I think it’s interesting that writers typically struggle so much with writing their correspondence, despite the fact that they make their living by their pen (or keyboard). To be fair, though, I can’t say I’m not one of those. I’ve struggled with queries and cover letters as much as any other beginning freelancer, but I’m willing to help share some of what I’ve learned with my fellow writers.

You have to sell yourself and your idea. It’s been said that writers tend to pretty introverted people; whether that’s true or not, it is true that writers have a job that doesn’t require them to interact overly much with people. I think many of us would balk at working for a telemarketing company or in another sales-related type of position, so it’s hard to come to grips with the fact that freelancing, by nature, requires you to market yourself. When you write a query, remember that you are depending on this letter to get you the job. It has nothing to do with your experience, your education, or your capabilities – it’s how good you are at selling yourself in your query. Likewise, without a catchy cover letter on your submission, your piece may never get the attention it deserves.

You have to make a good first impression. You’re not there to force the editor’s hand, so you have to make sure you grab his attention right from the get-go. The opening lines of your letter should be catchy – but not necessarily trendy, as this can turn editors off from you. Avoid clichés at all costs! Depend on your writing skills and your knowledge of the subject to write a compelling opening to your letter, and you should be fine.

You have to demonstrate that you know your subject. The editor will want evidence that you know what you’re doing, so make sure you’ve already done enough preliminary research on the subject of your article that you can include some brief background information on your query. It’s especially helpful to know about the competition: who else has published materials on the same topic.

You have to convince the editor that you’re the perfect writer for the job. If you’ve done everything I’ve already mentioned, this step should be nearly complete already. To top it off, you might want to mention any professional background information or personal interests that qualify you to write the piece, as well as any similar-minded articles you have published in the past.

You have to keep your letter brief. Editors like queries because they simply have far too much work to read each writer’s submission. Therefore, your query or cover letter should be brief – absolutely not more than one page. Include all the necessary information, and write compellingly, but do so in the shortest terms you can manage without leaving anything out.

You have to include all the expected niceties. For example, you really should find out the name of the editor your letter should be addressed to. (The Writer’s Market and the publication’s website should help you determine this.) You also should include all of your contact information. Most importantly, include a SASE for the editor to use in responding to you, and mention the fact that you have done so in the last paragraph of your letter.

You have to make sure your query or submission meets the editor’s guidelines. If the editor requests published clips, make sure you include them. Don’t email your query or submission, send multiple or simultaneous submissions, or send the entire manuscript unless the editor states that they allow those types of submissions. It’s also a good idea to preview the publication at your local library before sending your query or submission. It won’t impress the editor if you obviously haven’t done your research first.

For more tips for writers, check out Swan’s blog.