Magazine and Freelance – Page 3

How To Drive a Magazine Editor Crazy by Lori Hatcher

Professional, friendly and witty are words I use to describe Lori. I met her at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference last year through a mutual friend. Lori was part of the staff at BRMCWC and needed volunteers to do a mock Toastmasters meeting. Toastmasters is an international speaking organization. As a Toastmaster member, I volunteered. We became fast friends over e-mails and working together at the conference. I consider it an honor to have her as a guest on Write With You. I know we all will glean from her vast knowledge as a magazine editor.

How to Drive an Editor Crazy, Part 1

By Lori Hatcher

As the editor of a print magazine, I receive submissions from writers in every stage of their writing journey. Some have impressive portfolios, and others are just beginning. Wherever you are on the spectrum, the tips I’ll share in this two-part series will help you submit polished, professional work so you WON’T drive your editor crazy.

How to Drive an Editor Crazy

Paraphrase Bible verses.

This is true confession time, friends. A book editor once threatened me with death and dismemberment when she double-checked the Scripture references in one of my devotional books and discovered I’d used the LHV (Lori Hatcher Version) of the Bible. Because I’d depended on my memory, which was a mishmash of the King James, New International, and Holman Christian Study versions, there was no way she could check my Scripture references for accuracy in punctuation and quotation. My carelessness and laziness caused her hours of extra work and slowed down the editing process considerably.

After a humiliating time of confession, repentance, and restitution (I sent her Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Almonds with Sea Salt and Caramel Cashew cookies by overnight mail), I had learned a valuable lesson. When quoting Scripture, choose a translation, then copy and paste EVERY Bible verse, with its appropriate reference, from your Bible software into your article. Even if it’s John 3:16, don’t rely on your memory.

Lowercase the word Bible.

I’m always a tiny bit shocked when a writer fails to capitalize the B in Bible. Whether you revere or believe in the Bible is not the issue that determines this rule. All style manuals require a writer to capitalize any holy book, whether you’re citing the Qur’an, the Talmud, or the Bible. You should also capitalize common epithets for the Bible such as the Word and Scripture, but not adjectives indicating the Bible, like biblical or scriptural.

There are many rules governing the correct way to quote Scripture, capitalize books and parts of the Bible, and handle religious terminology. The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style is my go-to resource to keep it straight. It’s helpful, user-friendly, and relatively inexpensive. Whatever resource you choose, remember—NEVER quote a Bible verse from memory or fail to capitalize the Bible. If you do, you’ll drive your editor crazy.

Lori Hatcher is the editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine and the author of the devotional book Hungry for God…Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women. A blogger, writing instructor, and women’s ministry speaker, her goal is to help women connect with God in the craziness of life. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God…Starving for Time. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter (@LoriHatcher2), or Pinterest (Hungry for God).

Query Letter Basics

When I first heard the phrase, “Query letter” I was confused and embarrassed. I did not know what a query was or even how to pronounce it. The correct pronunciation is (kweer-ee). I referred to my friend “Google” for information.

The definition of query from Dictionary.com

An inquiry from a writer to an editor of a magazine, newspaper, etc., regarding the acceptability of or interest in an idea for an article, news story, or the like: usually presented in the form of a letter that outlines or describes the projected piece.

The query is your calling card; it is also called a pitch. It is your sales letter that includes the subject of the article, who you are, and why you are qualified to write the article.

There are necessary steps to take before you write your query letter.

Read 3-5 issues of the magazine to get familiar with the voice and audience of that magazine. Many magazines can be read online or at your local library.

Go to website or call the magazine to get the name of the correct editor before you send the query letter. Make sure the name of editor, magazine and address are spelled correctly.

Gather all the research and education that makes you the expert on this topic.

Always check the website or call the magazine for guidelines.

General guidelines for formatting your letter.

Times New Roman and 10- or 12-point type.
One-inch margins.
Single-spaced page.
Block paragraph format (no indentations).
Include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and web site, if possible.

The body of the query should:

Hook the reader -Grab the editor’s attention with the first line. It is a great idea to begin the query exactly how you will begin the article.
Be specific. – The topic should be precise. Note where the information will come from.
State your qualifications – This is your biography. Why you know what you know; why you are the one to write about this topic. Be yourself. Don’t compare your writing to others.
Thank the editor for considering your query.
Exclude the discussion of rates in the query letter.

Include self-addressed, stamped envelope when sending query by mail.

There are many informative web sites with examples of a good query. To avoid reinventing the wheel, my friend Vonda Skelton has allowed me to share her blogs on query letters. Please check out her bio while you are at the page. She is one amazing woman.

taking the question out of query letters part 1

When it comes to your query letter, don’t over think it. Sell it.

I would love to hear your stories. Please connect with me here or email me at

godsfruit@juno.com.