How To Write A Query Letter

Author: Terri Main

So many writers I know agonize over writing a query letter. In part I think it is because they don't know how to organize one. When I started writing, I read a number of articles about query letter writing and discovered there were certain common factors found in effective query letters. From that I created the Five-Paragraph Query Letter.

This approach takes the mystery out of the query letter. I am not wondering about the organization. I just think about filling in the “boxes” in my outline.

Box 1: The Lead

Many beginning writers waste the first paragraph of their query letter. They begin “I would like to propose an article blah, blah, blah.” Borrrrrinnnnggggg!!!

You should begin your query letter with the same lead you plan to use in the article. I began a query letter about dealing with social anxiety like this:

“Sarah was always shy even as a child. However, as an adult the problem intensified. She barely left the house. Even when she went to the Stanford Shyness Clinic for help, she couldn't talk to the counselor, but had to leave a tape and get a response in the same manner. Sarah's problem, though extreme, is not unique. Four out of ten Americans say they are shy in general and ninety-three percent of us are shy in at least one social situation.”

Box 2: The Proposal Statement

This should be a short paragraph with the proposed title, length and a one-sentence summary of the article. For instance:

“I would like to propose an article of about 2500 words tentatively titled 'Replanting Wallflowers.' The article will focus on how individuals can overcome typical forms of shyness.”

Box 3: The Prose Outline

This is a single paragraph which lists the main points you will cover in the article. The key here is to tease the editor, but don't give away too much of the article. It should look something like this:

“This article explores the liabilities of shyness, the varieties of social anxiety, models used by therapists to understand it, and gives several practical exercises the reader can do to reduce anxiety in social situations. The story will be based on interviews with experts and material gathered from psychology books and journals.”

Box 4: The Credits

This is optional, but if you have any writing, educational, or personal experience that will help the editor know you are the right person for the job, list them here. For instance:

“By way of introduction, I am a freelance writer with degrees in Communication and Psychology. My writing has appeared in a variety of magazines including....”

Box 5: The Close

At the end of your letter, simply ask for the assignment and give an indication of how much time you will need to complete it. I nearly always use a line like this:

“If you would like to see an article on this subject, I could provide it within three weeks of your reply. I look forward to working with you.”

That's it. Your query letter should be approximately one page of single-spaced copy. That's about 500 words.

Remember the idea is to give the editor enough information to decide if the article is right for his or her publication.

Next month we'll look at what NOT to do in a query letter.