5 tips for writing a winning query letter

Want to get published in a magazine or online publication? A good query letter is usually the starting point.

You have a great article idea for a magazine (either print or online), but you have no idea how to sell it to an editor.

How can you get that great idea in front of an editor—especially if you’ve never written for her before or, even scarier, have little experience writing for publication?

In numerous classes I’ve done at writing conferences and in books I’ve written on the topic, I often give this advice: It’s not rocket science.

Editors, more than anything, are looking for content that their readers will love. If an idea comes across their desk that’s perfect for their publication (or that they’ve never published before), they’ll give serious consideration to it even if they’ve never worked with you before or you don’t have a huge list of credentials.

One of my favorite magazine editors told me one time that he could care less if an article’s author didn’t have a lot of experience. He could tell from the writer’s pitch whether the writer was professional—and if the idea was a good one.

(Note that the process of pitching an article idea also works for those of us who’ve been published many times. If I’ve never published in a particular magazine or online publication, I’ll be sure to follow this process to pitch a great idea.)

So, what’s this “not rocket science” process?

You need to learn how to write an effective query letter—and you can learn it in just a few easy steps, and by following the five tips below.

** A query letter is a short, one-page letter you send to an editor to pitch an article idea. **

1) Get to know the magazine.

You want to make sure you’re submitting an idea that’s appropriate for the publication. Study past issues of the publication, reading for tone and content. Editors don’t want to get pitched an idea that doesn’t fit their audience or concept. (I had an editor tell me one time that you’d be amazed at how many queries they received from writers who’d clearly never read their magazine.)

2) Study writer’s guidelines.

Magazines and other publications let potential writers know their requirements, current needs and other information in their printed or online guidelines. It’s vital that you read these guidelines before querying!

There are many places to find writer’s guidelines. The annual Writer’s Market is one of the best resources for finding this information (I believe that all freelance writers should own a copy); you can find the 2025 edition here. The Christian Writers Market Guide is another valuable resource; it focuses on Christian publications (magazines, and also book publishers) and publications that publish Christian material. You can find the 2025 edition here.

There are also many websites that include guidelines for magazines. One of my favorites is the database at WritersWrite.com.

And one of the best ways to find writer’s guidelines is to go directly to the magazines. Guidelines for interested writers can often be found on the publication’s website. When you go to a magazine’s website, simply search for “guidelines” or “how to submit” or a similar search to find them. (Here’s an example from Guideposts Magazine.)

Guidelines will give you a world of information about what a magazine wants: potential topics, word counts, payment information, issue themes or special calls for submissions, how to submit, etc.

3) Submit the proper way.