| Ask a bunch of aspiring magazine writers what | | | | national publications. |
| editors are looking for when they read article | | | | 4. Expertise. Professional degree credentials are |
| queries and I'll bet most of them answer, "good | | | | not quite as valued by editors as many |
| article ideas." | | | | well-educated people expect. Unfortunately, many |
| Well, sort of. What editors most want to find in | | | | experts cannot explain what they know in ways |
| queries are good article ideas from writers who | | | | that capture the attention of magazine readers. |
| have an appealing edge over other writers. | | | | But those who can write in a popular style have a |
| Contrary to what most beginning freelancers | | | | great opportunity to endear themselves to |
| think, that edge need not be writing talent. A | | | | editors. |
| good many other qualities, some of which don't | | | | 5. Controversy. If you're one of those people |
| show up in a query, make a writer valuable to an | | | | who have a knack for making people sit up and |
| editor. | | | | argue for or against what you're saying, some |
| Ever hopeful yet skeptical, editors read queries | | | | editors consider that a worthy strong point. What |
| for evidence that a writer not only has a relevant | | | | generally accepted views can you passionately - |
| article idea but also one or more of the following | | | | and credibly - dispute? Just don't launch an attack |
| qualities: | | | | that's going to inspire death threats or make you |
| 1. Research ability. Writers who can turn up | | | | untouchable when you want to write on other |
| little-known, highly interesting truths, track down | | | | issues. |
| hard-to-find statistics and answer thorny factual | | | | 6. Dependability. Editors can't know how |
| questions can easily rack up magazine | | | | dependable you are from a query, of course, but |
| assignments as long as they also understand what | | | | having had a weekly column or having written |
| makes a topic relevant to a certain publication's | | | | regularly for one publication strongly implies that |
| readers. Build your queries around such material | | | | you adhere to journalistic standards and meet |
| and you'll soon have lots of editors as regular | | | | deadlines. Because an editor has to get an issue |
| clients - especially if your submissions sail through | | | | finished on time no matter what, this quality |
| the fact-checking process. | | | | counts heavily. "When I told editors that I'd |
| 2. First-hand knowledge. Pilot and flight instructor | | | | written for Crain's Chicago Business every week |
| Mal Gormley found himself in demand as a writer | | | | for fifteen years, it impressed the hell out of |
| for Business & Commercial Aviation, Aviation | | | | them," says Joanne Cleaver. "'Wow - fifteen |
| Week and other aviation magazines, which had all | | | | years': their tone of voice changed." Once you |
| gotten burned by freelancers who were decent | | | | demonstrate dependability to an editor, you're in |
| writers and researchers but who just didn't | | | | the running for repeat assignments. |
| understand flying. Hobbies, languages you speak, | | | | 7. Quickness. With their unforgiving publication |
| where you live or have lived and family | | | | schedule, editors also value writers who can bang |
| circumstances such as being a parent of twins | | | | out a readable article in next to no time. If you've |
| can each sometimes add to your appeal and win | | | | ever had a writing job with daily deadlines, |
| you assignments and repeat business from | | | | mention that as one of your qualifications. It might |
| editors if you play your cards shrewdly in | | | | get you an opportunity to come to the rescue |
| proposing and writing articles. | | | | when another freelancer fails to deliver what was |
| 3. Access. Did you used to be a wardrobe | | | | promised and an editor is looking at a hole in the |
| assistant in Hollywood or an executive coach for | | | | issue about to close. |
| Fortune 100 CEOs? If you can validly claim unusual | | | | 8. Catchy phrasing. Think about those phrases |
| access to hard-to-reach groups of people, you | | | | that suddenly enter the language, seemingly from |
| may find it easier to land assignments. Debra | | | | nowhere, such as "mommy track," "chick lit" or |
| Wallace, who has interviewed such film stars as | | | | "alpha male." Show the ability to coin such |
| Dustin Hoffman, Glenn Close and Lauren Bacall, | | | | concepts in your query, and an editor might think |
| says that the celebrity writing business is "tough | | | | "Cover story!" |
| and not for the faint of heart." She advises | | | | Make one of these eight qualities your calling card, |
| novices to prove their ability to get access first | | | | and you'll find numerous magazine doors opening |
| at smaller, local magazines before approaching | | | | for you as a freelancer. |