Outsourcing the querying process....

James81 · Jun 25, 2009

What do you all think about this? Instead of researching the markets and banging out query letters in mass format, what if instead you outsourced that area to others, made it their job to find you writing assignments?

Has anybody ever done this? If you have, care to elaborate on how you go about doing it?

Is it a feasible idea? Why or why not?

Team 2012 · Jun 25, 2009

I am sure there are people here who would be happy to handle your queries for a fee.

If the fee is high enough, we might be interested ourselves. How much are we talking, here?

CatMuse33 · Jun 25, 2009

I've often considered the idea. I LOVE the idea, as I hate querying... But I almost feel like it would be false advertising... your query is supposed to showcase "your" writing skills so the editor can decide if they want to hire you or not.

Also, querying is so emotionally harrowing (for me) to begin with, I'd wonder if the story was rejected because of my idea or my employee's writing. And... finally...

If someone is good enough that I could pay them to write queries and sell my stories to top markets... why on earth wouldn't they just sell their own stories to those markets? LOL Ideas really are a dime a dozen, it's what you do with them that counts.

Market research, though, that's another story! You could hire a VA (Virtual Assistant) to do that for you, and they aren't very expensive. (relatively speaking). Or a college kid dying to learn the ropes of freelancing. In fact, my niece may be available to do market research. (We've talked about it, and I may hire her later in the year for it... either that or babysitting, and since I like playing with my daughter more than I like market research, it makes sense to go that route! LOL)

Dawn

SouthernFriedJulie · Jun 26, 2009

Team 2012 said:
I am sure there are people here who would be happy to handle your queries for a fee.

If the fee is high enough, we might be interested ourselves. How much are we talking, here?

Seriously, that way of speaking is too damned freaky for real life. It's like a Gollum account.

KTC · Jun 26, 2009

I have often wished I could do this, James. I love writing. I hate writing a query. I have yet to write one I've been happy with. I HATE it. The thing is...the person would have to read your entire novel, I would think. It would be a big undertaking. I think we have to own this ugly task for ourselves. As much as I HATE doing so.

Norman D Gutter · Jun 26, 2009

Such services do exist, but they are essentially scams. They will use a shotgun approach and send identicle queries to every editor they can find an e-mail address for. It will ruin or seriously diminish your future chances with those editors.

If there is a legitimate business or individual providing this service, I haven't found them yet.

SouthernFriedJulie · Jun 26, 2009

I love querying. I'm also darned good at finding gigs for others. Maybe this is something I should do.

Would be stumped on a fair fee. Maybe a flat rate per query?

Would you really want someone to do this for you, because I've been contemplating offering that sort of service for a while, ask Catmuse!

KTC · Jun 26, 2009

How did I miss that this was in Freelancing? (-; Querying articles is not a big deal, James. If you know what you want to write...and you know your market.

stldenise · Jun 26, 2009

Perhaps instead of hiring a college kid to query you should buy the online subscription of Writer's Market. You can search the book pretty easy online. I think it even comes free with the deluxe version of the book if you like having a hard copy.

I usually write one decent query then cannibalize it for my others. Each copy just needs a little tweak to taylor it to your market. Once you get your foot in the door, and develop a relationship with a few editors, this gets easier.

Of course, you could try a hired gun, uh pen, like Julie to see if works. A fellow writer might get you better results than a college kid who doesn't know the ropes yet. I'm sure she could take your sample query and tweak it from here to Sunday for different markets.

Matt Willard · Jun 26, 2009

stldenise said:
Perhaps instead of hiring a college kid to query you should buy the online subscription of Writer's Market. You can search the book pretty easy online. I think it even comes free with the deluxe version of the book if you like having a hard copy.

This is what I plan to do for humor markets...just as soon as I can sell some humor and get some cash :V

CatMuse33 · Jun 26, 2009

Denise,
Just to clarify (Not sure if you were referring to my post or not) I was talking about a college kid for market research, not writing the queries. I'd trust someone like Julie for that, but not an unpublished beginner.

I know Writer's Market makes it *easier* but there are a lot of markets not even in Writer's Market.
Dawn

stldenise · Jun 27, 2009

Good point!

scottVee · Jun 27, 2009

I agree with Norman. While querying appears to be an "obvious" target for someone else to do for you, I have never seen a legitimate offer from any company.

I was once heavily involved in a strategy discussion with a publisher about whether or not they should offer such a service, and the conclusion was ... that's just one step out of many, and if you're going to take that one step as a company, it's better to offer the whole package and just become an agent.

Putting on the writer's hat: I don't know anybody that I would trust (more than myself) to send my work out there. Or query, or do anything on my behalf. Except a full-blown agent. Even then, it would have to be a serious, top-notch agent. No kooks or beginners.

SouthernFriedJulie · Jun 27, 2009

scottVee said:
No kooks

Well, there goes my idea.

LindaF · Jun 28, 2009

I don't think that's a very good idea at all. As one of the above posters said, it's kind of like false advertising. What happens if the query is accepted, and your article comes out sounding nothing like the query the employee churned out? The query is supposed to showcase your writing. It's all the editor has to understand your writing style and abilities. I teach an e-course on how to write a query letter, and when I critique my students' final queries, I always just give suggestions and try to focus on organization and content -- I would never actually rewrite their style.

Outsourcing is great -- I hire someone to transcribe my interviews and have hired an assistant to create PDFs of clips for me -- but I think that outsourcing your queries is a no-no.

Linda
http://www.lindaformichelli.com
Blog: http://www.therenegadewriter.com
Write for Magazines: http://www.writeformagazines.com

Angie · Jun 28, 2009

SouthernFriedJulie said:
scottVee said:

No kooks

Click to expand...

Well, there goes my idea.

CatMuse33 · Jun 28, 2009

I think I'd kill for someone to make PDFs for me.

Hmm... that might be a good job for my niece, too, along with the babysitting--though not at the same time. Practically impossible to get anything done with an eight month old. LOL

Linda, thank you for your input. It's good to hear I'm not off-base on that (w/ a query being a sample of your writing, etc...)

Andreya · Jun 29, 2009

Why is making PDFs so hard? just curious?
(a scanner or Open Office..? I even shot a piece with my camera to make a .jpeg once-?)

I think I agree with the others that a query showcases your skills..
Also, some magazines or newspapers you can just query by phone? (& send work in later)

shared or outsourced research might be nice, yeah..
Also, maybe one could write the queries oneself & the other person would just send or tweak them? (just brainstroming here..) It would have to be someone you could absolutely trust..

CatMuse33 · Jun 29, 2009

Andreya,

It's not hard so much as time consuming. Especially when you have let clips build up for nearly 16 years of writing. LOL I literally have cases of magazines in my house, big rubbermaid boxes, and it would be so awesome to slim the collection down to a few favorites and a bunch of DVD-ROMs. LOL Because it's not like I can find anything with my current system.

What I *should* do is start today and PDF every new piece, and do one additional old piece everyday, too. Hmm.. that's a plan! Will have to wait until we're in the new house with the scanner set up... Okay, I'm thinking aloud here but THANK YOU Andreya for sparking my brain into considering options.

ON topic -- If I had a VA, I think I'd probably have her proof every query I sent out, and then she would also be able to double check the e-mail address, editor's name and that I'm pitching within the guidelines. (For instance, they want features under 1,200 words, I didn't pitch a 1,500 word feature). Someday I'm going to afford both a VA and a babysitter and I swear I won't know what to do with myself with the spare time. LOL

Dawn

LindaF · Jun 29, 2009

Andreya, I'm with Cat -- it's just not something I want to spend time doing! Especially since I had 10 years worth of clips that needed to be digitized.

Cat, I hear you on the baby...I have a 6-month-old. Luckily, I now rent an outside office and my husband takes care of the baby while I work...but my husband writes part-time, and we know how hard it is to get work done with a baby who needs attention!

Linda

Andreya · Jun 29, 2009

lol Thanks!

It is obvious I don't have so many clips yet!

WOW, 20 & 10 years of writing! *AND* babies!! - I admire you guys!!

Glad to spark off ideas.. Anytime..

BenPanced · Jun 29, 2009

Just about every query service that's been the subject of a post in B&BC has proven to be useless. As mentioned above, they "machine gun" the queries to every email address they have and nobody's ever found work or an agent. When the operator of the service makes an appearance, we're branded "jelose loosers" and when asked who their successful clients are, they usually cite confidentiality and are never heard from again.

mario_c · Jun 30, 2009

Oh no! James done got banninated!

I personally hate the idea of any mass mailer, it reeks of spam. I don't know how it works in non-fiction or literature, but in the script writing world if you don't have an agent or manager, an attorney is often required to mail the script in.

wombat · Jul 8, 2009

Ran across this and thought of this thread.
http://www.pitchtopia.org/
I would love to believe that this was going to work.

CatMuse33 · Jul 8, 2009

Wombat,
Me too!! I was just about to post the link. The only issue I could see is if I couldn't go ahead and pitch on my own as well as listing with their service.

Just curious... what makes you think it wouldn't work? (Asking because I applied for a job there and would love to hear someone thinks it's got staying power... or why it doesn't!)

Dawn

Outsourcing the querying process....

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