of contents, masthead, and advertising.
How To Read An Editor's Mind, part 2
Learn what the editor wants by paying attention to the publication's published articles.