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Non-Fiction Writers Workshop
by Carolyn Dekat
Query Letters, 1
When you have a good lead and a strong summary, your query letter is lacking just one vital ingredient: your author's biography or bio. This is no time to be bashful or overly modest. This is a job interview, and if you want the "position" the editor is going to expect you to sell your ability to handle the assignment.
After you acquire one or more magazine credits, use them to open your bio. Simply state in what publication your work has appeared. If the publication is small or obscure, include a brief description. If your article is similar in style, approach, or subject matter to the topic you are proposing, include a copy with your query letter.
If you have recently sold a piece that is as yet unpublished, mention that you have sold to the publication and the date you expect the article to appear.
Do not send copies of unpublished articles without having the express written consent of the publication that will be featuring it.
If you have been given the go-ahead on a piece that was ultimately rejected, it is still acceptable to mention that you have written for the magazine.
List all your writing credits until you have about nine. As you build a portfolio of 10 or more published pieces, you can begin to be selective about which credits to mention in your bio.
Choose those that most closely compare with the piece and the publication that you are currently approaching.
When your writing credits include a published book, list it first in the query if it is your strongest qualification for writing the article, giving the exact title and publisher and a brief description. If it is not related to your topic, mention it last.
Other credits include newspaper pieces, fillers, newsletters, freelance public relations work, technical writing, copywriting, brochures and fliers, and other forms of writing for which you are paid. These are not as good as magazine credits and should only be mentioned if you have no other credits to fall back on.
So what if you have no writing credits period? Emphasize your other qualifications. What might they be, you say? The editor for American Baby once made the point that writing credentials were not as important to her as the fact that the writer understood her readers. Thus reading American Baby or simply being a parent was a prime qualification to write for her publication.
Look for relevant bio material in the following places:
Your job: If you have done any writing in connection with your job, mention it. This could include editing experience. If the subject matter of the material connects with your query, include a copy. If your current or former job includes no writing, but is related somehow to your topic, mention it and your title, if it's impressive. For lower positions just list your responsibilities and how they relate to your piece. Be as specific as you can.
Your education: If you've had specialized training that relates to your topic, mention it, along with any undergraduate degrees that are relevant to the topic. (The only thing to exclude here is writing courses.) Post-graduate degrees are worth mentioning even when they don't relate to the topic at hand. If you've done any teaching or speaking on your subject or one closely related, then include a course listing or seminar brochure that features your class/speech/workshop.
Your experience: Even if your article is not a first person account, direct personal experience goes a long way in qualifying you to write about the topic. Explain the connection to the editor. If you match the reader profile for the publication you're targeting, mention how you do so as well. (We'll learn how to determine reader profile in an upcoming marketing segment.)
Your hobbies: A strong interest in a subject can make you an authority! Cite as much evidence of your interest as possible. An extensive/expensive or unusual collection is noteworthy, as is a personal library of many books and/or articles about a subject. If you have attended shows that center around your hobby, that can be included, too.
Your family: If a spouse's (sister's, father's, uncle's) expertise will back your ability to cover the topic, mention it. For example: "As the wife of a general contractor, I am well acquainted with the preparation that goes into the planning stages of a remodeling project and these phases are described in my article ______________."
Homework
Using the above guidelines, assemble all the material that can go in your bio.
Then edit that information down to a paragraph that is short and convincing. Starting with your writing credits, list the strongest credential and work down, but phrase all credits in the strongest possible way. "I don't have any writing credits, but..." is a weak statement. Don't use it!
Close by asking for the sale directly.
There you have it. All three parts of the query letter! If you've been working on a query letter, please post your finished one. Tell us if you want feedback! You can practice doing a query even if you haven't decided on a market to target yet. Make one up! There will be one more query letter segment providing a checklist and some query letter pitfalls to avoid. Look for it next week.
© 1998 Carolyn Dekat
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