The competition in the freelance magazine writing field can seem fierce when you consider only a very small percent of freelancers make a full time living with their craft. The truth is that many, perhaps most, aren't competing half as well as they could. They send off query letters to magazines haphazardly without doing their homework. In order for a query letter to get noticed by a busy magazine editor it needs to be targeted well and show that the writer understands the needs of that publication and can fill those needs. Doing your homework, as outlined below, will give you a tremendous edge over the competition.

Writer's Guidelines

If you didn't look at the writer's guidelines for your potential magazine writing markets yet, now is the time to do so. Many publications post these online. Or check Writer's Market (at your public library or online for information on how to obtain them. And while not all will send it, you might also want to request the editorial calendar. This shows you what themes the publication has planned for the upcoming months. Remember magazine lead time is usually 6 months, meaning they're putting together the December issue in July.

Back Issues

Also look at back issues or sample articles - or in the case of book publishing, check catalogs. It's surprising how many editors note that most freelancers don't seem to read their magazine before querying. Doing this homework gives you a real edge. If there aren't any back issues on the magazine's website, consult their writer's guidelines or WM listing. Your local library may save you the cost of sending for them.

Book Publishers

If you're looking at book publishers, review their book titles and descriptions to get a feel for what they publish. These can be found in their book catalog. If this isn't available on their website, use the contact information in the listing to request one. Many book publishers (fiction and nonfiction) now prefer to see query letters before detailed book proposals, which saves writers a lot of time too. Short story writers use a shortened form of the query. Writer's Market has good examples for all of these types of query letters.

To get a feel for the publisher's style before writing your query letter, read summaries in their book catalogs. In case you are wondering why I am asking you go to all this trouble, this will save you the time and energy in writing generic query letters that bring rejection slips. What you learn about a publication before querying will greatly increase the odds of you getting the assignment.

Article Ideas

Before writing your query, you will need an idea for your article. If you already have one and it's in line with the information you've already learned about the magazine, check to see if it's been covered by that magazine in the last couple of years. Some magazines with websites list the contents of back issues. Another place to check quickly is in your public library's Reader's Guide to Periodicals.

If you don't already have some ideas, doing this research will help you brainstorm some. Ideas are everywhere once you start looking for them! Keep a notebook handy when you're away from the computer. Online you can find ideas in forums, social media sites and websites that deal with the same sort of topics your target markets do, etc. As many a newspaper editor has told reporters: "Sit in a cafe or pub and listen; there's often a story there."

Before fully developing your ideas, start with one idea and narrow down your market list to the best potential market(s) for the piece of writing you have in mind. Once you have your short list and an idea targeted to a specific magazine, consider the magazines readership. The ads and content are a good clue, but often the writers' guidelines will give you basic demographics.

Also consider the slant of the magazine and its style. When developing an idea for a specific publication, you would do this analyzing first. If you have an idea that is suitable for more than one publication, check the guidelines or WM listing for their policies on simultaneous submissions. Once you've done your homework, you are ready to write a winning query! And you will have lots of material to keep those query letters -- and magazine writing assignments -- flowing.