Subject line in an e-query

[Ulee_Lhea]

A quick question for you more experienced freelancers--for magazines, when querying an article by email, what do you put in the subject line?

Name of the article? Name of the department? Name of the editor? Your own name?

It seems like such a little thing, but I'm totally stumped.

Thanks for any advice you can give ...

[Chris P]

For fiction, the submission guidelines will often state the preferred form. Usually, it's something like "Author - Title - Word Count"

[Ulee_Lhea]

Thanks for that! I just clarified ... this is for a magazine article.

Good to know for fiction too, though.

[WildScribe]

I put:

Query: Name of artice - My Name

That way the editor knows what it is (a query), knows the general idea (the article name) and can easily find it later if s/he needs to (by referencing my name).

[Ulee_Lhea]

Awesome! Thanks for that.

[CatMuse33]

Wild, that's a great idea to include your name... I follow the same format "QUERY: (in caps) Article Title. Sometimes I use "STORY PITCH:" if it's for a website or a niche publication where the editor may not be familiar with the term "query." (Really, it happens in hobby magazines! LOL)

Dawn

[WildScribe]

I wish I could take credit, but I stole the idea from... uh... Linda Formichelli, maybe?

[LindaF]

Ha ha, that was me, WildScribe! And don't forget to be careful, because one time my subject line read:

Query from Writer: What's That Smell? Linda Formichelli

And of course, I didn't catch it in time as it zapped off to an editor.

Linda

[WildScribe]

I'm sure the editor didn't mind; you probably weren't even in the same state. ;)

[Ulee_Lhea]

Too funny!

Sending my first two queries EVER IN MY LIFE today ... and I will definitely follow the great advice from this thread. Thanks again!

[Arisa81]

I have never thought of putting my name in the subject line. I must try this.