Thanks to one of the newsletters I receive, I found out about a great possible way to improve my query letters: by purchasing a guide to writing query letters.

How do you know when it's worth paying for information to further your writing career? Two good rules of thumb spring to mind. One is that you should be impressed and interested by the bylines of the person selling you the information. If you think you'd like to learn about writing query letters that knock your socks off but aren't really that interested in writing for Freelance Market News, Wedding Dresses, or College Bound, maybe you don't want what author Mridu Khullar is selling.

Secondly, based on the one writers conference I have attended, it is encouraging if the organization requests that you share how much revenue you have generated after working with them. If they have a proven record of making more money for their participants (especially if it means earning back the cash you forked over for the information), that's probably a good sign as well.

Holler if you've had good experiences or, alternately, been burned by classes or books you've bought promising to further your writing career.