1. A working title
2. A projected length
3. Your ideas place within the publications departments (where it will fit)
4. Reference to previous articles
5. Results of some initial research done for the project
Remember, at this point you havent actually written the article. Youve come up with a unique idea, researched publications until you found one that fit, and done initial researchboth to prove youre serious and to show what direction the article might take.
As I mentioned before, the query letter needs to fit on one, typed page. If it exceeds one page, you need to go back and rework, or tighten, your story angle. Write your letter in traditional, business-letter format, on professional letterhead if you have it. If youre a novice, you probably dont, but computer programs like MS Word come with several templates you can use in a pinch.
Your first paragraph is the most important, a creative, curiosity-arousing first paragraph hooks the editor, just as the first paragraph of your piece hooks the reader, and gets the editor to read more. Then outlinebrieflyyour story idea, in a way that makes it sound exciting and fresh. (If thats hard, you probably dont have the right idea yet.)
1. Address, email and phone number
2. Your background as a Writer (If youre a beginner, dont reveal that. Act professionally and you will be treated professionally.)
3. Your particular qualifications to write on your chosen subject
4. Your availability and prospective timeline for completion if you get the assignment
5. A request for a response.
Theres more to writing query letters, much more than I can put here, but there are lots of excellent reference books that can give you more details. I use Professional Feature Writing: Third Edition by Bruce Garrison (which is now in its fourth edition), which also contains excellent advice on feature writer in general. However, this advice is a beginning. Now, start writing!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrea's writing background includes features, editorials, reviews, profiles, poetry and fiction. She was the winner of the MOTA short story contest in 2002 and received honorable mentions for fiction from Writers Journal magazine in 2002 and 2004. Check out her blog at http://creativewithwriting.blogspot.com.


