Want to make $$? Want to build a platform to help you sell the writing that’s stirs your heart? Want to have fun? Want all these things?

Then get cracking and learn everything you need to about query letters.

A query letter is a letter (or email) of inquiry sent to an editor to ascertain interest in a specific topic. For this blog, we’ll focus on queries for nonfiction magazine articles. In a future blog, we’ll talk about the queries sent to literary agents and book publishers.

If you can follow directions, translate a recipe to something yummy or install software, you can write a query. Here’s the formula:

1. You get a brilliant idea for a topic.
2. You investigate if you like to write about idea and if it’s something you can write about knowing the constraints articles, such as length and lead time. (Lead time is the amount of time between a query being accepted and the finished article being published in a magazine.)
3. Do a bit of research to write query, such as finding surprising information or facts and perhaps locating experts to interview.
4. Figure out which magazines might like the idea for an article and compare your idea to that which is being published in these pubs (publications). Study the hook styles of the pubs you want to pitch to. By knowing and using one of their styles as you tailor the query to that pub, you can increase the chances of an editor liking your idea. How so? The editor already likes those hook styles or they wouldn’t be used. Write queries, send queries. If you use the bubble method, this is easy, see Blog #14. I try to send out 10 personalized query letters on the same subject to get interest from 10 editors.
5. Wait.
6. Once you get a go-ahead from an editor you, write the article. If you get more than one “yes” scream with delight and then write the runners’ up explaining that the query was snapped up really fast, but here’s an even better idea. Then make that query even better. I’ve had great luck doing this.

Easy peasy? No, but doable. Let’s look a bit closer. Where do “brilliant ideas” for articles come from? Pick up any consumer magazine and look at the advertisements. The companies which pay advertising firms to showcase their products spend bundles of money to target the specific publication and demographics. Yes, advertisers do your work.

Let’s say in XYZ magazine there’s a product for whitening toothpaste. This means the magazine’s readers want brighter teeth, fresher breath, and maybe tips on finding a new dentist. For a brilliant idea, you could do research on any of these slants, working through #2, #3, and #4.

Move on to #5 and # 6.

If you are an emerging writer (and all writers were at one time) forego the fancy magazines you see at the grocery store. They tough to break into. Instead look for smaller pubs, regional and local ones.

Why bother with queries? Editors love to tweak queries and if you write the entire article before submitting a query, then there’s absolute certainty an editor will like the topic, but want a different slant. It always happens. Why wastes precious writing time on an article that might not be wanted. Time, for a freelancer, equals potential money.

Queries are the key if you want to build a publishing platform for any type of writing. The published articles will give you clips (published samples of your writing) and name recognition. This is essential for novelists, essayists, nonfiction book writers and yes, even article writers.

Think of queries as your personal power tools. As with power tools, you need to understand how best to use them and use them with a specific purpose in mind. I promise, if you’re persistent, you’ll get results.