Are You Sure Your Query Is Ready?

Written by Gary McLaren


One magazine. Hundreds of writers. Thousands of queries. One editor. One desktop ... and a trashcan that appears to be incredibly, almost unimaginably deep. Where exactly will your submission go?

It has allrepparttar makings of an editor's nightmare. Stacks and stacks of submissions, and some of them are dreadfully inappropriate and unprofessional. It's enough to give our poor editor a splitting headache atrepparttar 129483 very least. No wonder that some of these submissions have only a brief existence before being filed inrepparttar 129484 circular bin.

How will you ever get through to an editor who is wading through scores of submissions being sent by your competitors? That's right, your competitors. It's important to think of those other writers with that understanding. And it wouldn't hurt to keep in mind that some of them may be reading this newsletter. Facerepparttar 129485 facts. Space in most publications is limited. Very limited. Not at all like your editor's trash. That trashcan really does appear to be as dark and bottomless as a cup of Aunt Annie's coffee.

Do you want to be successful inrepparttar 129486 business of selling your writing? If so, then having recognized your competitors for who they really are, look atrepparttar 129487 challenge from a business point of view.

Your client has a project. The project is to providerepparttar 129488 client with writing services and writing material for publication. Your client has tendered their requirements to you and to your competitors. The project andrepparttar 129489 space in their publication are up for grabs, and work will be awarded torepparttar 129490 most appropriate tenderer. Keep in mind thatrepparttar 129491 lowest or cheapest proposal is not always accepted. In fact in this business it probably will not be!

It is very common to receive Requests For Proposals (RFPs) inrepparttar 129492 business world. Serious tenderers would not even consider submitting a sloppy, hastily drafted proposal. For a submission to be short-listed,repparttar 129493 entire proposal has to be thoroughly researched, well written, and carefully packaged. To successfully submit a writing query or manuscript, you should be just as thorough and just as professional. Naturally your submission will be much shorter and more concise than tender documents in many other businesses.

So how can you makerepparttar 129494 shortlist with your editor? Firstly, you need a great topic or idea but this article is not designed to help you with that. Secondly, your idea or article must be professionally presented. Here is a ten-point checklist to help you ensure your submission is ready to send. Do some ofrepparttar 129495 items onrepparttar 129496 list sound elementary? Please check them again. You'd be surprised how many queries are sent every day by writers who fail to perform some of these fundamental checks.

1.Have I readrepparttar 129497 publication? Elementary? Indeed! Come on, be honest. Have you ever read a publication's writer's guidelines at a web site or in a newsletter, had a superb idea for an article and queried - or even writtenrepparttar 129498 article - all without going to look atrepparttar 129499 publication? Don't, don't, don't ever do this! You may as well playrepparttar 129500 poker machines, if you intend to leave your writing career to blind luck.

Especially since most publications have a web site, there is no excuse for not studying a publication before queryingrepparttar 129501 editor or submitting an article. Take a look at other pieces they have been publishing recently. What types of topics are they running? What style of writing was used?

2.Have I checkedrepparttar 129502 publication's writer's guidelines?

If they have any guidelines, that is. This is more common for publications in North America than in other continents, andrepparttar 129503 type and amount of information contained inrepparttar 129504 guidelines varies widely. First check a publication's web site to see if there is a link to 'Writer's Guidelines' or 'Submission Guidelines' or occasionally 'Contributions'. Sometimes you will need to go first torepparttar 129505 'About' or 'Contact' page before you find this link to their guidelines. If you can't find any link, you might droprepparttar 129506 editor a polite, brief email asking if they have any writer guidelines. Do you consider obtaining and reading writer's guidelines to be a waste of time? No way. Inrepparttar 129507 last few months my newsletter for freelance writers has received queries on a wild variety of topics from archaeology to gardening to European history. If there are guidelines, please read them. Ensure your manuscript meetsrepparttar 129508 requirements of style, length etc.

How To Receive Advance Information From God In Writing

Written by By Barbara Rose


This ability IS your gut instincts in writing. It carries profound accuracy, and is available to you every moment.

That “still small voice” within, that “gut feeling” or sudden brilliant idea, IS God communicating to you to help you in your life.

You may not believe in God, nor do you have to. This is fine.

You do not have to callrepparttar source of this wisdom “God.” You can call it intuition, your higher self, common sense, higher consciousness, your deepest wisdom,repparttar 129481 collective unconscious.

Wisdom does not need a name.

Your gut instincts in writing can suffice as far as naming this ability.

The most important aspect of this is that you access your highest wisdom to achieve, clarify, or gain a higher perspective, to help you in any area of your life.

Here is how you do it.

1. Go into a room where you feel most comfortable where there are no outside distractions.

2. Sit or lie on pillows, and get into a comfortable position to write.

3. Take five to seven deep breaths.

4. Ask to be connected to whatever name you give your highest and deepest source of guidance or wisdom.

5. Ask for onlyrepparttar 129482 pure truth, to come to your mind in writing.

(You can pray for divine protection if you believe in this, or you can simply say in your own mind that you request ONLYrepparttar 129483 highest and purest truth. If you believe in prayer, you can read psalm 121 fromrepparttar 129484 bible before you begin. Or you can simply tell yourself that you are now going to access and bring your highest wisdom forth into your conscious mind.)

6. Take several deep breaths, in through your nose, and out of your mouth.

7. Write your questions down. Then write Thank You for this wisdom in advance. (Personally, I write: “Thank You God for Divine, Perfect Truth in Advance. Love, Barbara.") You may phrase your thank you in any way you prefer. Just know that you are about to receive wisdom, and an attitude of gratitude is best for this.

8. As words and thoughts come into your mind, start writing. Do NOT censor, or try to make any sense ofrepparttar 129485 words as they come into your mind. You can analyze all you want when you are finished. Just write every word as fast as you can. Abbreviate words. For example: Rather than writerepparttar 129486 word “with” I write “w/.”

9. No matter what words come into your mind, write them down.

(You may not believe a lot ofrepparttar 129487 words that come to mind, (I used to think “this is bull” or “No way!” or “I don’t believe this” when I received information in writing. And yet, they ALL turned out to berepparttar 129488 truth!)

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