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Inklings Issue 4.26
================================================================
i n k l i n g s
Inkspot's newsletter for Writers on the Net
http://www.inkspot.com
Issue 4.26 * Over 44,000 subscribers! * Dec.22, 1998
================================================================
<http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/issues/ink0426.html>
This issue features an article by Silja Talvia about negotiating
and following up after a query letter, and advice from Marcia
Yudkin about rewriting, editing, and getting paid for one's
writing.
This issue sponsored by:
=================================================================
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virtually every writers' program on the Net in 10 categories -
from accessories and brain trainers to personal organizers and
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=================================================================
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Call 1-888-7XLIBRIS and mention this ad. http://www.xlibris.com
================================================================
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================================================================
THE WRITER'S SOFTWARE COMPANION: award-winning multimedia
software by Writer's Digest's Nancy Kress. Advanced learning
technology and total immersion let you bypass years of
trial-and-error, dramatically accelerating your writing progress.
http://www.novalearn.com
================================================================
ISSN 1205-6413. Copyright 1995-1998 Debbie Ridpath Ohi. See end
of issue for copyright/contact info. http://www.inkspot.com
================================================================
CONTENTS THIS ISSUE:
From The Editor's Desk
Fresh Ink and Market Information
Ask The Freelance Writer
After The Query Letter
Writers' Classifieds
================================================================
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK:
=======================
Thanks to all of you for supporting Inkspot this past year. I
appreciate all your suggestions, feedback, offers to take flyers
to conferences and writers' group meetings, and kind words of
encouragement. :-) I have especially enjoyed hearing from those
of you who have made sales or useful contacts as a result of
Inkspot and its newsletter, Inklings.
The 1998 User Survey is now online, and I would very much
appreciate you taking a few minutes to fill it out. All the
questions are multiple choice, with an option to add comments at
the end. Your survey answers will be of enormous value to me in
helping to define who my users are. I'll be using this
information to improve the site and newsletter, and to attract
advertisers. The main goals of the survey:
1. To continue to improve Inkspot's value to writers.
2. To keep Inkspot free to its users.
PLEASE take the time to complete the survey. All surveys will be
entered in a random draw. *Prizes* include: 1999 Writer's Market,
copies of Strunk & White's ELEMENTS OF STYLE, Anne Lamott's BIRD
BY BIRD, THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO INTERNET RESOURCES by Phillips &
Yager, adjustable bookmarks, bookplates, desk calendars, other
goodies.
The survey is located at:
http://www.inkspot.com/survey/survey98.html
If you don't have a forms-capable browser, you can request a text
version of the survey from survey98@inkspot.com. Deadline for
prize draw: Jan.31, 1999.
Thanks to Jan Rodgers for recommending Inklings in her article
for Foreward magazine, a UK-based publication for writers. Thanks
also to PCNovice magazine for picking Inkspot in their "Best
Sites On The Web" Guide (Vol.7, Issue 1, p108).
EZines database (http://www.dominis.com/Zines/) has ranked
Inklings as one of the top email newsletters, according to
voters. Thanks to all those who have voted so far! If you'd like
to cast your vote (a ranking from 1 to 5), please use the form
listed at the bottom of the Inklings page:
http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/
Thanks to those who responded to my call for translators. I'll be
sorting through replies over the next few weeks and appreciate
your patience.
Congratulations to the following winners of the special bonus
giveaway hidden in the Classifieds section last issue: Sister
Mary Denis Maher, Kate Clabough, Todd Connor. Congratulations
also to Jack Morgan, winner of THE SUCCESSFUL WRITER'S GUIDE TO
PUBLISHING MAGAZINE ARTICLES by Eva Shaw, and Kathy Friedman,
winner of HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR CHILDREN'S BOOK by Evelyn Gallardo.
.-" +' "-. __, ,___,
/.'.'A_'*`.\ (--|__| _,,_ ,_
|:.*'/\-\. ':| _| |(_||_)|_)\/
|:.'.||"|.'*:| ( | | _/
\:~^~^~^~^:/ __, ,___,
/`-....-'\ (--|__| _ |' _| _, ,
jgs / \ _| |(_)||(_|(_|\//_)
`-.,____,.-' ( _/
See you next year! - Debbie
================================================================
FRESH INK
=========
BOOK PRIZE GIVEAWAY: THE WRITER'S HANDBOOK 1999
------------------------------------------------
Edited by Barry Turner (Macmillan General Books, 1998), 12th
edition. Excellent guide to UK markets, agents, contests,
associations, courses, services, grants and fellowships, library
services, and more. Deadline: Jan.3,1999. To enter, see URL below
for details:
http://www.inkspot.com/admin/giveaway.html
Sharpwriter.com
---------------
Categorized link resources for writers.
http://www.sharpwriter.com/¥
The Electric Editors
--------------------
Mainly resources and links for editors, but lots here for writers
as well.
http://www.ikingston.demon.co.uk/ee/
Grammar Queen
-------------
Promises to give "sage advice on how to wipe up those dangling
modifiers, pull the plug on passives, pepper your prose with
perfect punctuation... just ask."
http://www.grammarqueen.com/
Paying Online Zines For Writers
-------------------------------
Directory of paying online markets.
http://www.inkspot.com/bt/market/pay/
Writers' Ring
-------------
Critiques, discussion board, chat, ezine, resource links,
directory of writers.
http://www.writersring.com/
SpellWeb
--------
Interesting Web experiment in popularity of misspellings. :-)
http://www.spellweb.com/
Black on White
--------------
Need inspiration? This website is designed "to help writers
overcome hurdles (including fear) that are preventing them from
producing pages on a regular basis."
http://www.bfree.on.ca/bow/
For Young Writers
-----------------
Recently revamped by talented young writer, Joe Holler. Monthly
column, links, articles, interviews, tips from professional
writers.
http://www.inkspot.com/joe/young/
WD "Best Sites For Writers" nominations
---------------------------------------
Writer's Digest is collecting nominations for its "Best Sites For
Writers" issue coming out in May.
http://www.writersdigest.com/nominate.htm
SOME FUN LINKS TO EXPLORE DURING THE HOLIDAYS:
Joke A Day
----------
Daily dose of frivolity. Read the joke on the website, or get
a free email subscription.
http://www.jokeaday.com
Joan Stark's Christmas/Winter ASCII Art
---------------------------------------
Check out the rest of her site for more great ascii art. Great
for adding a bit of fun to your email. :-)
http://www.geocities.net/SoHo/7373/xmas.htm
And finally...
--------------
I'd love to get a Christmas card from those of you who send them
out! Include a clearly-printed email address and I'll enter you
in a random drawing for a copy of the 1999 Writer's Market. NO
ELECTRONIC CHRISTMAS CARDS, PLEASE. If you don't celebrate
Christmas, then a regular card would be also welcome. Please send
to Inkspot, POB 1325, North Tonawanda, NY, USA 14120-9325 or
Inkspot, 55 McCaul St., Box 123, Toronto, ON Canada M5T 2W7.
Deadline: Dec. 31st, 1998.
** Please send suggestions for Fresh Ink to freshink@inkspot.com
================================================================
Try FREELANCE SUCCESS, the marketing newsletter for serious
nonfiction writers, for just $25. Special offer ends Dec. 31!
Professional online writing courses start Jan. 18. Details,
www.freelancesuccess.com or e-mail freelance-success@usa.net.
================================================================
**WRITER HOLIDAY GIFTS ***Give what writers want most-THEIR BOOKS
IN PRINT-have their book(s) available worldwide on the Internet--
View online--print on-demand. Help improve their writing skills-
give a WRITING COURSE. Gift Certificates at www.WritersClub.com
================================================================
MARKET INFORMATION
==================
Please get current, detailed guidelines before submitting to
publications if possible. Don't submit to email addresses unless
specifically stated. Include a SASE for surface mail replies.
More market info at: http://www.inkspot.com/bt/market/.
==-----------------------------------------------------==
"FNASR" = First North American Serial Rights, "SASE" =
self-addressed, stamped envelope, "simsubs" = simultaneous
submissions, "mss" = manuscript, "RT" = response time, "GL" =
guidelines, "wds" = words, "cc" = contributor's copy,
"IWGL" = Inkspot Writer's Guideline Library.
Markets Editor: Sal Towse (ST). Research asst: Shane Stacks (SS).
WINDOWS TECHEDGE
----------------
Windows TechEdge. 501 Second St. San Francisco, CA 94107.
415-243-4188. Senior Associate Editor: Cesar Alvarez. Monthly.
Web-only magazine. First issue Jan 1999. Targets systems
analysts, network specialists, security engineers, application
integrators, software engineers and Webmasters searching for
innovative, strategic solutions they can use to effectively plan
and implement Windows 2000 and related NT technologies.
First-rate editorial, news, features, practical tips, and tricks
that address the problems found in today's complex, heterogeneous
environments. Needs writers with strong technical expertise in
Windows-based technologies and tools. Unsolicited manuscripts are
not accepted. Query with proposed word count, applicability to
Windows TechEdge, delivery date, description of supporting
materials, abstract/summary, clips and bio. Why would you be the
best author imaginable for the suggested article? RT: 1-2 wks
PAY: On publication. Pay is negotiable; depends on the experience
of the writer. Buys first reprint rights. The article cannot
appear in another publication or personal Web site until one
month after its initial publication. Note:This magazine is
produced by Web Publishing Inc., an IDG Communications company
specializing in Web-only magazines for highly technical
audiences. WPI publications also include JavaWorld, SunWorld, and
LinuxWorld. Links to these publications and their writers
guidelines can be found at the WPI site. (ST)
URL: http://www.wpi.com/windowstechedge
E-mail: editors@windowstechedge.com
Editorial calendar:
http://www.wpi.com/windowstechedge/wt-editcalendar.html
THE QUILL
---------
Thequill.com, the online resource and editorial centre for
beginning writers, will launch its e-mail newsletter in February
'99. Three positions are now open for contributing editors to
work on a regular, monthly assignment basis. To be considered,
please e-mail your full bio or resume and a sample
writing-related article, max. 250 wds to Charlotte Austin,
editor. The Quill will pay three selected contributors $0.03/wd
(US) for a 500 wd article, monthly cheque, max two articles per
contributor per month. Experience required. Internet research
necessary. Serious applicants only. DEADLINE: December 31, 1998.
Selected applicants only will be contacted by e-mail after the
closing date. (ST)
URL: http://www.thequill.com
E-mail: austin@thequill.com
WOMEN AS MANAGERS
-----------------
Women As Managers. Editor: Linda Avey Bullock. Bi-weekly
newsletter geared to women in management positions striving to
rise in the ranks. Wide range of management target audience,
with a focus on middle management (viewpoint is modern and
pro-female, without being too political). CIRC: approx 15K.
CURRENT NEEDS: articles addressing women's issues in the
workplace, management advice, interviews with successful
managers, new technology and its impact on the workplace, etc.
(send for guidelines for more info). GL: "What we're going for
is more in line with journalism than straight narrative." 500 -
800 wds (occasionally longer), second person generally preferred,
real examples of real people in real situations. Writers are
encouraged to break up article body with such devices as
sidebars, bullets, and boldface type where appropriate. Submit
via email as an attached file (MSWord or Rich Text format,
straight text as last resort), or cut and paste directly into
body of email. Always place an invoice and tag line (one or two
sentences stating your credentials as a writer) at end of
article, with invoice listing: your name, address, phone number,
Social Security number, title of article, word count, date, and
the name of the publication your article is written for. No
simsubs accepted, multiple submissions okay, previously published
material accepted occasionally. RIGHTS: FNASR, First
International Print, and First Electronic (with permission to use
article as it appears for limited Economics Press promotional
purposes, and permission for WAM subscribers to reprint in
in-house publications). PAYS: $50 per article, 10 cc's, byline,
and free plug for your business (if applicable). RT: within 6
weeks. TIP: "Currently, our greatest need is for expert advice on
achieving career success, whether you are the expert or are
interviewing experts. Remember, back your story up." (SS)
URL: http://www.epinc.com/prods/wam.htm
E-mail (for guidelines and submissions): LindaAvey@aol.com
PEER AMID
---------
Peer Amid is a non-paying quarterly market with a web presence. Peer
Amid's first short story contest is a no-fee contest with cash prizes
and will revolve around the theme "The Year 2000 and Beyond." NEEDS:
creative, original stories about what will happen on January 1, 2000, or
what life in 2000 and beyond will be like, assuming we survive the
millennium. 1st place: $125, and a "Y2K Survival Kit" assembled by Peer
Amid. 2nd: $75. 3rd: $50. Max 1K wds. Winning entry will be published in
the first issue of 1999, and the second and third place winners will be
published at the web site. DEADLINE: January 1, 1999. E-mail your
original story in the body of an email. Works too large to be contained
in the body of an email should be saved as a text file, and attached to
an email. Within the body of the email, please include your name and
email address. Hard copy entries should be typed and sent to: Y2K Story
Contest, Liberty Rose, Inc., 229 Liberty Street, California, PA, 15419.
Winners will be announced on January 15, 1999. (ST)
URL: http://www.peer-amid.com
GL: http://www.peer-amid.com/y2kcontest.html
E-mail: PeerAmid98@aol.com
TRINITY STORY CONTEST
---------------------
(Note: Authors must be resident in a European country)
Trinity (EuroCon 99) is running a bilingual story contest. TOPIC:
"Money Makes the World Go Round" NEEDS: Typed or printed
manuscripts in English or German that deal with the topic clearly
in terms of science fiction and have not been previously
published. Fantasy and Horror will not be accepted. Authors must
be resident in a European country. Writers who earn money with
their fiction on a regular basis cannot take part. The maximum
length is 10 standard manuscript pages (font size 10, double
spaced, 30 lines to 60 touches). 8 copies are required. One copy
will be sufficient, if the text is added as a file on a 3.5"
disk. A maximum of 3 stories can be sent in. The author's name is
not allowed to appear on manuscripts or within text files.
Stories cannot be accepted via internet for technical reasons.
DEADLINE for RECEIPT: January 31, 1999. First selection by the
editors' team of "The Tempest" the German magazine for science
fiction and fantasy writers. The final judgement will be given by
a jury of seven professional writers. Their decision is final
with no right of appeal. The three winners have free admission to
the convention, where they will receive their awards. The awards
are endowed with 1st: DM 999, 2d: DM 555, 3d: DM 333. The best
story will be published in the programme book. Authors accept
with the submission, that the right of publication for this
purpose lies with the committee of Trinity. The committee will
seek arrangements for a further publication of the three winning
stories. Members of the editors' team of "The Tempest" and the
committee of Trinity are not allowed to take part in the contest.
Address entries to: Autorenforum, "EuroCon", Postfach 11 69,
D-67601 Kaiserslautern, Germany. (ST)
MARKET UPDATES:
MURDEROUS INTENT
----------------
Murderous Intent Mystery Magazine will no longer accept snailmail
submissions. Important -- ALWAYS QUERY FIRST FOR PERMISSION TO
SEND STORY. Because of problems with computer viruses, Margo
Powers will discard any submission sent as an attached file --
without opening it if she has not given previous approval for the
attachment. You must query first. Stories sent by snailmail will
be returned unopened. The rest of the gls remain the same at
this time. (ST)
URL: http://www.teleport.com/~madison/
GL: http://www.mysterypages.com/MIguidelines.html
E-mail: madison@teleport.com
Please send market news to Sal Towse, towse@inkspot.com.
=================================================================
INKSPOT WRITERS' COMMUNITY CENTER (IWCC) UPDATE by Shane Stacks
December 9th's BOOK PROPOSALS WORKSHOP with Loretta Kemsley was a
resounding success, with 21 people attending, and excellent
questions asked all around (prompting solid, informative answers
from Loretta in return). A complete transcript can be found at:
http://www.inkspot.com/ss/iwcc/transcripts.html.
UPCOMING Chats:
January 13th- IWCC CHAT TUTORIAL with Robert Marcom
January 20th- WRITING FOR E-PUBLICATION with Loretta Kemsley.
See http://www.inkspot.com/ss/iwcc/ for more details!
The IWCC is generously supported by the kind folks at MOOkti
(http://noisey.oise.utoronto.ca:9996/).
NOTE: Inkspot's IWCC section is currently undergoing revision
to help make IWCC more user friendly for Inkspot/Inklings readers!
Suggestions, comments, etc. are more then welcome. Contact
Shane Stacks at ss@inkspot.com (you are also invited to use this
email for any and all IWCC related correspondence, including
general help and assistance).
================================================================
Ask The Experts
---------------
*** Please put "inklings question" in the subject header. ***
Judith Bowen (ROMANCE WRITER) JudithBowen@poboxes.com
David Breeden (POET) drpoetry@ktc.com
Charles Deemer (SCREENWRITER) cdeemer@teleport.com
Mark Fowler (LAWYER) askthelawyer@inkspot.com
Carol Henson (BOOK DOCTOR) bookdoc@Prodigy.net
Ken Jenks (ELECTRONIC PUBLISHER) MindsEye@tale.com
Michelle Sagara (SF/FANTASY WRITER) Michelle.Sagara@sff.net
Lee Wardlaw (CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITER) lee@inkspot.com
Marcia Yudkin (FREELANCE WRITER) send to yudkin@inkspot.com
Columnists may be unable to reply privately to every message,
but will answer selected questions in future issues of Inklings.
Please keep your question BRIEF and send it to *one* columnist.
=================================================================
ASK THE FREELANCE WRITER
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Marcia Yudkin <yudkin@inkspot.com>
Is it fair for magazines to ask their writers to write for free?
----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Some publications simply can't afford to pay. However, writers
can't afford to keep writing for free. Do you think it's fair for
magazines (both print and e-zines) to ask writers to write for
free? How can editors approach this ethically?
I question your assumption that some sources simply can't afford
to pay. Compare these statements: "Some magazines simply can't
afford to pay their printer." "Some offices simply can't afford
to pay their rent." An inevitable cost of publishing a printed
magazine is the cost of printing. Can you imagine a publisher
expecting a printer to do the printing for free? How well do you
think the office manager's argument for not paying the landlord
rent would go over? Unfortunately, some publishers do not
understand that writers have as much of a right to be paid for
their work as do printers, painters, landlords and plumbers. The
ethical way to proceed, since you asked, is to work a fee for
writers into your budget just the same way you would budget for
rent, Web space, printing, etc.
How can I get paid earlier?
---------------------------
Q: The fact that publications might not pay for 6-12 months after
acceptance bothers me and is making me consider opting out of the
freelance scene. Do you have any advice?
Yes: try to negotiate. There's no harm in asking a publication
that has a policy of pay on publication if they will pay you on
acceptance. Sometimes asking is all you have to do to get better
terms. Other times it's possible to come up with a creative
compromise. For example, once I asked a magazine that normally
paid on publication if they could pay me on acceptance. The
editor replied, "Your article will come out in the January issue
and you'll be paid then. If I tried to put in a request for
payment outside of our system, you could be paid even later." I
then asked, "Can we agree that I'll be paid on publication or in
January, whichever is sooner?" "Sure," he agreed. That protected
me in case the article got "bumped" to a later issue.
How much editing should an editor do?
-------------------------------------
Q: To what extent does an editor have the right to "edit" a
non-fiction magazine article purchased from a freelance writer
for publication? I'm not happy to have someone attribute words
not written by me -- particularly in a non-fiction piece where
the implications can be profound.
It's never pleasant to open a magazine, see your byline and not
recognize the prose that comes after your name. When this
happens, before you rush to complain, consider whether it's
possible that the editor has improved your writing. I constantly
learn from the way that I'm edited. Comparing the way I wrote
something with the way it was published has helped me grow and
improve as a writer. However, when an editor imposes drastic
changes in your style that you can't live with it may be best to
look for other publications that are more respectful of writers
or more in tune with your style of writing. Only when the editing
introduces factual errors should you take the step of complaining
to the editor about the editing. It's an editor's job to edit!
How different does a rewrite have to be?
----------------------------------------
Q: A small local newspaper said they want a shorter version of a
travel piece I wrote. They don't pay much and I'd like to be able
to publish this piece in a better magazine some day. How
different does a rewrite have to be so that I can use it again
somewhere else without violating "no reprint" rules?
I wish there were a hard-and-fast rule I could give you, such as
"If you change 33.675 percent or more of the article, it counts
as a completely different article." However, there is no such
rule, either legally or in common practice in the publishing
world. Because some of the better magazines don't want to
publish anything that previously appeared in any form at all, the
best thing to do in a case like yours is to state the facts to
later editors: "A much shorter version of this piece appeared in
the Hometown News, which circulates to 3,000 readers in Humboldt
County." Then they have the information they need to make the
appropriate decision.
==--------------------------------------------==
Marcia Yudkin is a freelance writer who has published hundreds of
magazine articles in markets ranging from the _New York Times_ to
_Cosmopolitan_, and is the author of nine non-fiction books. Get
e-mailed copies of Marcia Yudkin's Freelance Writing FAQ by
sending e-mail (it doesn't matter what is contained in the
e-mail) to: FL@yudkin.com. Copies of other articles for freelance
writers are available at http://www.jobshow.com/careeradv.html
under "Advice for Writers." Her most recent book is WRITING
ARTICLES ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND YOU (Writers Digest Books).
Copyright (c) 1998 Marcia Yudkin.
=================================================================
AFTER THE QUERY LETTER: LEARNING TO NEGOTIATE
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By Silja J.A. Talvi <sisu@well.com>
That fabulous query letter for an article on a nationwide
telemarketing scam went out over a month ago. You check your
mailbox every day, but there's no word from the editor of the
political monthly you're targeting for this article. And what
about that query you sent two weeks ago for a 2,000-word piece on
the secret life of Microsoft's Bill Gates? Why haven't you heard
back from that computer magazine? Should you bother them with a
phone call? Wouldn't they contact you if they really liked your
idea?
Whether you've been busy pitching political scandal stories or
beauty tip fillers, odds have it that this kind of scenario has
played out for you. Newer writers, in particular, are often
hesitant to follow-up on queries for fear of sounding too eager
or appearing too bothersome to editors. Knowing that their
natural talent is best expressed through the written medium, many
writers worry about sounding inarticulate or unprofessional on
the telephone. Because of these reasons, countless writers are
unwilling to contact editors, consequently losing out on
assignments that they may have otherwise received.
If you're nervous about making a follow-up phone call, it is
fundamentally important to recognize that you are a professional
just as the editor is a professional. Thinking of yourself in
this way will go a long way toward increasing your confidence as
a writer. It will also go a long way toward selling your product.
The number of articles you have published--or the amount of time
you have been writing--does not make you a writer. Writing makes
you a writer. As such, you deserve to be treated with the same
respect as someone who has published 50 articles or who has
been writing for several decades.
With that in mind, realize that you will probably end up leaving
a message with an editorial assistant, a receptionist, or on the
editor's voice mail. If you're lucky enough to get straight
through to the editor, it helps to have a script in front of you
that you can refer to. Write this script out ahead of time, and
practice sounding relaxed and confident while you read through
it. Over time, the scripts will become less necessary as you grow
accustomed to talking with editors.
Before you call, take a few deep breaths. Focus yourself on the
task ahead, and only then place the call. When you get through,
explain that you sent your query so many weeks ago, and that
you'd love to know if the editor has any interest in it. Be
prepared to explain your story idea again, because the editor may
have forgotten what it was about.
Be succinct, complementary to the editor, and don't dominate the
conversation unless the editor is specifically asking you the
kinds of questions that require you to do most of the talking.
The editor will probably be quick and to the point about whether
the magazine needs the article you are proposing.
If you are absolutely unwilling to call the editor, call the
publication's general information number for the editor's fax
number. Alternately, contact the editor by e-mail. (Be aware that
some editors check their e-mail very infrequently or put a lower
priority on it than postal mail, so your e-mail may sit around
for a long time without getting read.) Then, send in a brief,
professional letter summarizing your original proposal,
explaining that you're very interested in writing this article
for their publication. The more you know about why your article
would work for that particular publication, the better. Sound
enthusiastic, but not excessively so. You want to come across as
a person who cares about your work and about their publication,
but not as someone who is desperate to get published.
Depending on the timeliness of the article, you may want to wait
between two to six weeks to contact the editor after sending your
initial query. If the magazine has established guidelines for how
long they take to respond to queries, respect those guidelines.
The only exceptions to these rules are current, "hot" stories
that require a quicker answer from the publication.
Never underestimate the importance of follow-up contact with an
editor. By making your presence known, you will begin to stand
out from amongst the dozens or even hundreds of query letters
that editor must sift through every month. When you present
yourself as someone who has more than a passing interest in
working with that particular publication, the editor will be more
likely to take notice of you. If your original query is rejected
but you've been able to make pleasant contact with the editor in
your follow-up conversations, immediately send off another
interesting idea for him or her to consider. If you receive your
rejection by phone, it is entirely appropriate to pitch the
editor a quick idea for another article and explain that you
could write out a more detailed proposal and put it in the mail.
Before long, this kind of persistence pays off in the best
possible way, as lasting relationships are formed between you and
the editors you contact. Eventually, such relationships will
yield more prompt responses, interesting assignments, and better
pay for your articles. While your career as a freelance writer
will, in all likelihood, always necessitate query letters and
phone calls, they'll soon become second nature to you. Just don't
let apprehension get in the way of your success--and follow-up
until you drop!
==-----------------------------------------------==
Silja J.A. Talvi is a Seattle-based writer. Her articles, essays
and photographs have appeared in numerous magazines and
newspapers including In These Times, High Times, The New
Internationalist, American Visions and the San Jose Mercury News.
Copyright (c) 1998 Silja Talvi.
=================================================================
W R I T E R S ' C L A S S I F I E D S
=================================================================
WEBSTORE FOR WRITERS includes the popular "Writers' Software
Store". Ready to be a master? See http://www.MasterFreelancer.com
=================================================================
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