What does a successful query letter look like?
As a freelancer, marketing yourself involves not only pursuing existing job opportunities, but also creating new ones for yourself. Especially in fields like writing and new media, a freelancer has the freedom to come up with an idea and find someone to buy it, rather than having to work exclusively on other people’s ideas. You send a “query letter” or “proposal” when the work hasn’t been done yet. It lays out the planned work and why it will be successful for the buyer. The format is fairly standard, but demands excellent writing to attract its audience. The first sentence stands on its own as a “hook,” grabbing the buyer’s attention. It should focus on the work, not the creator. So a successful query for an article on mountain climbing might begin “It’s 20 below. You’re 20 miles from the nearest house, and the only thing between you and a field of sharp rocks is a thin rope. Why would anyone do this?” The second paragraph expands on the hook and explains the work being contemplated.
