eWriteLife Blog

Tip #3 from How to Increase Your Chances of Publication

Whether you’re asking for writers’ guidelines, pitching in an idea, or submitting a complete manuscript - writing great letters is a good thing to practice. I have gotten some good writing leads just based from “letters to the editor” that I sent out.

Once, I sent a congratulatory letter to a freelance writer whose work I admired. The said writer wrote back to me in excitement and came up with several proposals and a paid writing job. And, another time, I received a lucrative freelance writing gig just based from a letter to an editor I wrote. Yes, the editor-in-chief of a national glossy magazine wrote back to me with a writing job offer.

So, start writing those letters! Some basic tips that you might want to pick up are as follows:

• When requesting for guidelines or sending out congratulatory notes, don’t just give a one-liner. Emails like “guidelines please” or “congrats!” just won’t cut it. Give a brief background of your work and perhaps a relevant URL or two. Tell him or her why you’re requesting for guidelines or why you think the work you’re commenting on deserves merit. This may or may not get you anywhere - but it’s definitely good writing practice.
• Don’t overdo it! If you’re simply inquiring about a possible writing job, don’t send out a complete manuscript and/or your two-page resume. Unless, of course, it was asked for by the editor or publisher.
• When sending out a manuscript, do include a brief note to the editor or publisher. Let him or her know how you found out about their publication, why you like to submit your work with them, and a brief writing background. Don’t leave your recipient guessing about that submission.
• Don’t hesitate to follow up. Sometimes, mails get lost and you don’t receive any response. Don’t fume just yet! Write again without sounding demanding. Editors and publishers are busy, buuusssyyy people. So, don’t bug them too much either :-D.
• Sending out queries won’t hurt you. Sure, you might be ignored. Sure, you might get rejected. Sure, you just might hit the jackpot. What are the chances? Well, you’ll not find out unless you try. Go for it!

Your Assignment: Practice writing cover letters and queries. Remember the guidelines you’ll collect for the market study? Try and send out one query within this week.