Comments on: Query Letter Example for a Magazine Article – A Health Pitch http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/query-letter-example-magazine-article-health-pitch/ Tips for writers, freelancers, and novelists paired with quips from successful authors, to help you write better! Tue, 15 May 2012 00:28:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Pitch up – Look Sharp: part #1 « Wannabe Hacks http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/query-letter-example-magazine-article-health-pitch/comment-page-1/#comment-8075 Pitch up – Look Sharp: part #1 « Wannabe Hacks Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:52:40 +0000 http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/?p=104#comment-8075 [...] from some particularly well-known freelance websites (Freelance Switch, The Adventurous Writer + again) and by digging-up some of my more successful early pitches, I am going to re-pitch some of my [...] [...] from some particularly well-known freelance websites (Freelance Switch, The Adventurous Writer + again) and by digging-up some of my more successful early pitches, I am going to re-pitch some of my [...]

]]> By: Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/query-letter-example-magazine-article-health-pitch/comment-page-1/#comment-5287 Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:33:17 +0000 http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/?p=104#comment-5287 Hello Folashade, That's great that you're studying freelance journalism -- I hope you have a long, successful writing career! I'm glad this article helped, and hope you find more tips on Quips and Tips :-) All good things, Laurie Hello Folashade,

That’s great that you’re studying freelance journalism — I hope you have a long, successful writing career!

I’m glad this article helped, and hope you find more tips on Quips and Tips :-)

All good things,
Laurie

]]> By: Folashade Badmos http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/query-letter-example-magazine-article-health-pitch/comment-page-1/#comment-5264 Folashade Badmos Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:24:34 +0000 http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/?p=104#comment-5264 Thank you for this article. I am studying freelance journalism.My assignment is to write three article ideas for three different magazines' editors. This article really help because I have no idea on how to go about it before I read your article. Thank you for this article. I am studying freelance journalism.My assignment is to write three article ideas for three different magazines’ editors. This article really help because I have no idea on how to go about it before I read your article.

]]> By: Laurie PK http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/query-letter-example-magazine-article-health-pitch/comment-page-1/#comment-514 Laurie PK Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:12:52 +0000 http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/?p=104#comment-514 Here are great 3 questions from a fellow scribe about the "10 Ingenious Medical Treatments" article that I wrote for MSN Health: Did you first learn of a few treatments then decide to research more? Yes, in all my assignments, I first learn a few interesting facts first – and then after I win an assignment, I’ll dig deeper for more, and more in-depth, information. Did your query letter say the title would be "10 Ingenious Medical Treatments" or did that become the title after you found the number you thought would be the best to write about? I’d pitched the ideas as “unusual jobs in health care”, and the MSN Health editors asked me to slant it towards unusual medical treatments…which is a prime example of why you shouldn’t write articles on spec! Always pitch your idea, so they can help you figure out how best to write the article. Did you interview the people you quoted in each treatment or were they quotes from other articles you had read? I never quote from secondary sources. I always get my information from primary sources, via email, over the phone, or in person. Thanks for your questions -- and keep them coming! Here are great 3 questions from a fellow scribe about the “10 Ingenious Medical Treatments” article that I wrote for MSN Health:

Did you first learn of a few treatments then decide to research more?
Yes, in all my assignments, I first learn a few interesting facts first – and then after I win an assignment, I’ll dig deeper for more, and more in-depth, information.

Did your query letter say the title would be “10 Ingenious Medical Treatments” or did that become the title after you found the number you thought would be the best to write about?
I’d pitched the ideas as “unusual jobs in health care”, and the MSN Health editors asked me to slant it towards unusual medical treatments…which is a prime example of why you shouldn’t write articles on spec! Always pitch your idea, so they can help you figure out how best to write the article.

Did you interview the people you quoted in each treatment or were they quotes from other articles you had read?
I never quote from secondary sources. I always get my information from primary sources, via email, over the phone, or in person.

Thanks for your questions — and keep them coming!

]]> By: Laurie PK http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/query-letter-example-magazine-article-health-pitch/comment-page-1/#comment-381 Laurie PK Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:43:53 +0000 http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/?p=104#comment-381 Thanks for your comment, Gigi! I think this query is a little short for a magazine you haven’t written for before. For a new publisher/editor, I’d add a line describing past credits, education, etc - stuff relevant to the article. I think I have an example of that in my “example of a successful query to Reader’s Digest” post. Actually, here’s what I say to editors I haven’t written for before: “My credits include MSN Health, Health, Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest, Glow, and More. I’m the Feature Writer for Psychology Suite101; my degrees are in Psychology and Education.” I’d love to write for MSN Lifestyle, too! I can’t find their guidelines, either :-( . I know the channels all have different editors, but I don’t know how to contact them. MSN Health was easier, since they have their guidelines posted on their page! I hadn’t considered emailing the editors and asking…and I don’t think I would do it unless I’d worked with the editor before. They’re busy - really nice people, but really busy - and….I don’t know. Something to think about, that’s for sure! Really, what have you got to lose? They won’t blacklist you…so a short, polite inquiry might get you the right contact. Keep us posted if you do it! I love stories of risks that panned out... - Laurie Thanks for your comment, Gigi!

I think this query is a little short for a magazine you haven’t written for before. For a new publisher/editor, I’d add a line describing past credits, education, etc – stuff relevant to the article. I think I have an example of that in my “example of a successful query to Reader’s Digest” post.

Actually, here’s what I say to editors I haven’t written for before: “My credits include MSN Health, Health, Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest, Glow, and More. I’m the Feature Writer for Psychology Suite101; my degrees are in Psychology and Education.”

I’d love to write for MSN Lifestyle, too! I can’t find their guidelines, either :-( . I know the channels all have different editors, but I don’t know how to contact them. MSN Health was easier, since they have their guidelines posted on their page!

I hadn’t considered emailing the editors and asking…and I don’t think I would do it unless I’d worked with the editor before. They’re busy – really nice people, but really busy – and….I don’t know. Something to think about, that’s for sure! Really, what have you got to lose? They won’t blacklist you…so a short, polite inquiry might get you the right contact.

Keep us posted if you do it! I love stories of risks that panned out…

- Laurie

]]> By: Gigi http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/query-letter-example-magazine-article-health-pitch/comment-page-1/#comment-379 Gigi Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:59:55 +0000 http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/?p=104#comment-379 I'd like to say what a nice, practical article. I haven't written a query letter in some time and it's good to see a clear, accepted example. (By the way, I remember reading your article.) Would this query work as a first-time query for a company? I also have a second question. I'm interested in writing for the MSN Lifestyle channel, but I can't find guidelines. Do you know where I should look or who I could contact? Or would it be acceptable or looked down upon to send a short email to the editors of the Health channel asking where to send my query? Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you. I’d like to say what a nice, practical article. I haven’t written a query letter in some time and it’s good to see a clear, accepted example. (By the way, I remember reading your article.) Would this query work as a first-time query for a company? I also have a second question. I’m interested in writing for the MSN Lifestyle channel, but I can’t find guidelines. Do you know where I should look or who I could contact? Or would it be acceptable or looked down upon to send a short email to the editors of the Health channel asking where to send my query? Any and all help is appreciated.
Thank you.

]]> By: monica http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/query-letter-example-magazine-article-health-pitch/comment-page-1/#comment-316 monica Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:28:24 +0000 http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/?p=104#comment-316 Thanks for posting this. I was just sending out a pitch to a magazine and wasn't sure of the protocol given that I've written for them before. This came in handy. Thanks! Thanks for posting this. I was just sending out a pitch to a magazine and wasn’t sure of the protocol given that I’ve written for them before. This came in handy. Thanks!

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