Course Details

As a freelance writer, the query letter can make or break you: it's your personal introduction, writing sample, and article outline all in one. Write a solid one and you're on your way to a feature contract, or at least an ongoing relationship with the editor; write a lousy one and you'll disappear into the slush pile. It's a lot of pressure to put on a package of no more than 500 words.

Whether you're pitching a celebrity profile or an undercover investigation, there are some key techniques and strategies you need to know to come up with a killer query. This course will walk you through the most important ones, from researching your target publication to structuring the pitch to selling yourself as the perfect writer for the job.

Bring your story ideas along for hands-on workshopping.

In this seminar, you can expect to learn:

• how to develop an idea into a sellable story
• how to target the right editor at the right publication
• what editors look for in a query--and what turns them off
• the basic questions all queries must answer
• how, when, and how often to follow up
• how to package yourself as the ideal writer for your idea
• how to deal with--and benefit from--rejection
• how to re-sell your ideas for extra cash

Instructor Bio

Vince Beiser's Courses

Vince Beiser is an award-winning magazine writer specializing in criminal justice and other social issues. In his many years of full-time freelancing, Vince has hunted down stories from the Balkans to the Middle East on assignments for The Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Village Voice, The New Republic, The Nation, US News & World Report, Harper's, and Rolling Stone. He has also held a number of staff gigs, including senior editor for Mother Jones, special projects reporter for The Oakland Tribune, and senior writer for The Jerusalem Report, Israel's leading news magazine.

Vince's work has been honored by Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Columbia and Medill Graduate Schools of Journalism, the National Mental Health Association, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, the Los Angeles Press Club and many other institutions.

Testimonials

Vince's class helped me put my ideas to paper. With great feedback, I was able to fine-tune my query and article. It was published in a magazine two weeks after class ended. -- Kristy Lund

"I've been freelancing full-time for 2 years, and I wish I'd taken Vince's class before I started. The tips he shared would have improved my reporting and made my life a lot easier." -- Kenneth Miller

"Vince's friendly and flexible teaching style gave me a serious confidence boost in terms of getting started in a freelancing career. I highly recommend that anybody who has the slightest interest in freelancing hear what he has to say." -- Jennifer Jamall

"Vince was friendly, informative, and handled the class extremely well. I'd definitely recommend him and take classes from him in the future." -- Lauren Horwich

"I found Vince's class to be very informative. He was clear, logical, realistic, and encouraging." -- Maria A. Del Toro

"The class was very informative and empowered me with many helpful websites and resources that will help me develop new stories." -- Lisanne Alack

"Vince makes it all look easy! He's that rare, successful writer who's able to share what he's learned out loud in a way that is engaging and fun. You'll walk away equipped with what you need. -- Colleen Wainwright

"Vince's class was a fantastic stepping stone for someone just beginning to delve into pitching articles, yet also full of insider tips for those more experienced." -- Abby Mims

"Vince was very nice, friendly, and funny when he needed to be. Vince even gave us his email address and said we could email him with questions." -- Lesley McCave

"Within six weeks of Vince's class I had two articles accepted to a magazine -- one of them a feature, and best of all, I got paid!" -- Shasta McBride