Sample Magazine Query Letter
Posted on November 11, 2008
Filed Under How To Get Started, Publicity and Marketing |
By Michael Levin, CEO of BusinessGhost, Inc.
Below is a sample magazine query letter, for submitting stories to magazines to promote yourself. One note of caution when using magazines as a PR vehicle - be sure to target the magazine accurately to ensure that your article reaches your preferred audience. If you do select appropriate magazines, you can build your reputation and credibility quickly.
Read the footnotes below the sample letter for more detailed explanation of the recommended format.
______________________________________________________________________
Ms. Jane Richards[1]
Articles Editor[2]
American Parent Magazine
205 E. 64th St. Suite 100
New York, NY 10021
Dear Ms. Richards:[3]
You’re taking your ten-month-old on a long needed family vacation.[4] She’s just begun to sleep for the night, but now that her normal “sleeping cues” aren’t there, she won’t go to sleep until Conan O’Brien comes on![5] How do you get your baby to sleep when she’s 1000 miles from her normal crib?[6]
In our mobile society, parents regularly travel with very small children.[7] The problem is that such trips play havoc with carefully arranged sleeping patterns. Frazzled parents need to know how to create an environment that induces sleep even when far from home.[8] I’d like to write a 2000-word[9] article for you on this subject. The article can be ready four weeks[10] after you give me the go-ahead.
I am an infant sleep consultant[11] and have worked with countless parents[12] to help them find ways to get their little ones a good night of sleep. My work has appeared in Good Housekeeping and the Ladies Home Journal.[13] I look forward to hearing from you.[14]
Sincerely,
Anne Author
_______________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] always get the name right — call the Magazine and make sure that Jane Richards is still the articles editor.
[2] always pick a name midway down the list of editors. The people at the top don’t generally hire the freelancers; people whose titles indicate that they are editorial assistance generally don’t have the authority to hire you.
[3] business letters require a colon after the name.
[4] you are right into the story — you’re capturing the attention of the editor instead of stating the obvious, that you want to write an article for their magazine
[5] look at you, you laugh machine! Humor is a great way to demonstrate your writing prowess
[6] great question! Great questions are at the core of great magazine articles.
[7] you can establish your authority with just a single fact. Now the editor subconsciously says, “This author knows her or his stuff.” You are getting to yes!
[8] now it’s clear exactly what your story is about. And it’s also clear that you know how to write.
[9] you’ve done your homework — you know that they publish 2000-word freelance articles. The editor breathes an unconscious sigh of relief — no one will have to educate you about their needs, since you have demonstrated your knowledge of them. You can get this information about word counts from Writers Market or buy counting the words in an article in their magazine.
[10] Four weeks is good. Six or eight would be the longest you would need, and only if the article clearly would require a huge amount of research.
[11] now we find out who you are. Interestingly, you don’t have to have a Harvard degree to be an expert — you just need to “hang out your shingle.”
[12] obviously tell the truth. You want a reputation for honesty.
[13] if you haven’t published anywhere — if this is your first time seeking to be published — leave this sentence out. This query letter has clearly demonstrated that you can write well, that you can organize your thoughts, and that you have something important to say to this magazine’s readership.
[14] a nice upbeat ending. What a pleasure to deal with a writer who doesn’t feel beaten down by the freelance life! Optimism sells!
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