How to Avoid Making Query Letter Mistakes

Sending out query letters to editors is a daunting and scary experience for many professional writers and within all topic fields.  There are many who have spent time working hard with their idea of the perfect article idea or book manuscript that could either end up within the successful pile or the dreaded trash pile.  Sending out a good query letter could lead to their article being published and paid.  Editors who receive a bad query letter will automatically send it back to you with a “no thank you”, or “sorry this isn’t what we are looking for” written on it.  So it is important to avoid these common query letter mistakes before sending out the next query letter.

• Avoid using statements that are from your family and/or friends such as your mother, father, best friend) sharing about how great your article is and any further compliments.

The reason for this is the editor isn’t interested in hearing from them, and they are more interested in whether their readers will enjoy the article. Also the editor may see those comments as a way to avoid discouraging or hurting your feelings if the article isn’t good.

• Avoid sharing about all of time spend on this article such as the amount of research that was done or missing other work to complete the article.

Editors aren’t interested in hearing about the time spent on the article.  They don’t know whether the statements are true as in reality you could be a slow writer.  Instead wait for the editor to become a regular client before sharing that type of information.

• Don’t mention that your article has previously been rejected by other publications.

Doing this will automatically put doubt in the editor’s mind and making them wonder what is wrong with the article?  The editor will wonder if they should even bother with reading the article.