Tag: query

Categories
Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for February, Part 2

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

In the Midst of the Journey with Jo Massero

Jo shares her writer’s journey with her life experiences and the different seasons in which she and her husband have served God’s purposes for their lives. Her deeply personal and vulnerable testimony encourages us to “remove our masks” so that our own weaknesses can be turned into strengths for God’s glory.

Watch the February 20th Replay

As the founder of Jo Massaro Ministries, a Christian organization that aims to empower people through her speaking and writing, Jo has interviewed many authors. These interviews can be viewed on her website and YouTube channel. She is also the founder of In Their Hands, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to children’s literacy. She will be cohosting a podcast called In the Midst of the Journey debuting in the fall of 2024. Jo is the proud mama to a new rescue dog, Bella. Her websites are: JoMassaroministries.com and InTheirHands    

Mastering the Art of Querying with Bethany Jett

Literary agent and author Bethany joins us today to share tips on querying an agent or a publisher. Writing an effective query is an important skill. Topics in today’s chat include: the difference between queries and pitches; discussing the six elements of an effective query; the popular hashtags used by agents/editors on X/Twitter, and so much more. Be sure to catch the replay for more information.

Watch the February 27th replay

Bethany Jett is an associate literary agent with the C.Y.L.E. agency, as well as a multi-award-winning author, and a marketing strategist who earned top honors in her master’s program, where she earned her MFA in Communications focusing on Marketing and PR. Her motto is “Teach as you go,” which she lives out as the co-owner of Serious Writer, a company that teaches and empowers writers and authors. Bethany is married to her college sweetheart, and together they’re raising 3 teen/tween sons and their Pomeranian Sadie.

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

Categories
Book Proposals

Why Do They Torture Us With Homework?

We’ve written the book, isn’t that enough? Now they want us to write a query, a pitch, a proposal, a synopsis! What next?

Every agent and editor understands that the dreaded synopsis or query or full proposal is anything but fun. And yet, it gives them a real look into the author’s actual skills. A quickly thrown together synopsis reveals the inability to follow through. A poorly addressed pitch tells them that the author isn’t really sure what the theme of their novel is at the core. And a badly written proposal indicates a lack of ability to organize or follow directions.

So is the purpose of writing these a test? Not at all. Everything is needed for the agent to convince someone else that the author’s work is worthwhile. If you can’t convince the agent, how will she convince the editor?

So let’s break this down. First, a great pitch will intrigue the agent or editor enough that they will want to read more. It’s like a twenty word hook that simply mesmerizes the individual, lures them to read on. The synopsis is a more detailed look at the entire novel’s outcome, telling the agent that the writer can write an introduction, middle, and ending well. And finally, the proposal gives the agent all of the details that he needs to take this brilliant story to an editor and hopefully have it be picked up.

Yes, it’s homework in a sense. It’s the final chapter to the novel that is needed to sell a work. It’s tedious, but necessary. Torture? Maybe a little bit, but all of us as writers have been there, and we all made it to the other side.

Blessings to you and your writing from one who survived.

Linda S. Glaz is an agent with Hartline Literary Agency, and also the author of eight novels and two novellas, so she “gets” writers. She represents authors in both the Christian and secular communities. She speaks at numerous conferences and workshops around the country each year. Married with three grown children and four grands, she lives in a small town where everyone is family.

Categories
Becoming an Author

Avoid Automatic Rejections by Following This Checklist

It can be discouraging to not receive a response on your submission—and even more frustrating when the response is an automatic “no.” I personally don’t give automatic rejections to submission; however, there are agents and editors who may delete a submission even before they’ve had a chance to evaluate it. 

It might sound rude for them to delete a submission before even considering the project. However, they receive multiple submissions per week. If a writer does not adhere to specific guidelines, then, well, that’s an easy way for the agent/editor to separate the pros from the amateurs.  If the writer can’t follow the submission guidelines, how can the editor/agent trust that they will behave professionally in the future?

Would you like to avoid this automatic no? If so, here are 5 questions to review before hitting the submit button:

1. Did I spell the agent or editor’s name correctly? 

This is likely the first impression you’ll make (after the subject line, of course). You would be surprised how many emails I receive that are addressed to “Emily” (my middle name) rather than “Tessa” (my first name)!

2. Am I submitting to the right person? 

Check the site. Ensure that the agent or editor accepts your genre and would make a good match for your works. 

3. Did I follow the specific guidelines? 

There are some writers who think they’re “above” the rules. But guidelines are set for a reason! Don’t be lazy—unless, of course, that’s the impression you’d like to make. I doubt it is. You’re hoping to work with this agent or editor, so make sure it’s obvious that you are a professional. And professionals don’t carry an egotistical attitude. 

4. Have I edited my submission—including the query letter, book proposal, and sample chapters? 

Don’t rush this process. Search for typos. You are a writer, after all. And even though writers aren’t always perfect in the arena of grammar and punctuation, your submission will look sloppy if it’s not clean. (I personally recommend asking others to read over the proposal/submission just to double-check. We’re often blind to our own faults.)

5. Did I submit the right file and adhere to the standard format? 

Again, you’ll want to read the guidelines carefully to make sure you’ve hit every request regarding format, font, and file type.

For those who are unfamiliar with this process, you may think agents and editors are asking too much of writers—as if they’re requesting you to jump through unnecessary hoops. But trust me when I say that these guidelines are set for a reason.  Not to frustrate the author, but because it helps the agents and editors to quickly evaluate each submission in an orderly manner. It also helps to differentiate the pros from the amateurs. Do what you can to come across as a pro! Keep in mind, too, that almost every successful traditionally published author has gone through this process. 

Then, when you’re ready—and only then—should you send your work out to the publishing world. But not without going over this checklist first, of course! 

Tessa Emily Hall is an award-winning author who writes inspirational yet authentic books for teens to remind them they’re not alone. She writes both fiction and devotionals for teens, including her upcoming release, LOVE YOUR SELFIE (October 2020, Ellie Claire). Her latest devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, encourages teens to pursue a personal relationship with Christ. Tessa’s passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as a Literary Agent at Cyle Young Literary Elite, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 128 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating art journals, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is through connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.

Categories
Kids Lit

While You Wait…

Kids Lit

We’ve all said it before. You know, the old, “I’m just waiting on God to make this publishing thing happen.” The truth is, most of the time, God is waiting on us!

You see, waiting on God isn’t like waiting in a long line at an amusement park. We’re not supposed to wait around doing nothing until our desires are finally met. Rather, we should be like the high-class waiter who watches for the needs of the people at the table she serves. We must actively serve God and attune ourselves to Him while we patiently wait for Him to accomplish His plans. We do all that we can. In other words, we do the natural stuff and he adds the “super” to our natural.

Here are a few “natural” things you can do to be more productive while waiting upon the Lord for your publishing dreams to come true.

Split your Time 50/50

Spend 50 percent of your time writing and the other 50 percent marketing for future work. This may sound extreme, but it keeps assignments coming in and your writing going out to magazines, newspapers, websites, and book publishers. Try to contact five to 10 editors/publishers/publications each week. That may seem like a lofty goal, but it is not that difficult if you have already crafted a standard pitch letter to use when applying for freelance gigs or a generic query letter that you can hone for each different publication or children’s book publisher.

Then, spend a couple of hours each week doing “follow-up” work. Maybe it’s sending a thank-you note to an editor who took time to write you a personal note on a rejection letter. Or maybe it’s reaching out to editors you’ve already established a relationship with to ask if they’re in need of a writer to tackle any work-for-hire projects in the near future.  Or it might be pitching another story to a publication that recently purchased one of your articles—why not strike while the iron is hot?

Apply the “Ten-In” Rule

This rule means you should have at least 10 query letters/pitch letters/proposals (or a combination of the three) circulating at all times. So, if you get a rejection letter back from Clubhouse Magazine on Monday, sit down right then, grab your Writer’s Market guides and find another magazine to query. Write a query to that publication and send it out on Tuesday! I’ve found that if I don’t do it right away, I won’t do it. So, like the classic Nike ad says, “JUST DO IT!”  

Recycle, Rework and Reap!

If you’ve been writing for a while, you probably have lots of published articles under your belt. If that’s true, then you have a gold mine of untapped resources. I have sold one of my articles 13 times in the past twelve years! (“Every Dog Has its Day”) The key is this: never sell all rights to your article. If you only sell first rights, then you can sell second serial rights/reprint rights after that. Then, you can resell the exact same article numerous times as long as the magazines you’re querying accept reprints. The various writers market guides will have that information for you.   

You can also rework a piece enough that it will be sellable in different markets than the one you originally intended it for. (To sell first rights again, the piece must be reworked 50 percent or more.) For example, I once wrote a hair-care article for a wedding e-zine, telling brides different ways to achieve great hair on their wedding day. Well, with a few tweaks and a funny poem about bad hair days, I sold that same “tweaked” article to Brio.  And that’s not all. Part of that Brio version is now a sidebar in my devotional book for tweens.

With these three tips, you can increase your productivity and build your platform while waiting on those other publishing doors to open. Now, go forth and be productive!

Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and book awards include top honors from the Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.  

When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.

 Michelle is celebrating the recent release of her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous & Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.

Categories
Kids Lit

Query with Confidence!

Kids Lit

A query letter is your chance to make a great first impression at a publishing house or a magazine, which is why your letter had better be amazing. After writing hundreds of successful query letters over the course of my journalistic career, I’ve come up with the following “quick query tips” to help you become the king or queen of queries.

  • Be professional: Use Times New Roman, 12-point type and keep your text flush left. Just because you’re querying a children’s magazine or a children’s book editor, don’t get all goofy. For example, don’t use glitter paper or baby farm animal stickers to jazz up your query.
  • Always address your query letter to a specific person: You’ll find that information in the various Writer’s Market Guides, on publisher websites, and from faculty listings of various conferences. As a last resort, call the publisher or publication to find out an editor’s name spelling and title just to be sure.
  • Indicate you’ve studied their publishing house or magazine: You might mention a book they’ve published or an article they have published or a section of their magazine that relates to your suggested text.
  • Show how your proposed book/story fits with their publishing program.
  • Go the extra mile: Always offer a little extra something in your query letter such as photographs to accompany your text or a parenting moment or “Fun Factoids” on the last page of your manuscript or a fun sidebar to accompany your main magazine article. The editors may not want all of those elements, but they will be impressed that you offered them.
  • Make sure the publisher/magazine you’re querying is currently accepting submissions: Some only accept queries from unagented writers during certain months of the year. Also, some magazines work from theme lists so check to see if the magazine you’re querying is working with such a list. If so, mention which month/theme your proposed story idea fits.
  • Keep it concise: Try to keep your query to one page.
  • Always include your credentials in your third paragraph: Even if you don’t yet have any publishing credits, and even if you haven’t yet won any writing awards, you still have something you can write in that third paragraph. Share why you’re the perfect person to write that particular article or book. For example, if you’re pitching an article about skin cancer, and you’re a melanoma survivor, you can include that in your letter. Or, if you have a really great source that you plan to quote in your article, mention that source.
  • Make your last two lines work for you: The close to your query letter is just as important as your opening paragraph. Thank the editor for reading your query letter, and then offer to take on story ideas that their staff may not have time to generate. Tell the editor you are open to “Work for Hire” projects and that you’d like to be included in their “freelance pool of writers.”
These tips help you write an awesome query letter

Once you’ve crafted an amazing query letter, make sure you keep good records, including the publication’s name, the editor’s name, the date you sent it, and when you expect to hear back from that publication.

If the magazine/publisher accepts simultaneous submissions, pinpoint five or so publications that would be a good fit for your story idea/book and  prepare letters for each one. I call this the “nail it and mail it” step. Just double check that you’ve changed the editor’s name and publication’s address for each letter. And, be sure you’re sending that query the way the publication’s guidelines instruct—via email or snail mail.

Lastly, try to keep ten things circulating all the time. I call this the “ten in rule,” meaning I always have ten submissions out. Now, I may only have two different story ideas that I’m pitching, but I will pitch each one to five different magazines or publishing houses. Make sense?

Ok, now go forth and query with confidence! 

Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and book awards include top honors from the Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.  

When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.

 Michelle is celebrating the recent release of her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous & Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

How to Write What the Editor Wants: by Terry Whalin

When you boil it down to the basics, writers and editors are both seeking the same thing: excellent writing.  I’ve been writing for magazines for many years and I’m a former magazine editor. One of the publications (Decision) where I was Associate Editor reached 1.8 million people with each issue. While editors and writers are focused on excellent writing, I also understand what qualifies as “excellent” is subjective.

In this article, I want to give you three ways to improve your article or query submissions so you can improve your rate of publication success. One of the keys is to understand the role of the editor and how to write what the editor wants. The editor knows their reader and target market. When I was an editor, I read every submission or query with this question: “Is this article or query a good fit for my readers?’

  1. Read the magazine cover to cover with analysis before submitting. It may sound like a basic but you would be surprised at what writers pitch without ever reading the publication. As you read the magazine, study the details. Do staff members write most of the publication? Do they publish freelance writers who are not on the staff? Do they have regular features? Who writes these features and is there opportunity for you to write this material? You can learn a great deal as you study the publication. As a writer, find the publication and study the details.
  2. Target magazines which publish their upcoming themes. Many publications, such as denominational magazines, will plan their themes for an entire year. If you pitch or write an article on the editor’s list, you will get a closer look and consideration than someone who sends a random idea. Also know that seasonal and holiday pitches or articles are always needed. Think about the forthcoming holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Make sure you pitch at least six to eight weeks before the holiday to get consideration or your article may be accepted but not published until the next year.
  3. Read the magazine guidelines before sending your query or article. Many publications have their guidelines online but if not, take time to write for the guidelines and review them before you write the editor.

Every editor is actively looking for great writing to fill their publication. If you follow all or several of these tips, it will improve your opportunity to touch their readers and get published.

  1. Terry Whalin believes print magazines provide one of the best opportunities for writers. A writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, Terry lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin
Categories
Magazine and Freelance

30 Necessary Terms for Magazine Article Writing

A Kill fee? Is that legal?  What is a nut graf anyway? Is sounds like a surgical term or carpenter’s tool.

I need to learn magazine article jargon before I get myself in trouble.

Here are thirty important terms that we can learn together as we continue our journey into magazine article writing.

Advertorial: a newspaper or magazine advertisement in the form of editorial content. The term is a blend of the words “advertisement” and “editorial.”

Byline: a printed line of text accompanying a news story, article, or the like, giving the author’s name.

Charticle: A graphic image that includes information.

Clip: Examples of your work.  Place them in your portfolio.

Consumer publication: These are the magazines and newspapers sold to the public.

Copywriting: Writing business and promotional copy for clients.

Creative brief: A short document that provides the creative team with an overview and important points to consider in the development of an advertising campaign.

Custom publication: This is created specifically for a company.

Dek: The second half of a headline, which often runs in italics just below the headline in newspapers.

Deliverable: This is the final project you will be providing.

Dummy copy: A representation of the final copy in which a different text is substituted for the final text.  The different text is called Lorem ipsum and is there just for layout purposes.

FOB: Front of the book pieces. These short articles and blurbs usually appear in the front of a magazine.

FPO: For position only. This abbreviation is used when artwork or other materials are inserted as placeholders in an article or brochure to give all stakeholders a general idea of how the final piece will lay out.

Hed: An abbreviation for the headline.

Infographic: Information graphics is a visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information.

Kicker: The conclusion of an article designed to leave the reader with something to think on.

“Kill” fee: A negotiated payment the writer gets if the assigned article is canceled.

Lede: The lede, or lead, is an abbreviation for the opening sentences of your article.

Letter of introduction (LOI): This is a pitch letter or email to a potential client informing them of your talents.

Native ads: These are the online version of advertorials.

Nut graf: The paragraph that goes from the lede into the body of the article. The nut graf summarizes the article to entice readers to keep reading. You may also see “graf” used as an abbreviation for a paragraph.

Op-Ed: An opinion or editorial piece, in which the writer states their point of view on an issue. Letters to the editor are a prime example.

Query: An article pitch. Check out last month’s article for in-depth information.   http://www.almostanauthor.com/query-letter-basics/

Red ink: A term used for the editor’s changes to your article.

Sidebar: A related short addition to an article.

Subhed: A journalistic abbreviation for a subhead.

Tagline: Author information that appears at the end of an article.

TK: An abbreviation for “to come.” You’ll see this used for photos, captions, sidebars — anything that is expected but hasn’t arrived yet

Trade publication: These regional or national publications target people in a specific field.

Work for hire: It means that you are giving the client or publication all of the rights to the piece you are writing.

Do you have a term that you would like to add to the list? Just include it in the comments section.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Dos and Don’ts of Magazine Article Writing

“Me, write for magazines? Never. I barely have the energy or expertise to write my book, let alone write for a publication. I am still re-learning paragraph structure, verb tenses and comma placement. I can’t even think about writing for a magazine.”

My entire attitude changed after attending the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. I learned that there are thousands of Trade publications, children’s magazines and online companies looking for writers like you and me. The good news; we don’t have to be English teachers or New York Times Best Sellers to get published. We just have to be persistent.

Here is a short list of Do’s and Don’ts to get you started:

Do

Pray- God knows your writing style and will guide you to the perfect magazine that needs your talent. He will even help you pick the topics.  He may want you to write for Cat Fancy or National Geographic. Whatever the magazine, God will equip you for it. You may or may not write for a Christian publication.

Brainstorm. Make a list of topics to write about. You know more than you think. List jobs, classes, and previous education. Have you taken a specialized class? You can write about that. In my next article I will give you resources and ideas to find writing jobs.

Research Magazines– What magazine do you want to write for?   Study the magazine.   Research which editor to contact.   The more you know the voice of the magazine, the more likely you are to see your article in that magazine.

Learn to write a Query letter-A query letter is a formal, one-page letter, to propose writing ideas. It could also be called your pitch. There are many great free resources online to learn how to write a good query letter.   To get you started, check out www.freelancewriting.com.   A good Query letter will get you noticed, so do take the time to write it well.

Enjoy the process– The thought of writing for a magazine overwhelmed me. Am I good enough? Do I have anything to say? So far, the process has been amazing. I have met new people who have helped me and encouraged me.

Don’t

Get stuck in the learning process– Cecil Murphy and Jerry B. Jenkins are well-known award-winning writers. They are constantly striving to be better writers by reading books on writing and talking to other writers. Imagine if they’d waited until they thought they’d perfected the skill of writing?

Focus on weakness– We all have areas in our writing that are weak. Work on those areas; don’t be so consumed by them that you overlook your strengths.

Say no to an offer– You may be asked to write about a subject you know nothing about. With the World Wide Web at your fingertips you can research the topic. That is what I did for this article. It was fun and well worth the time.   The only time to say “No” is if it goes against your belief or you truly cannot do the topic justice even after researching.

Give up- The writers who succeed are not necessarily the best writers, but they are persistent. You will receive many rejections. Don’t take them personally. It is a business decision, not a personal attack. Some of the best article writers have a drawer filled with rejection letters.

Having your work in a magazine is an obtainable goal. In the next few articles we will discuss “How to write a Query letter”,” Resources to find writing jobs” and “Social Media tips for the Writer”

[bctt tweet=”“Me, write for magazines? Never.” #magpub #freelance #writer” via=”no”]

 

Categories
Uncategorized

Crafting The One Page Magazine Pitch

As a former magazine editor and someone who has written for many publications, I’ve got good news. Every magazine editor is always looking for the right material for their magazine. Even if you are getting rejected, you should be encouraged with this information. Magazine editors (like book editors) have many more responsibilities than simply reading unsolicited manuscripts.   Most of the higher paying magazines prefer to receive a single-page pitch letter called a query letter.  Within a few minutes, the editor can determine if the idea is appropriate or not for their publication. Because of the volume of submissions, many editors will never respond if the answer is “no thank you.” Just knowing this practice is a reality check for writers.

As a writer, you are looking for an assignment or a “go ahead” or a “yes” response from the editor. One of the most important skills for writers to develop is to craft a query letter.  To succeed at writing queries requires repeated practice.  As you write these letters, you will refine and improve your technique.  Sometimes at writer’s conferences, I will teach an hour on this topic and give detailed examples and a checklist in my handouts. I continue to recommend Lisa Collier Cool’s excellent book, How to Write Irresistible Query Letters (Writer’s Digest Books).

What’s a query letter? A query is a single-page letter which sells your story idea. It has a four paragraph formula.

The first paragraph is a creative beginning for your article. You don’t write the entire article–only the first paragraph which captures the reader’s interest. The purpose of this first paragraph is simply to capture the editor’s attention. I won’t walk you through the day of an editor, but since I’ve been one for years, I know they are involved in a multitude of tasks. For editors to read query letters, it is often done at the end of the day, late at night or in a car pool on the way home. You must begin with something interesting.

The second paragraph includes the main points of how you will approach the article.

The third paragraph gives your personal qualifications for this topic and your writing credits (if any). It answers the question, why should you of all the writers get this assignment? Highlight your area of expertise in this paragraph.

The final paragraph says how soon you could write the article (give yourself enough time for example, “three weeks from assignment”) and says you are enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope and looking forward to their reply or they respond via email. I often send my query letter to as many as ten different publications at the same time.

Within the magazine business, there is an on-going discussion about simultaneous submissions (where you send the same finished article to several publications). If you do this, you may end up on the black list of authors. Each publication has a list of people that they will not work with. You don’t want to be on that list. Also each publication has a list of authors they use regularly and call with ideas. Your goal is to get on this particular list of regular contributors.

A simultaneous query is not the same as a finished article. Go ahead and query several magazines at the same time on the same topic if you think you can write several different articles on the same subject. One magazine may ask for 500 words on the topic while another may approach it from an entirely different viewpoint and ask for 2,000 words. Your illustrations and information will be considerably different. If you send it to ten magazines, you may get ten rejections. On the other hand, perhaps you will get an acceptance or two, or at least a request to see the entire article on speculation. “On speculation” means that the editor is not under obligation to purchase your article if it doesn’t meet the periodical’s standards or expectations.

A word about rejection of your queries and manuscripts

An article or query may be rejected for many different reasons. Maybe the publication has already purchased an article on that topic. Maybe they’ve recently assigned it to another author. Maybe they have an article on that topic coming in an issue which is already in production but not printed. There are many different reasons for rejection which are out of your control as a writer.

Sometimes even out of rejection comes an assignment. Several years ago, I had queried a number of magazines about writing on listening to the Bible on tape. I targeted the January issues of publications for this short how-to article. Every magazine rejected it.

Several weeks later, I received a phone call from a new editor at Christian Life magazine. They too had rejected the idea earlier. “We’re sorting through some old queries,” she explained. “Would you be able to write 500 words on the topic in the next three weeks?” No problem. That little article turned into one of my most popular articles for reprint in other publications.

I prefer writing on assignment and you can snag magazine assignments as you learn how to write a riveting query letter. You want the editor to read your letter and be compelled to pick up the phone and call you for more information or an assignment. Or you want that editor to open an email and write you immediately asking when you can have the article ready for their magazine. I hope you can see the importance of this skill as a writer.

Because I’ve been published repeatedly in different magazines, many mistakenly believe I was born this way. Wrong. I garner my share of rejection in this process.

Years ago in college I took a magazine writing course. We were required to write several ten-page magazine articles. My key mistake was a lack of understanding of the market or the audience for the publications. When you write your query letter, you have to focus on both of these aspects. You want the idea to be perfect for that particular publication and you want to think about the publication’s audience when you write the query. If you don’t handle these two basics, then I can almost guarantee rejection. My writing and my research for the college articles was right on target—yet these articles were never published because they had no market or audience in mind. Don’t make that same mistake.

  1. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

How to Increase Your Publications Odds-Terry Whalin

WTerryWhalin

by Terry Whalin

The bulk of my magazine writing is done on assignment. How do you get an assignment? Which magazines do you read on a consistent basis? Your familiarity with these publications and the types of articles that they publish gives you some needed background.

Pull out the magazines that come into your home.

Organize them with several months from the same publication. Then study the contents. What types of articles do they publish? How-to articles? Personal Experience? For example, at Decision, where I used to be an editor, almost every article is a first-person, personal experience story. If you send them a how-to article which is not written in the first person, you are asking for rejection. Or if you write a story about someone else in the third-person, you will again invite rejection.

After you have studied the publications, then write the publication for their writers’ guidelines. Almost every magazine has guidelines for their authors. You can also use google and often find these guidelines online.  Write a simple letter asking for guidelines and enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the response. You can find the address for the publication usually on the masthead of the magazine under editorial offices. Or use The Christian Writers Market Guide by Jerry B. Jenkins. This guide is a critical tool if you are going to write for the Christian marketplace. After reading through the guidelines, you will have some additional information. Does the publication accept query letters or prefer full manuscripts? Some magazines have a query only system. This means that you have to write a query letter (one page) and get a letter of request from the editor, before sending the full manuscript. Other publications like Decision do not look at query letters but only completed manuscripts.

What’s a query letter? Entire books have been written on this topic and one of the best is Irresistible Query Letters by Lisa Collier Cool (Writer’s Digest Books). A query is a single-page letter which sells your story idea. It has a four paragraph formula. The first paragraph is a creative beginning for your article. You don’t write the entire article–only the first paragraph which captures the reader’s interest. The purpose of this first paragraph is simply to capture the editor’s attention. I won’t walk you through the day of an editor but since I’ve been one for years, I know they are involved in a multitude of tasks. For editors to read query letters, it is often done at the end of the day, late at night or in a car pool on the way home. It must be interesting.

The second paragraph includes the main points of how you will approach the article. The third paragraph gives your personal qualifications for this topic and your writing credits (if any). It basically answers the question, why should you of all the writers get this assignment? Highlight your own area of expertise in this paragraph.

The final paragraph says how soon you could write the article (give yourself enough time for example, “three weeks from assignment”) and says you are enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope and looking forward to their reply. I often send the letter to as many as ten different publications at the same time.

Within the magazine business, there is an on-going discussion about simultaneous submissions (where you send the same finished article to several publications). If you do this, you may end up on the black list of authors. Each publication has a list of people that they will not work with. You don’t want to be on that list. Also each publication has a list of authors they use regularly and call with ideas. Your goal is to get on this particular list of regular contributors.

From my perspective, a simultaneous query is not the same as a finished article. Go ahead and query several magazines at the same time on the same topic if you think you can write several different articles on the same subject. One magazine may ask for 500 words on the topic while another may approach it from an entirely different viewpoint and ask for 2,000 words. Your illustrations and information will be considerably different. If you send it to ten magazines, you may get ten rejections. On the other hand, perhaps you will get an acceptance or two, or at least a request to see the entire article on speculation. “On speculation” means that the editor is not under obligation to purchase your article if it doesn’t meet the periodical’s standards or expectations.

[bctt tweet=”No one gets magazine assignments just by thinking about it” username=”@A3forme @terrywhalin “] As a writer, you have to take action and be regularly pitching your ideas to editors and writing query letters. Then when you get an assignment, write an excellent article and submit it on or ahead of the deadline. As you learn to write a query letter and take consistent action, you will increase your odds of publication and get published in magazines.

Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

 

Categories
Child's Craft

Picture Book Submissions – The Great Cover Letter

You might be asking what you actually submit to a publisher when you submit a picture book manuscript. I submit three items. This may be debatable, and many of you may submit items differently. I’d love to hear what the rest of you submit, but I’m going to share with you what I learned at one of my first conferences and therefore, what I submit. I’d especially love to hear from you if you’re an editor and like to receive submissions in a different manner. Please comment below.

The three items I submit are a cover letter, proposal and formatted manuscript. We’ll cover each item in separate blogs.

Today we’ll talk about the killer, knock the socks of an editor cover letter. If a publisher requests query letters first, before full submission of the manuscript, then this will be your query letter. The Market Guides relay which method the publishers prefer. Send in what they prefer. Don’t stuff your whole proposal into an envelope if the publisher prefers queries initially.

A query letter is a single letter asking for permission to submit your full proposal.  A cover letter accompanies your proposal and briefly describes your proposal. Both may be the only item an editor reads, unless it’s good. This letter should do more than pique an editor’s interest. It should reflect your great writing skills and make them want to keep reading and ask for more. Both letters serve the same purposes of highlighting your book and making it something an editor will want to pursue.

It’s nice to start with a name of an editor as opposed to Dear Editor. If you can find the name of the editor, by all means, use it. If you have met the editor at a conference, make that the first item mentioned.

“It was a pleasure meeting you at the XXX conference on (state the date). I enjoyed dining with you that evening and discussing possible book titles with you, (or whatever you discussed to bring who you are to their mind). I have a manuscript I thought you might be interested in reading.”

Then start with a bang, a hook, a question, something to tap an editor’s interest and touch on the main idea of your book. If your book is about a girl who loves purses and can’t get enough, you might start with something like this:

What’s not to love about purses? What if you had one in every shape and size to match every pair of shoes you owned but didn’t have room enough to put them all? What would you do? I’ve written a story about a girl who can’t get enough purses…

I know you could make it stronger. Spend time on your hook. Make it playful, fun, interesting.

State the audience for whom you wrote it and get as specific as possible. Elementary age children is a bit general. Tell which age group and if there’s a specific market, highlight it here. Say for example, it’s a book for children having surgery, or a bed time story for preschool children, or for young girls 4-6 who love purses. Tell specifics, but not too specific to make your market too small.

Briefly state any special ideas in your book that will make yours stand out. Have you included an easy how-to-make-your-own purse template or an easy how to stack and store your purses chart? Mention this here.

Note the word count, projected page count, and a brief bio about yourself, especially if it would help shine on why you’re the right one to write that particular book. I wrote a book once for children to ease the stress and fear of surgery and mentioned that I’m a Nurse Anesthetist. It relayed the fact that I’m a professional and might know a little about the topic. (I still don’t have a contract on the book, but hopefully it’s not because I’m not qualified to write it…)

Mention why you think this is the perfect publisher for your book, why you chose them. Why you think your book might complement other books they’ve published. If you’re sending it to more than one publisher, mention that it is a simultaneous submission.

Keep your cover/query letter one page or less. Keep your writing tight. This is not a letter to your best friend, so keep it short, simple, to the point, but enticing.

End with something like, Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, XXX and sign it.

Before you send it, make it perfect. This letter reflects your writing skills. Don’t let them find grammatical errors, typos, wrong use of commas, etc. or they may not pursue your book further, even if the idea sounds great. Spend time on your query/cover letter and make it shine.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

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.