Queries without Clips: How to Approach an Editor

by Michael Sedge

Yesterday, I received e-mail from Karen M., a regular reader of this column. Her question was one that many newcomers, whether approaching local or international markets, are faced with. "I'm at the very beginning of my career," she explained, "[and wonder] if query letters sent by beginners are taken seriously. I know I've written some very good ones (and I know how to do market research), but they're all a bit thin in the credits department. I get so discouraged at the prospect of my carefully-written queries being ignored because I don't have a long list of credits…no clips, no assignment. No assignment, no clips."

I can appreciate Karen's "Catch 22" situation. I've been there, as has every other successful writer. I can also say that, in the perfect world, editors are not influenced by credits, but by the professional quality of the written word. Too bad we don't live in a perfect world.

There is no better time to call upon your "creative writing" talents than when you are just beginning your career. For someone like myself, who has been in the writing business for 20-plus years, it is easy to enhance a query with credits ranging from Newsweek and Time-Life to Discovery Channel and Scientific American. But the beginner must consider who she is, what makes her the perfect writer for this article, and how she can creatively position herself to the editor.

A couple of advertising buzzwords that apply here are "branding" and "positioning." Last week I sat in the London offices of Keene Marketing and Public Relations listening to a venture capitalist explain his need to create a brand for his company. What that meant, in lay terms, is that he wanted the agency to make his company a household name like AOL, Coca-Cola, Federal Express, or General Motors. When approaching an editor, you, in a sense, want to do the same thing: make yourself a "name." But how?

First, new writers -- or veterans, for that matter -- must consider themselves as "products." Next, they must contemplate their unique selling points, or "USPs," for those who are taking notes on the advertising terms, and how to position these aspects. Let's say, for example, you are sending a query on gardening. You've never published an article, but have spent most of your life doing home gardening. This, with a little creative writing, might position you as "a 20-year veteran gardener." That, to an editor of a home and garden publication, is an impressive credit.

My first article -- on photography -- sold to the European lifestyle magazine, Off Duty. My pitch was that "cameras have always been a part of my life, from the back-woods of Michigan to the flaming slopes of Mount Etna." But it did not stop there. I had taken 3rd place in a local photo contest, as well as 2nd prize in a USO-sponsored writing contest. This allowed me to say, "As an award-winning writer and photographer, I'd like to offer you first European rights to this piece."

Note that I didn't say I'd won a Pulitzer, but I also didn't say that my prizes were from local or community competitions. This is traditionally called selective editing or, once again, positioning of yourself. Suddenly, the editor envisions an experienced writer (otherwise how could he win awards for his words) and a veteran photographer (life-long experience and award winner). Since the proposed article was about photography, who better than I to write it? And that is exactly the position I -- and you -- want editors to be in.

For several years I wrote for local newspapers and magazines, making little if any pay. Why did I do this? To gain experience and credibility -- besides, when they don't pay, they'll take just about anything, including reprints. I was able to offer the same article to several publications. One of the newspapers I wrote for was a "rag" released every week for the U.S. military community in Naples, Italy, called Panorama. At the same time I realized that one of Italy's most prestigious weeklies (the Newsweek of Italy) also carried the same name. Therefore, in my credits to European editors, I would frequently say, "I have also written for the Italian weekly, Panorama." No lies, just facts, albeit very selective facts.

There is another marketing trick you might try, which is "credibility by association." I've often used this successfully. Basically, if an editor is "recommended" by a friend who happens to be a published writer, producer, book editor, etc., you can utilize that person as your "calling card" to the editor. Let's say, for example, that you are involved in an Internet discussion group and during a chat Jane Doe, who has published works in Redbook, suggests you send something to the editor. In your query you might write, "as a professional writer, and at the suggestion of colleague Jane Doe, I would like to offer the following feature…" Then you present your query.

If I were an editor receiving such a query, I would immediately think: 1) this writer is a professional, because she has positioned herself as one; 2) she is at the same level as Jane Doe, whom I've worked with, because Jane is a "colleague."

Positioning, wording, and selective editing. These are the key factors to making you a "someone" in the editor's eyes. Just as important, however, is the upbeat tone of your query. It is inconceivable to me that a writer -- new or otherwise -- would send a proposal and say things like: "I am an unpublished writer" or "I hope to make my first sale to you." Everyone wants to be associated with a winner, including editors. Positioning yourself as a "newbie" is, basically, asking the editor to take a chance on you. Take a risk. Join the lottery. Spin the wheel at Las Vegas. Unfortunately, that environment, particularly in the workplace, doesn't fly with a large percentage of the editorial population.

So, dear Karen -- and everyone else -- keep in mind the rules of "branding" and "positioning." Look at yourself with a critical eye. Ask yourself why you are the right person for this article. How can you position your credits -- even if they are few or practically non-existent -- to make them appear larger than life? What aspects of your life stand out and can be utilized in "branding" your name as a professional writer? And always, ALWAYS keep in mind that that is what you are: a professional writer. This is one of the unique aspects of writing: there are no degrees required to make you a pro. It merely takes a mindset, and a masterful business approach.

-- MS
© 2000 Michael Sedge

Michael Sedge is author of Marketing Strategies for Writers, and is the lead instructor at Writer Online's Dolce Vita Writers' Holiday in Italy.