Show editor that you understand theology of her magazine, whether or not you are a member of her denomination. Joan Alexander, an editor at Regular Baptist Press, states, “We hear from many writers who are not appropriate for our readership. We prefer that our contributors be well acquainted with our church customers and their theological and cultural perspective.” If you are a member of an affiliated church, be sure to let editor know. If not, you can find information about denomination’s theology on internet, books, or people you know in that denomination. In your query, give editor specific examples of what you intend to put into article that show her that you understand unique religious views of her readers.

Show me... Style

Show editor that you can write in his magazine’s style. Whether scholarly, educated, or conversational, your introductory paragraph (which should be vivid enough to be first paragraph of your article) should be written in magazine’s style. Scholarly articles offer research driven theses and specialized vocabulary. Conversational pieces often begin with anecdotes or questions and continue in a chatty way. Other stylistic items are more specific. Living Light News always includes ages of interviewees, contains locations specific to where an edition appears, and almost every news story begins with a testimony of God’s goodness. Reading and analyzing back issues reveals these nuggets of information. Show editor that you understand style and make a sale.

As an experienced, professional writer, you analyze back issues of magazines you want to write for. You know their readers and their perspectives. You write in correct style. Does your query letter show your competence?

"Joyful Christian Apoptosis" is a 1,000-word article about my painful start in medical wolrd and how, like an unborn child, God killed part of me to make me a useful vessel for him. This is not a negative article. Far from it. God sometimes allows difficult things to happen in our lives to make us more flexible in our ability to serve Him. Rather than asking God, "Why me?", we can ask, "What for?" and say, "Thank you for carrying me through." Because of my difficult start, I became a stay-at-home mother of four, a professional writer, and a college professor of nursing students (all at same time). I thank God for difficulties in my life that have brought me to a place where I am learning to serve Him more each day.

The third paragraph of my query tells editor why I'm one to write article. It lists related magazines I've been published in and any important personal training or experiences that make me an expert on topic. When I first started writing, I didn't have anything to list here, so I skipped this paragraph. If you can't make it look good, wow editor with your first two paragraphs and you'll still get a "yes" response.

I have published articles in On Mission, Men of Integrity, Spirit Led Writer, Physician Assistant Journal, Advance for Physician Assistants, and many more.

I always add a "thank you for considering this article" comment just before closing query. It shows respect for editor's time. Too many writers don't act professionally, so when you do, you'll get a second look.

Thank you for considering "Joyful Christian Apoptosis".

Editors don't always buy resulting articles, but they almost always ask to see them after reading my query letters. Follow these tips, and you'll find same is true for you.

Good luck! I'll see you in print.