Query or Finished Article?

by Dave Rice

Need a query be nothing more than brief, professional, and relevant to succeed? Would that it were so simple. 

It is commonly said that editors prefer a query letter to an unsolicited manuscript. Pick up any writers' magazine, open any book on freelance writing, and the message is the same: A successful sale starts with a good query. Entire books have been written on the art of pitching queries. Yet writers regularly complain that query letters go unanswered.

Are the books wrong? Are the queries not good enough? Or are there simply too many writers pitching? Intrigued by the apparent paradox, I asked 100 UK and US editors for their views. Do they really prefer queries? What are they looking for, and how best can a writer elicit a reply? The responses revealed some intriguing differences between US and British editors.

Some Say "Skip the Query"
Bearing out the textbooks, over 70% of those who replied said they prefer to be queried. Interestingly, all of the exceptions were British publications. Almost half the UK editors surveyed had no particular desire to be queried. In some cases they positively preferred that new writers submit a finished article.

The Great Outdoors, which covers walking, backpacking and countryside topics, averages 20 to 30 queries a week. John Manning, deputy editor, was happy for writers to submit a completed manuscript, with illustrations. "If we like the piece we can run it instantly; if the illustrations are with the piece there's less chance that it's been offered to 200 other magazines simultaneously. Often we reply positively to a query and then nothing comes of it, which makes planning very difficult."

Helen Hodge of Active Life, and Nick Parker of The Oldie were also happy to cut straight to the finished article. "We publish a lot of work that comes in unsolicited," Nick said. The editor of The Railway Magazine also preferred a finished manuscript, adding somewhat unpromisingly "as long as it's unsolicited -- there is no onus to accept it."

Queries that Get Noticed
Still, with the majority of editors overall preferring to be queried, the next question was clearly: What do they look for in any approach?

"I appreciate a short, friendly inquiry offering a few destinations," said Sandy Klim of Going Places and AAA Today. "I also like it when writers send samples of writing. Even if it's just text with a note on when and where it was published."

"Ones addressed 'Dear Sir/Madam' go straight in the trash," says Cam Winstanley of the UK's Total Film. "If they can't be bothered to find out who I am, why should I care about them?"

"Query letters should be no more than a page, and well written," said Margie Rynn, consulting editor of The Amicus Journal. "The letter itself is an example of your writing. Presentation counts too. It sounds superficial, but a well typed, laser-printed letter helps to convey a degree of professionalism."

Send It by E-mail
Since we are told daily about some new way in which the Internet is changing our lives, it is no surprise that over half the editors not only accepted but in many cases positively encouraged queries by e-mail. About two thirds of British editors welcomed e-mails. The message was clear -- make my life easier! Surprisingly the percentage of US editors favoring e-mail was slightly lower, at just under half, with the majority still preferring the traditional letter with clips.

Whether they favored e-mail or snail mail, editors on both sides of the Atlantic stressed the importance of studying the publication and pitching only queries that are relevant. Terry Fletcher, who edits a number of UK County magazines, spoke for many when he said, "I get seriously miffed with people who have obviously picked our name with a pin and send us material on nuclear physics or goat-rearing in Mongolia. Writers would do themselves a favor if they researched publishers first. Otherwise they waste my time (which probably doesn't bother them unduly) and their own time (which presumably should)."

And Now the Bad News...
Need a query be nothing more than brief, professional, and relevant to succeed? Would that it were so simple. Editors spoke candidly about the particular difficulties facing new writers.

"To be completely honest I sort through loads of queries and present the best ones to the editor, but I know that she generally works with writers she already knows," Margie Rynn admitted. "Occasionally, however, she will use a writer based on a query. It does happen."

Claire Wrathall of the UK's Condé Naste Traveler was more blunt: "We reply as a matter of courtesy, but very little unsolicited material has ever been published in the magazine." Clive Aslet, editor of Country Life, was equally discouraging: "I glance at them but rarely take them up because we mostly use writers who are already known to the magazine."

If some editors are too well served by established writers to spend time on queries from new names, then the patchy nature of responses is explained in part by different treatment of new writers compared to that of established 'names.' With many British publications in particular, the new writer may fare better with a speculative feature.

Improving the Odds
At the very least don't be afraid to send simultaneous queries. The length of time editors take to reply, if at all, means the new writer can't afford the nicety of waiting for one reply before querying elsewhere. If you are lucky enough to get two bites, consider rewriting your feature with a slightly different focus and satisfying both editors. Failing that, go for the highest payer and explain politely to the other that you have placed the piece elsewhere. And query by e-mail if you can find an e-mail address. You can't enclose clippings, but you can offer to send them if required.

Finally, resist the urge to chase. Editors are turned off by pushy writers. John Manning saw this as one of the disadvantages of e-mail. "E-mail encourages people to drop us a line once an hour -- we don't mind queries but some e-mailers become pests."

"I've had writers get very angry if I don't return their calls within a day or so," said Sandy Klim. "What many writers don't consider is our production schedule and deadlines. If I'm in the middle of writing or proofing I simply don't have time to respond ... it's no reflection on them or their work."

But Sandy did offer these words of comfort. "I've been a freelance writer, so I understand what writers go through and the number of inquiries they send out every month. Now that I've been on the other side of the fence for a few years I understand that no response is not an indication of a negative response ... the editor is probably swamped and hasn't even gotten to their inquiry."

-- DR

©1999 Dave Rice. Originally appeared in the December 29 issue of Global Writers' Ink. Reprinted here with author's permission.

Dave Rice DaveRice@solo55.freeserve.co.uk is a freelance writer and photographer living in Liverpool, England. His work has been published in a variety of UK magazines. Website: http://www.solo55.freeserve.co.uk.