Coming Next Week: Special Query Critiques!

If you want to freelance for magazines, you cannot overestimate the importance of a compelling query letter. The query is your calling card, your letter of introduction, and almost always the first impression you'll make with an editor who's new to you. Yet freelancers struggle to master the form--or worry that when their queries are rejected (or receive no response), it's due to their quality.

So, for next week, I'll be offering some query critiques here on Dollars and Deadlines. I'll select a few (I'm sure I won't be able to do them all!) from the ones I receive, and post them here on the blog, along with comments on how to improve them. Don't worry--I'll omit names so there's no reason to feel shy about submitting your work.

Want to play? Send me a query (make it a good one!) to kelly at becomebodywise.com and put "Dollars and Deadlines query" in the subject line, and tune in next week for critiques of fellow freelancers' work. Even if your don't participate, you're likely to learn a lot about how to improve your own queries as well.