HOW TO PITCH
YOUR MAGAZINE OR TRADE JOURNAL IDEA
By Henry DeVries
Once you’ve honed your angle, you’re
ready to approach an editor. Don’t pick up the phone
and call. Just as if you were selling any other product,
you need to write a convincing, professional proposal. But
don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be lengthy; in
fact, the shorter the better.
Editors want ideas submitted in the form
of a one-page letter called a query. They don’t want
to see the entire manuscript. And you’re wasting your
time by writing the entire article before you know if you
have a salable idea or the specific slant an editor may want.
Query letters do three primary things.
They:
- Demonstrate that you have a fresh
angle on an important topic.
- Show that you have the ability to write
an article in a way that will interest the magazine’s
readers.
- Prove that you are the expert to write
it.
It’s important that your letter not
just whisper your idea in a boring business letter style.
It must trumpet it in a way that will be music to the ears
of an editor whose in-basket is deluged with proposals from
professional writers, public relations agencies and others
who want to see their names in print. Your first paragraph—the
lead to your letter—should capture the imagination of
the editor by painting a scenario with a real-life anecdote,
offering a startling statistic, posing an intriguing question,
or turning a phrase in such a way that it makes the editor
want to know more.
Read the following lead from a few queries
we’ve written to see how the introductory paragraph
in a query letter differs significantly from the first paragraph
of a traditional business letter.
(To USAir)
Nearly every American boy dreams of playing
baseball in the major leagues. Stepping up to the plate on
a warm summer day and cracking one over the center field
wall to the roar of the crowd is a romantic, but rarely realized,
fantasy. But for a few days a year, the dream comes alive
for men who enroll in what has become known as fantasy baseball
camp.
(To Nation’s Business)
“A leader isn’t worth
much if he can’t step in and take charge.” “If
you want something done right, you’ve got to do it
yourself.” “Good managers have all the answers.”
Such take-charge sentiments are natural
for company leaders. Since owners or managers of small and
medium-sized companies are ultimately responsible for the
success of their businesses, they feel compelled to perform
or oversee every aspect of their operations.
(To Modern Maturity)
When your sleepy-eyed grandchild says, ”Tell
me a story,” do you reach for a book to read instead
of stretching your imagination? “I’m no storyteller,” you
may think, remembering that your own dad seemed to have a
special knack for telling tales. But we’re all storytellers.
What did you do the last time you explained to someone why
you were late?
(To American Way)
Jim stormed out of his department meeting
disgusted with the resistance to his ideas for boosting sales
in a sagging account. “What’s the use of coming
up with innovative ideas around here?” he scowled. If
you were Jim’s boss how would you respond? A) “Don’t
worry, you’ll come up with another good campaign.” B)”I
understand, I have trouble getting new ideas across myself.” C) “Sounds
like you’re discouraged about trying to change things.” D) “Can’t
you rethink key aspects of the campaign and present it again
next week?”
Once you’ve introduced your topic
with intrigue, tell the editor the proposed title of your
article or book, then summarize the main points that you’ll
cover. If you plan to quote other experts in the field, share
a name or two from your source file with the editor. Then
let the editor know why his or her readers will be interested
in this topic and why it’s timely. Finally, end the
query by giving a small sampling of your background in the
field. If you’ve had other articles with your byline
published, paper clip two or three examples to the proposal,
attach a self-addressed, stamped envelop for a reply and
tuck it all in a nine-by-twelve-inch envelope to drop in
the mail.
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Copyright© New Client Marketing Institute
2000 – 2003. You may reprint this article in any publication
or Web site as long as you credit Henry DeVries as the author
and include his Web site address, www.henrydevries.com.
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