SUBMITTING QUERIES

Is Like Going for an Audition
Every week, I try and submit three non-fiction queries. Some of these are new, some have been rejected elsewhere and some have been accepted, article published and I'm looking for a new home (copyright allowing that is).
Writing a query letter for me, is a bit like going for an audition. Well, what I think an audition would be like having never been for one, but you get my drift? I take quite a lot of time thinking about the market I'm pitching to, taking care to create a good catchy title and putting together just enough information to wet the editors appetite and then I 'perform' virtually when I press the send button. Of course mostly  my performance is never seen it hits the trash can as quick as you can say 'query' and rarely I get a 'thanks but no thanks' and once in a blue moon I get a 'yes!'. Its not a great return on investment in quantitative terms (though you know I'm not good at maths) but this week I've had two blue moons and it feels great. So the time spent pays off in some kind of way and it is confirmation that I hit the right buttons for someone.


Three Cheers for...The ups and downs of my writing life
I didn't manage to blog last Friday, so this week is a fortnights worth.

• Submitted four articles to Suite 101 - two book reviews on The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore and The Ice House by Minette Walters and two delicious Italian recipes - Italian Sausage Stew and Vincisgrassi a speciality of Le Marche region
• Submitted and had accepted two articles on Constant Content,
• Submitted a short story to 100 Short Stories for Haiti but alas not short-listed
• Finalised and published the Writers Abroad website (see link below)
• Wrote around 3 thousand words on WIP The Good Life only to discover that my co-writer (My Man Friday) had written about the same scene!
• Still struggle on with edit for WIP The Promise - its the last little bit which is taking the time... 
• Put together a new website for Writing Pad using WordPress (a long story)
• Submitted an Expat piece to the Oldie and got a rejection back by return (though spurred on by one of my Writer Abroad buddies have submitted this elsewhere, thanks Paola!)
• Revised a short story for submission to the Brit Awards, still very unpolished
• Submitted a short story for the Writers Abroad challenge and the feedback has encouraged me to submit it
• Had two queries accepted for writing articles - watch this space!

I'm sure that there's more but I've run out of breath!

Don't Think Just Write


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