How do you query a Magazine?

[Umgowa]

I feel comfortable on how to query an agent or publisher for my novel . . . but how do you approach a magazine with a short article? Do you develop a query letter for it, much like you do with a novel? Do you develop a synopsis? Could someone please tell me how do you approach a magazine? Thanks.

[thekingsguard]

I'm new to this myself, so any answers here are very relevant to my interests

[Nexus]

Many magazines have their own ways to contact them for articles and research - and those are listed with their fiction guidelines.

Cosmos Magazine specifically lists what it wants.

My problem, and the reason that I posted a thread in this forum recently is that they are somewhat vague on the specifics.

Hopefully someone can fill in the blanks that those types of guidelines leave.

Also, you basically posted the same exact thread twice...I suspect this and that one will be merged soon.

[Umgowa]

Many magazines have their own ways to contact them for articles and research - and those are listed with their fiction guidelines.

Cosmos Magazine specifically lists what it wants.

My problem, and the reason that I posted a thread in this forum recently is that they are somewhat vague on the specifics.

Hopefully someone can fill in the blanks that those types of guidelines leave. I suspect this and that one will be merged soon.

Also, you basically posted the same exact thread twice...

Rather than nit-picking, Nexus, try to be helpful . . .On my first post I got no answer and was told to be more specific. So I got more specific. I'm doing the best I can to follow the moderator's instructions and get an answer to this question a lot of people want to know about. So I follow the directions and get more specific and then, bam!! get a criticism from you about "posting the same exact thread twice" ?

[Nexus]

I was trying to be helpful...

I was supporting your call for answers.

And then I added a bit about my problem or aspect of the problem hoping to get answers as well.

Not sure where you are getting nitpicking from but I was "trying" to support you... maybe it was because my immediate edit went in wrong - I meant to have "I suspect the threads will be merged blah blah" after the final ellipsis.

[Umgowa]

I was trying to be helpful...

I was supporting your call for answers.

And then I added a bit about my problem or aspect of the problem hoping to get answers as well.

Not sure where you are getting nitpicking from but I was "trying" to support you... maybe it was because my immediate edit went in wrong - I meant to have "I suspect the threads will be merged blah blah" after the final ellipsis.

No Problem, Nexus, I was perhaps a bit too defensive on my end . . . . Bottom line though, that makes three of us right off the bat looking for answers on this subject. I hope some of the more experienced folks reading this thread can provide some much needed input here.

[fov]

It's similar to writing a query for a novel. You need to sell the magazine on why it's an interesting idea, why their readers will care, and why you're the best person to write it.

There's not a simple answer to this question, and there are several good books on this subject that describe the format better than anyone could in a forum post, I think. (Not just about how to write a query, but also how to find the right magazine for the subject -- the two go hand in hand.) The two books I've used are The Renegade Writer and Making a Living as a Freelance Writer. Others that I've seen mentioned here are The Well-Fed Writer and Query Letters that Rock. I think the Writer's Market books also have sample magazine queries that you can refer to (at least, the last time I bought one ten years ago, it did!)

Hope that helps!

[Umgowa]

Thank you Fov. That's a big help. I'll check out those books.

[Sea Witch]

Hi Umgowa. I've been doing this for years (with NF), so I'll share what has worked for me. (I'm new to fiction).

When I first started, I used one of the sample letters from Writer's Market (the book).

Basically, it's like this:
1) 1 paragraph on why I'm contacting you: i.e. I read in your guidelines that you're looking for articles on X, Y, or Z.

2) 1 paragraph on what I want to write about and specifically the "angle". For example, not "I want to write about kumquats" but "I want to write about kumquat myths because they are so misunderstand and the information on the internet is rife with conflicting information."

3) 1 paragraph on why I'm the best person to write this article for you. I've been a kumquat farmer for 60 years and my articles on fruit have appeared in X, Y, and Z mags. Or I have a degree in Kumquat economics.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Exceptions:

Once recently I contacted a mag for guidelines, and the editor emailed me back with "we don't have any guidelines. what do you want to write about?" so it was much more informal, and basically I just sent him a hi how are you, here's my pitch. (and I write regularly for them now).

Once I contacted a mag about writing a specific article, and editor got back to me saying "nah, I don't think that applies to our readership..." But I thought he was wrong. So I spent a week gathering published stats and contacted him again with "I know you said no to this idea, but I think you may be wrong so with all due respect, let me show you some stats on why I think this is so important...." and I got 6 articles out of the deal.

So you have to be creative and think on your feet.

I hope this helps

[Umgowa]

Thanks, Sea witch: Your post was a big help. Let me ask you a newbie question. When you use words like "What I want to write about" . . . I have to conclude that in the freelance world (unlike the book world) you approach your market before the piece is written. You approach them with a concept. Not a completed work. Is this right?