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Write A Money Making Query Letter
They say first impressions are everything and in the publishing business, it couldn’t be more true. With a query letter, you have only few short paragraphs to convince a potential editor that you are what she’s looking for. More specifically, you have the first few lines of the letter to convince an editorial assistant’s assistant that your manuscript will make her look good enough to warrant that promotion or raise that she’s jockeying for. If this shatters your illusions of art and honor, good. Making money in publishing isn’t about art or honor. It’s about entertainment, bestseller lists, and the majority of the American reading public. Your words must catch the assistant’s assistant immediately – and keep it. Format Counts You could have the most scintillating manuscript, a bestselling story or script or study the likes of which the world has never witnessed, but if your query letter isn’t typewritten in black, Courier or Times New Roman 12 point font on clean, crisp paper without spelling and grammatical flaws, it will end up in the recycle bin instead of the ‘To Consider’ pile. If your writing an e-query, or emailing a query letter, the rules of black, simple font on white background with no errors is just as important. This isn’t a note scrawled in a moment and sent without review. Write your letter in a word processing program and cut and paste it into an email. If you can email your query, do. It will speed up the process of acceptance and generally make correspondence easier for everyone. No matter which format you choose however, the same rule applies: an unprofessional letter suggests an unworthy manuscript. Who Are You Writing To? What happens to the mail that’s addressed ‘To Resident’ or to the person who lived in your home before you? That’s right. It ends up in the garbage, unopened. If you don’t want that to happen to your query letter, make sure that you have addressed it to the right editor and spelled the name correctly. Even if you get your information from an up to date version of a writing guide like Writer’s Digest Writer’s Market, double check the mast head of the publication. Call the customer service line if an editorial change is imminent or you’re still unsure. Style Style for a great money making query letter subscribes to the same rules as one might apply to a cover letter for any other job. Keep it formal but not boring, interesting but not rambling, short but detailed enough to pique the interest of the reader. Creativity Counts Formal does not mean stiff or slow. Begin the letter as if it were the first line of your article, a plot point in your screenplay, or a dramatic moment of your novel. Get their attention. If you grab them from the beginning, you’re guaranteeing that they’ll read on for the statistical details like title, word count, story line, your background and experience, etc. Next, use the rest of the paragraph (another 2-3 sentences) to describe your story, its angle and scope as well as any details that make it different and unique. Avoid the Generic Form Letter Follow the opening paragraph with why your manuscript is perfect for this particular publication. Each and every editor you approach has different goals for their publishing house or venture. Appeal to them personally by investigating what those goals are before you submit your work and letting them know that you truly believe the two of you are a fit and not that they are receiving the same letter as every other editor in town. Who Are You? End with why you are the one to be writing this particular work. Any experience and expertise you have in the area of focus should be highlighted. Offer to send references, the first few chapters if it’s a book, and your curriculum vitae. Thank them for their time. Tell them that you look forward to hearing from them. Sign your name and include an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) if you are mailing your money making query letter. Brief, respectful, to the point, interesting and compelling - if these describe your query letter, then you have your ticket to not only publication but also a tidy little sum to pay the rent until you write again. - For a more in-depth explanation of the ghostwriting process, click here. For pricing details, click here. To inquire about our ghostwriting service, call
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