21 Query Letters

That Sold


Mridu Khullar Relph

21 Query Letters That Sold

2013 by Mridu Khullar Relph

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic,
mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief
quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of
the author.

INTRODUCTION

When I started my freelance writing career over a decade ago, the almost non-
existent freelance industry in my country at the time forced me to look for
writing work online and in foreign, mostly American, publications. My biggest
problem then was not finding the time or sustaining an income, but getting
editors to trust me with that first assignment. I needed to convince them to have
confidence in my abilities despite the fact that I lived thousands of miles away
from them. In India.

It can be difficult trying to get assignments from high-paying newsstand
magazines when youre sitting across the desk from an editor, trying to do it
from a whole other continent seemed like professional suicide. But I was aware
of my odds. I knew that the only way I was going to get these juicy high-paying
assignments was to write queries so irresistible that an editor immediately saw
how good not only my ideas were, but how good I was. No editor was about to
take a chance on a writer all the way across the globe unless she saw writing
ability, unique ideas, and most of all, dependability. She couldnt do anything if
this writer suddenly fell off the face of this planet or pulled a vanishing act two
days before deadline.

A lot relied on the queries I wrote. So I wrote the very best.

These queries and submissions earned me entry into the pages of publications
such as the national and international editions of TIME, The New York Times, The
International Herald Tribune, Ms., GlobalPost, The Christian Science Monitor, Elle,
Glamour, Vogue, Marie Claire, Self, and many more. I may never have met my
editors in person or even talked to them over the phone, but theyve come to
know me. They can now trust this faceless writer sitting on the other side of the
world to get the job done and get it done well.

This trust is what youll need to build whether youre in India or Timbuktu and
its this trust that will go a long way in determining whether your freelance
writing career is a brief fling or a long-term relationship.

Its been ten years since I received that first magazine byline with my name
printed across the top of the page in beautiful bold letters. At the time I was a
full-time student with a limited knowledge base, no experience, no contacts, and
a confidence level that had hit an all-time low. Yet, in that first year, I had over a
hundred published credits. Why? I wrote fabulous query letters. In my second
year, I worked a full-time job for six months before I finally looked at my
accounts and found that I was making more money from my part-time writing
work than I was at my full-time job. I was able to quit easily because I knew more
assignments would be forthcoming. Why? I wrote fabulous query letters. Over
the last ten years, I have made my (pretty good) living exclusively from freelance
journalism (no books, no courses, no additional sources of income). Yep, those
query letters again.


In the pages that follow, Im going to share some of those query letters with you
as well as brief introductions to each with the backstory and my view on why
they sold. I could write a hundred pages on how to write a good query letter (and
I have on my blog at www.mridukhullar.com/journal) but I know that there is
nothing that will help you more than seeing real true-life examples of actual
query letters that sold.

My motto has always been to learn by example and I hope that youll read these
query letters and find that by demystifying the whole process, youre able to see
them for what they really are: The beginning of a conversation.

My wish for you is that this book helps you achieve your freelance writing
dreams. May your ideas never go out of vogue!

Happy Querying!

Mridu Khullar Relph

w:
www.mridukhullar.com
e:
mridukhullar@gmail.com
t:
www.twitter.com/mridukhullar
f:
www.facebook.com/mridukhullarrelph

THE QUERY LETTERS

Health & Fitness

TIME

The Backstory:

I had just returned to India after a year in the US when I got in touch with the
India bureau chief of Time. The magazine had recently had a few staff changes
and I met the editor for a drink and we discussed some ideas. Id written for her
a couple of times by the time I sent this idea through and was, in fact, at this
point, one of her go-to writers. As you can see, the pitch is fairly informal because
of this reason, at least in the greeting.


The Query Letter:

Hi [Editor],

Howve you been? Hope life and Indias treating you well.

Two stories for you this afternoon. Let me know if any of them interest you.

1. While the West celebrates the 50th anniversary of the pill, in India its been a
largely different story. Over the last fifty years, as sexual freedoms for women
have remained curtailed, the pill has added to the responsibility of women to be
solely responsible for birth control. The National Family Health Survey-3
statistics show that only 49 percent of Indian women use modern contraception
methods, and of these 49 percent, only 3 percent are on the pill. Further, the
poor Indian woman is not a good candidate for the pillshe is often
malnourished and anemic, and has low BMI.

In contrast, in the last ten years in urban India, the use of over-the-counter
morning-after contraception has skyrocketed, and is often used by young women
in lieu of the pill. Around 200,000 units of Ciplas i-pill have been sold every
month since its launch in 2007. The long-term effects of overuse of the morning-
after pill are still unclear, but doctors worry that it could replace the condom,
leading to the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

[Second idea]


Let me know what you think about these ideas, [Editor].

Thanks, and looking forward to working with you again.

Cheers,
Mridu


The Published Piece:

In India, Banking on the Morning After Pill:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1991879,00.html




WOMENS HEALTH & FITNESS



The Backstory:

This was my first and only assignment with this publication. Some of the things
that I think make the query work include:

(1) The Harvard study in the first sentence. Look editor, I have proof!

(2) Thorough research and tips that are likely new to readers.

(3) A counter-intuitive approach. Instead of how to lose weight, Im telling
you how to not gain weight. Instead of telling you to eliminate fats, Im
telling you that doing so might be a mistake.


The Query Letter:

Dear [Editor]:

If youve been eliminating fats from your diet, its likely to result in weight gain!
These findings by a 12-week Harvard School of Public Health Study prove that
low-fat diets are probably the reason youre not losing weight, but gaining it. In
fact, in order to lose weight, you need to increase your consumption of good fats
(monosaturated or polysaturated).

The lack of fat in your diet may also be the reason youve been so stressed and
frustrated lately. This was proven by an American study at Bowman-Gray
University in which scientists separated monkeys into two groups. The first
group received a regular-fat monkey diet, while the second group received a no-
fat monkey diet. After a period of time, the monkeys eating the normal diet
behaved like normal monkeysplayful and active, while the monkeys on the no-
fat diet became agitated and violent, with some monkeys nearly killing each
other.

Women frequently make the mistake of eliminating fats from their diet and end
up causing more harm than good. And thats not all theyre doing wrong.

In my article Diet Not Working? 10 Food Mistakes That Make You Fat Ill talk
about many such follies that even smart dieters fall prey to. For instance,

* Giving up your favorite foods: When youre turned on by food, you turn on
metabolism, says nutritional psychologist Marc David. In fact, research shows
that if you eat a chocolate ice-cream cone with complete delight, the
hypothalamus sends out signals that stimulate a fuller metabolic breakdown and

more efficient calorie burning than if you feel guilty while eating it. So instead of
feeling bad every time you touch the cheesecake, enjoy it.

* Skipping meals: Next time youre tempted to skip a meal, dont! Your central
nervous system interprets such behavior the same as if you were under threat
and initiates a fight-or-flight response. It assumes that it needs to start storing
fat, hence reducing your metabolism and the ability to burn calories.

* Staying busy to avoid the thought of food: You should be doing the opposite!
The best way to jumpstart your metabolism each day is to think about and plan
for each meal and snack. When its time to sit down for a bite, take time out of
your busy day. Dont eat while working or engaging in other activities that
occupy your mind. Concentrate fully on enjoying your food and thatll speed up
your digestive efficiency by up to 30%.

Marc David, nutritional psychologist and author of The Slow Down Diet: Eating
for Pleasure, Energy & Weight Loss has already agreed to an interview and I will
be contacting other nationally-recognized experts and authors as well.

As a full-time freelance writer, Ive written over 200 articles for over a dozen
national publications and several regional magazines in countries such as the US,
Australia, England, India, and Bahrain. Ive also contributed articles to several
US-based and online publications including Chicken Soup for the Soul, Writers
Digest, Wedding Dresses, College Bound, and Senior Connection.

May I write Diet Not Working? 10 Food Mistakes That Make You Fat for you?

Very truly yours,
Mridu Khullar

LGBT Issues

MS. MAGAZINE

The Backstory:

Id written for Ms. Magazine once before I sent my editor this story idea. I was in
the US in 2008 and Dont Ask Dont Tell and other LGBT issues were getting a lot
of play after President Obamas first election. LGBT rights were not something Id
looked into before as a writer because not being gay and having no access to that
community, Id never really come across anything worth writing about. Then,
while making a presentation on womens rights in India, I looked into the rights
of gay women and found that the issues were almost endless. I proposed this
story as a way to talk about the information Id uncovered, but every time I
researched, there was more. So youll find that I ended up writing quite a few
stories about the LGBT community and placed them in national publications,
including the New York Times. (The queries follow.)


The Query Letter:

Dear [Editor],

While gay rights activists in America fight for same-sex marriage, campaign
against Dont Ask, Dont Tell, and take to the streets every year in celebration of
Gay Pride, their counterparts in India face a very different problem.

According to the Indian government, lesbians dont exist.

As per Indian law, homosexuality is illegal, since it falls under Section 377 of the
Indian Penal Code, which categorizes it under carnal intercourse against the
order of nature. But while the law covers gay menit specifically mentions
penetrationthere is no law governing the status of gay women.

The law has been in effect for over 140 years when under British colonization,
homosexuality was outlawed. It is rumored that when it was suggested to Queen
Victoria in 1885 that the law be extended to address female homosexuality as
well, she refused to believe that this was even possible.

Government officials frequently refuse to even acknowledge the existence of
homosexuality in Indian culture, and specifically, gay women.

Culturally, its no different. In a male-dominated society where female sexuality

is taboo and even heterosexual couples cannot express their love in public, gay
women face a dual battle: Theyre female and theyre homosexual.

For this reason, while gay men have relative access to independence from social
structures as well as economic autonomy, gay women are often forced into
arranged marriages, thrown into mental institutions, and frequently, given
electric shock treatments to cure them of whats seen as a disease or disability.

Which is why suicide pacts among homosexual women is a common
occurrencebetween 1996 and 2004, there were 24 documented cases of
lesbian suicide pacts in the state of Kerala alone. While middle and upper class
women still have some social structure in place, the real victims are lower-class
women such as Christy and Rukmini, who after leaving their husbands and being
discovered together, were threatened, abused, and led to finally set themselves
on fire. When relatives discovered their charred bodies, they were still hugging
each other.

While there are several organizations in India that aim to bring about a change in
homosexuality laws, there are still very few that cater specifically towards
lesbians, who in this patriarchal culture, have very different needs to those of
men.

Would you be interested in a story about lesbians in India and how theyre the
invisible and oft-ignored story behind homosexuality activism?

As you may remember, I wrote a story for Ms. last year on suppression of
sexuality in India by banning sex education in schools. I also contribute to Time,
Marie Claire, Elle, Vogue, Glamour, Womens eNews, and The Womens
International Perspective, among others.

Currently, Im a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, School
of Journalism. Im nearing the end of my year in Berkeley and will be headed
back to India in early May. Before arriving in America, I worked for six years in
India and Ghana, reporting mostly for American publications on womens issues
and human rights.

Let me know if you have any questions about this story. Clips and credentials are
available on my website www.mridukhullar.com.

Thanks for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.


The Published Piece:

Where Lesbians Dont Exist:
http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/06/29/sneak-peek-india-where-lesbians-
dont-exist/

THE NEW YORK TIMES,

THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE

The Backstory:

This was the second story I pitched to the Times and got a nod on it pretty much
immediately. However, before I did, the editor had a few questions and wanted
to know a bit more about the subject and how Id handle it. I wanted to include a
full e-mail exchange here because it helps show you how the to-and-fro on these
stories sometimes works. (I mention that I got married because I changed my
byline and because, hey, I wanted to announce it from the rooftops!)


The Query Letter:

Hi [Editor],

Sorry for being out of touch for several weeksI took some time off to get
married Im back to work now and have two very timely business stories for
your. Let me know if you have any questions about either of the stories or how I
intend to report on them and Ill get back to you right away. Since these are
timely and as-yet-unreported stories, could you please let me know at your
earliest convenience whether they might be of interest to you?

Thanks so much, and I look forward to working with you again!

--
1. In Pursuit of the Pink Dollar
Less than a year ago, the Delhi High Court passed a ruling that nullified a British-
era law that made homosexuality in India a crime. Following the ruling, a new
wave of gay-oriented tourism has sprung up in the country, aiming to bring in
the Pink Dollar, the Pink Pound, and the Pink Euro. For years, while India has
been destination for homosexual and heterosexual couples alike, travel trips and
packages for gay couples, especially Western couples, were a rarity. Now, with
this new law and newfound confidence, travel companies are quickly targeting a
whole new demographic, one which has proven to be both interesting in
traveling to new places and has a higher income than heterosexual couples.
(Surveys show that same-sex couples have more disposable incomes than
heterosexual couples in the same age brackets.)


EDITORS NOTE:
I have a few questions: is the change in the law reflective of a broader change in
attitudes in society? (I have heard, for example, that gay listings in New Delhis

Time Out, etc, still dont give addresses for events). To what extent is there an
out community at all? How are gay couples received, when, say, checking into
hotels? Were/are there instances of gay tourists being harassed, or refused
service?

What was the previous punishment for homosexuality? Were people actually
prosecuted? Is there a difference in reception for male-male and female-female
couples? What cities are on the forefront of this trend? Does the government
tourism office support the new efforts to chase gay tourists?

Please let me know who you think would be the main sources for the story, and
what you think you would build it around.


MY RESPONSE:
To answer your question: The law is reflective of a broader change in attitudes in
society, but those attitudes are changing slowly, and the changing of the law has
helped to that end as well. For instance, were seeing gay online bookstores come
up now, where earlier something like that wouldnt have stood a chance.
Businesses catering to homosexual couples are also beginning to show up, while
earlier, even if they could operate, they didnt have any legal protection from
violence or any sort of backlash. So to that end, I think the difference is huge.

The previous punishment for homosexuality, on books, was a fine and
imprisonment for up to a year, but no one was actually ever prosecuted under
that law. What that law allowed to happen, however, was corrupt police officials
threatening, abusing, and extorting money from homosexuals. Police officers are
also known to rape gay people and arrest them arbitrarily under this law. While
the courts never handed down a sentence, the police often used this law to abuse
citizens.

Before, when homosexuality was still outlawed, because of the lower stature of
women in the country anyway, lesbian couples had less acceptance in society
(though male couples were beaten more often), and there were an alarming
number of lesbian suicides in the country over the last decade. It hasnt actually
been that long to comment on whether or not those numbers have gone down,
but seeing as that was a societal problem (as opposed to a legal one), Im
guessing it will take some while longer.

The significant shift, and why I think it makes this a good business story, is that
because of the legalization of homosexuality, so to speak, businesses catering to
this segment can operate without any threat of arrests. Ill have to check up on
government initiatives on this, but as of now, Im not sure that there are any. Ill
see if any are forthcoming. Private players, however, have suddenly sprung up.

For the story, Id speak to Western gay couples whove come to India after the
law was repealed, someone from the tourism ministry would also be a good idea,
and of course, operators whove seen and followed up on this trend. If theres
anyone else that you think should be included as well, do let me know.


Happy to answer any more questions. Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Mridu


The Published Piece:

India Could Be The Next Big Destination for Gay Tourists:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/business/global/01outbiz.html

ELLE

The Backstory:

I got my start in journalism with Elles Indian edition, covering the one-year
anniversary of the 2005 South Asian tsunami for them. Since I have a very good
relationship with this publication, my queries to them are often quick personal
notes, sometimes just a line or two.

Because I understand this publication intimately, I went ahead and did my
reporting as well as asked a photographer to accompany me even before we had
the assignment. (The photographer was a friend and we were going anyway, so I
asked him to shoot some pictures for me that we could potentially place in Elle).
Since we went as a team, youll see that I pitch this story using a we. I dont
mention it here, because the editor is no doubt aware of it, but it was the first gay
pride parade to be held in several cities.

This query took about ten minutes to write.


The Query Letter:

Dear [Editor],

Hope this finds you well. Im writing because Im sure youve heard of the Gay
Pride Parades that took place around the country yesterday in Delhi, Calcutta,
and Bangalore, and I wanted to offer you a story on the parade as well as the
issues surrounding the gay and lesbian communities in India.

I was at the parade yesterday with photographer BK, who flew here from Sri
Lanka. We spoke to several activists and straight people who were attending the
parade and thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about homosexuality
in India. Despite being part of a gay pride parade, it struck us that several people
who had come to stand in solidarity with gay people were quite homophobic
(one straight student told us he had dressed in his shabbiest clothes so that he
wouldnt get hit on by men).

In addition to the parade itself, I think the article could focus on the problems
that the gay community faces (forced marriages, violence, alarming rates of
suicide) and solutions (the arts are a huge outlet when it comes to expression of
freedom in the community). It would also take a look at the class factor: While
middle-class and upper-class homosexuals have been able to gain a level of
acceptance in their communities, for the majority of homosexuals in India, it still
seems like an impossible dream. Indeed, many people at the parade wore masks

to cloak their identities and several refused to speak to the media for fear of
repercussions.

I think the gay pride parade has brought the issues of the homosexual
community into the spotlight, and hence this would be a very timely piece in
terms of talking about the achievements made and how much more there is to
do. A Supreme Court judgment on the law against homosexuality is due in the
next couple of days and Ill make a note of that ruling as well.

Let me know if you agree. I can have the article written in the next ten days so
that it can be published in a timely manner. Professional photographers by BK
are available.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Mridu


The Published Piece:

Pride Meets Prejudice: http://www.mridukhullar.com/portfolio/pride-
prejudice.html

Teens And Tweens

GIRLS LIFE

The Backstory:

I first contacted Girls Life with a couple of pretty serious ideas. One of the
editors wrote back to me almost immediately and sensing that I wasnt quite
getting the tone of the magazine, sent me a couple of issues, a sample query
letter, and notes of what shed like to see from me. Its probably one of the nicest
things that an editors done for me, sending me issues all the way to India. I
studied those two issues like Id be quizzed on them, but didnt end up pitching
GL for a while. When I did, it was to a new editor and she thought I had
understood the voice of the magazine perfectly and made an immediate
assignment.


The Query Letter:

Dear Ms [Name of Editor]:

Do your buds come to you when theres a need for gossip or are you tightly
zipped when it comes to sharing other peoples secrets?

Finding out who the hottest guy in school is crushing on can be super cool, right?
But are you the type of friend your buds can trust with their secrets or do you
toss and turn at night wondering how many people youre going to tell in school
the next day? Read on to know your secret-keeping quotient.

Id love to write the quiz Can You Keep a Secret for you. With real-life situations
specifically suited to GL readers, itll help them figure out how they rank in the
secrecy department.

Im a full-time freelance writer and have written for [details of previous work].
Clips are included below.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Have a great day!
Mridu Khullar

GIRLS LIFE

The Backstory:

So after writing twice for GL in the early 2000s, for some reason I dont
remember, I stopped writing for them for a long, long, long time. Then, last year, I
came across the magazine again and I thought, hey, I enjoyed writing for these
guys, why did I ever stop? So I sent the editor an e-mail with an idea and a note
saying, Hey, remember me? That freelancer from India who wrote for you all
those years ago? She remembered me, was happy to hear from me, and said that
while she couldnt use that pitchthey had done it lots of timesshed love for
me to send more ideas.

I sent two more ideas, and yes, they really were this short. Im including this
query as another example of the fact that you dont have to adhere to any certain
formats when youre pitching stories to editors. Go with your gut. To me, it felt
right to send two line ideas to this editor because she knew who I was and what I
could do. I needed to get the idea right, the writing was not the problem. So thats
what I focused on.


The Query Letter:

Thanks so much, [Editor]! Seems Im a bit rusty. Id really like to tackle friendship
and social media topics, so I have a couple of ideas for you here. Let me know if
any of them work and if not, I will try again. Im nothing if not persistent. Hope
youre having a wonderful Thanksgiving.

--
10 Things You Should Never Say to Your BFF:

1. Seriously, youre wearing THAT?
2. I really dont know what you see in him.
3. You know you suck at X, right?
4. You dont need more friends. Youve got me!
5. Youre not seriously going to eat all that!
6. Since Im not going, you shouldnt go to that party either.
7. Youd be so pretty if
8. I know I promised, but
9. Gotta go, my guys calling.
10. You know that guy youre seeing? He asked if we could hang out and I said
yes.

Thanks again, [Editor]. I hope these ideas are more to your liking.

Unique Projects

THE NEW YORK TIMES

THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE

The Backstory:

I talk about this frequently on my blog but there is no one way to write a query
letter, no one way to pitch a story. How you contact an editor and offer a story
will depend on the relationship you have with him or her and what exactly is
important to say first. In this instance, another editor at the Times had given me
the contact information for this editor so I wanted to mention that upfront. I
even put it in my subject line.

Look, its not that a contact is going to help you sell your idea. Its not. The idea
has to stand on its own and the editor will only assign you a story if your idea fits
her publications needs and if she thinks youre capable of doing it. What the
contact does is help give it a chance. In a crowded Inbox, your query letter will
get read and probably responded to. Basically, it helps that you wont be ignored.


The Query Letter:

Dear Editor:

[My contact] at the New York Times suggested I contact you.

I have a story idea [contact name] thought you may be interested in and so Im
including it below for your consideration.

A bit about me: Im a freelance journalist based in New Delhi, India, and write for
Time, Parade, Global Post, Ms., Marie Claire, and Womens eNews, among others.
Please feel free to check out my work on my website www.mridukhullar.com.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Mridu Khullar

--
Pitch: The Plastic Road Less Traveled

Two problems: One, the monsoon every year ensures that Indias already
battered roads bleed and suffer extensive damage. Two, tons of wasted plastic

disposed improperly is becoming a huge environmental menace and the

countrys landfills are overflowing with it.

One solution: Plastic roads.

In Chennai and other parts of the state of Tamil Nadu, experimental plastic roads
(1,500 kilometers) have already been placed. The result: Cheaper, environment-
friendly roads that not only do not have to be repaired each year, but have no
potholes, something most of the countrys roads cant boast.

In fact, the idea has been so successful that it is being implemented in other cities
of India as well: In New Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata.

The roads came about because of K K Plastic Waste Management Private Ltd,
which was formed after the founder Ahmed Khan came up with the idea while he
was experimenting with different kinds of plastic materials. He conducted
research for several years, building one road, then approached the Central Road
Research Institute, New Delhi (CRRI) to do further research and lay many more.
It is done, though, with every state governments approval as well as supervision.

There is currently only a 1 km stretch of plastic road in Delhi, but like I
mentioned 1,500 kms in the state of Tamil Nadu, and several stretches in the city
of Bangalore, the IT hub of the country, where many more are planned. In fact,
the government of Bangalore is looking to make the city plastic roads only.

A unique feature of the project is that it actually makes use of the waste plastic
bags that are used for food packaging as well as several other waste plastic that
comes from everyday living and often ends up in the countrys landfills (and is
typically burned, causing health problems in surrounding areas). The costs of
road building have gone down by 10-15%.


The Published Piece:

Plastic Roads Offer Greener Way to Travel in India:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/business/global/14plastic.html

WOMENS ENEWS

The Backstory:

This was my first query to Womens eNews. I had sent the a Letter of
Introduction and the editor e-mailed me back the writers guidelines and
encouraged me to pitch ideas. So I did. Some things to note:

(1) Even though the project isnt aimed at women in particular, I emphasize
why its of importance to women and therefore relevant to the
publications audience: The project is particularly of help to women,
many of whom are widows and have children from their previous
marriages.

(2) The article idea speaks of a huge problem (one written about hundreds of
times) but also gives details of a unique solution (which has almost never
been written about at all). Theres a freshness about it, a newness that
captures attention.

(3) Ive done my research. This means that I was able to give many details of
the background of the people involved and why this project isnt simply
some government-funded effort. Its something that has held meaning to
the people behind it, and I show how through my query.


The Query Letter:

Dear Editor:

Thank you for your e-mail. Heres an idea that I think would work well for
Womens eNews. I hope you agree.

--
In a country of arranged marriages, its hard enough for a woman to exert her
identity. Add AIDS to the equation and you have women who can never have
healthy relationships.

In India, few womenmarried or unmarriedcan afford to come out in the
open about their HIV status because of the stigma attached to AIDS and the
morality issues that surround it.

Daxa Patel of the Gujarat State Network of Positive People, has come up with a
unique solutiona marriage bureau for HIV-positive people.

The bureau was set up by Daxa and her husband Vithal Patel, both of whom are
HIV positive. Daxa found out she was positive when she got pregnant, though
neither of them have been able to determine how they got infected. On a doctors
advice, Daxa aborted the baby, but has been in a happy relationship with Vithal
for the last seven years.

The couple became HIV counselors and thought other people deserved to be in
happy relationships as well. The idea behind the project was that people with
HIV might be happier together than alone or with partners who were HIV
negative.

The project is particularly of help to women, many of whom are widows and
have children from their previous marriages. Many of them need not only social
security, but economic security as well.

I propose a piece on this marriage bureau and the people behind it. I will also
interview couples who have come together through the network and others
whore seeking partners with their help. The article will additionally explain the
situation of AIDS in India, which according to recent UN reports is now
considered the country with the most number of AIDS cases.

As I mentioned in my previous e-mail, Im a freelance journalist based in New
Delhi, India, and have written for publications such as Marie Claire, Elle, The
World & I, The Times of India, Yahoo.com, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and East
West Magazine.

Details of my work and published credits are available on my website
www.mridukhullar.com. Im happy to send samples of my recent work.

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards,
Mridu Khullar


The Published Piece:

Marriage Bureau Specializes in Indias HIV Widows:
http://womensenews.org/story/the-world/070611/marriage-bureau-
specializes-in-indias-hiv-widows

SPIRITUALITY & HEALTH

The Backstory:

I was just finishing up my first assignment for this editor but I knew this one, too,
would be right up his alley. I also didnt want to waste any time because I was
leaving the country very soon. Since wed been e-mailing back and forth
regularly through the week, the inclusion of credits and bio wasnt necessary for
this pitch.


The Query Letter:

Dear [Editor],

Hope youre well. Im putting the finishing touches on the [previous] piece and
should have it to you within the next couple of days.

In the meantime, I came across a very fascinating concept here in Ghana and
since Im only here until April 15, I thought Id run it by you in case youre
interested.

Heres a brief:

A large fish. An oversized Coca-Cola bottle. A hammer. Even a mobile phone.

They could be art exhibits in a gallery in Paris. Instead, theyre coffins.
Handmade, very detailed, and created to carry a deceased Ghanaian to his
afterlife.

In the West African country of Ghana, funerals are as much a time of mourning as
they are of celebration. The significance of symbols is strong and hence a person,
in the event of his death, is placed in a coffin that symbolizes his life. So a farmer
may bid farewell in a cocoa bean coffin, a pilot in an airplane, and a cellphone
salesman, in, what else, a Nokia cellphone.

Death is taken very seriously and the body of the deceased may have to be
preserved for months while the coffin is carved out. The coffins themselves cost
about $400 and up, in a country where a majority live on less than $2 a day. A
death ceremony can send families into several years of debt. All so that their
loved ones can leave in style and find peace in the other world.

Near Accra, the capital of the country, skilled craftsmen have their stores and are
open to the public to come view them at work.

I think the concept is fascinating on many levels, and the primary appeal I see for
Spirituality & Healths readers lies in the concept of celebrating death. Seeing the
positive in what appears to be negative. Finding joy in moments of pain. A sad
event, a death, is a colorful celebration, so much so that coffins makers are a
tourist attraction. And a minutely-carved piece of art is buried, making it special
and impermanent, just like the body that lies inside it.

What do you think? Let me know if you like the idea and Ill hop on over and get
my research, interviews, and photography done.

Thanks, [Editor]. I look forward to hearing from you.

Trend Stories

GLOBAL POST

The Backstory:

While this was an editor I had only worked with once before, we got on very well
right from the beginning and so were quite comfortable with one another.
Because of that, even though he was still editing my earlier piece, youll notice
that my query is laidback and doesnt try too hard. I dont need to mention
credits or bio because we were in the process of editing the first piece and he
didnt need to be reminded of what I brought to the table.


The Query Letter:

Hi [Editor],

Hope youre well. I know youre still looking at the [earlier] piece, but I came
across this timely story that I thought Id send your way. Let me know if you find
it interesting.

Whens the baby due? Ask your astrologer.

As the concern over the rising rates of caesarean sections grows around the
world, in India, the opposite is happening: Couples are increasingly opting for
them. In consultation with their astrologers.

Middle-class Indians today, with access to some of the best healthcare in the
world, are opting for premeditated caesarian sections in order to perfectly time
the birth of their babies. In this practice that is both dangerous and controversial
(but increasingly popular), couples consult with their astrologers to make sure
that their child is born at an auspicious time of their choosing, at great risk to
both mother and baby. No doubt astrologersand doctorsare profiting. Some
hospitals now even boast of astrology departments.

The story hasnt been picked up yet by any international media and Id love to
report on it for you. Let me know if you can use it.

Thanks so much, [Editor]. I look forward to the edits and hearing what you think
of this story idea.

Best,
Mridu



The Published Piece:

In India, C-sections are in the Stars:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/india/090928/astrologer-c-sections

GLOBAL POST

The Backstory:

I was pretty friendly with this editor by the time I sent this idea through. Wed
worked on a few stories together and hed even introduced me to another
member of his staff who could potentially take the ideas that he couldnt for his
section. This idea was a hard sell elsewhere but GlobalPost has always bought
stories from me that are off the beaten path and this one was no exception.


The Query Letter:

It may be offered as a new religion or spiritual experience in the West, but in
India, scientology is taking on a new avatar: As a tool for business.

In pamphlets and fliers distributed across several cities, trainers offer to teach
the art of selling & making friends based on the works of Mr. L. Ron Hubbard, a
World Renowned American philosopher. For Rs. 750 (approx. $16), the
introductory seminar offers individuals and corporate attendees a free book and
the opportunity to learn how to effectively market themselves in a seminar titled
The Art of Selling.

In this country already crowded with religions and spiritual experiences,
scientology is taking an interesting approach to attracting the newly rich middle
classes: Enticing them by teaching them business skills. Whats most interesting
is that in 2005, five years after the introduction of scientology in India, only
1,500 people, in a country of over a billion, were members. This figure has
multiplied substantially in the last few years with at least five new centers in the
country.

Would you be interested in a story about how, even as one new scandal after the
other breaks out in the West regarding scientology, it is making its influence felt
in this country, and the new customized approach it is taking to that end?

Let me know.

Cheers,
Mridu


The Published Piece:

Scientology takes hold in India:

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/india/100629/air-plane-crash-fake-
passport-kasargod-crime

News-Based Features

TIME

The Backstory:

Id been working with the magazine quite frequently by this point and was doing
quite a bit of work for the website, Time.com, on a regular basis. I was still
pitching the editor my own ideas even though she was coming to me with
assignments much more frequently. I think its always a good idea to have your
own story ideas even when editors are handing you frequent assignments
because (a) it makes their job that much more easier and they like you for it, and
(b) it keeps you in the habit of looking for new and interesting stories.


The Query Letter:

October 31 will mark the 25th anniversary of the anti-Sikh riots that rocked
Delhi after Prime Minister Indira Gandhis assassination in 1984, killing 3,000
people and displacing thousands more. In a corner of Delhi, in the colony of Tilak
Vihar, is a small block of homes known as the Widows colony, which is home to
the widows and children of these riots. But what is more interesting is that over
the years, this colony has gained a reputation for gambling, prostitution,
alcoholism and drug abuse. Rikshaw drivers wont go there for fear theyll be
robbed or stabbed, and after dark, unlicensed alcohol shops open up around the
area in plain view. The widows complain that this is because they were never
given proper compensation and the jobs they were promised never materialized
and while the NGOs get foreign money in compensation in their name, theyve
never seen any of it. Many of themsingle mothersdid not have enough
money to support their kids and no counseling was ever available to them, which
has led to most of the kids in this colony being unemployed and/or drug addicts.


The Published Piece:

Indias 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: Waiting for Justice:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1931635,00.html

AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION (ABC)

The Backstory:

Id been writing for my editor at ABC for a while and I frequently sent over list of
story ideas from my neck of the woods. In this particular instance, I had two
ideas, both equally powerful that I thought would work for this publication, so
after the usual pleasantries, I outlined them both in one single e-mail. My editor
bought this one.


The Query Letter:

Hi Editor, [general chitchat]. Ive got two more ideas that hit me over the head so
Im hoping theyll do the same for you. Let me know if you agree!

In April 2010, eight people from a metal junkyard in Delhi suffered from
exposure to radioactive material identified as Cobalt-60. These were scrap
dealers, and fearing the presence of more radioactive sources in metal
scrapyards in Delhi, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) planned to carry out a multi-pronged
approach survey in the area. Mayapuri, the junkyard where the workers were
originally exposed, is the biggest and most prominent junk metal yard in India
and contains waste material that arrives from all over the world, without any
checks for radiation or other lethal materials at the ports (nearly 4,000 tons of
junk metal enters India each day). A multilayer radiation check system proposed
by AERB has not been followed to prevent the import and export of radioactive
contaminated material, which means that this radioactive metal has, in fact,
ended up being exported from India in the form of lift buttons, etc. I think a story
on this growing threat to scrap dealers, as well as the population at large, from
waste radioactive material coming in would be a very interesting story to
explore.

Let me know if youd like more information about either of the two stories.
Thanks again and I look forward to writing for you again soon.

Best,
Mridu


The Published Piece:

Is India exporting radiation to the world?:
http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2011/10/18/3342455.htm

MS. MAGAZINE

The Backstory:

This was my first query to and first assignment from Ms. magazine. The editor
later told me that while they get dozens of submissions from India and accept
only a tiny percentage of the queries sent their way, this one caught her attention
because it wasnt a traditional or rural story, the kind that often gets play in
international media. Its a timely story about modern young women and that
makes it a perfect fit for Ms. magazine's progressive feminist audience.


The Query Letter:

Dear [Editor]:

Six states in India banned sex education in schools late last month, saying that
the course material was too explicit, encouraged sexual conduct in young people,
and was against the Indian culture.

To discipline students further, two high schools in Mumbai came up with another
rule: Girls and boys will not be allowed to touch each other. If they happen to
brush against each other by accident, theyll be penalized.

In a rapidly-developing India, where pre-marital sex is still considered taboo
(even though reportedly a quarter of the nations youth admit to engaging in it),
and the generation gap has become a gaping hole, more and more young people
are fumbling for reliable information on sex, contraceptive choices and methods.
Even in educated India, the inhibitions and taboos surrounding sex make
information inaccessible.

But education is just the first step. Getting access to contraceptives is a whole
other battle. When Nikki B. went to the local pharmacy to buy the morning-after
pill, the looks from the men across the counter, she says, made her feel like a
prostitute. The next time, she went with her boyfriend and pretended to be
married to him before making the purchase.

Doctors act as moral police, too. When patients reveal that they are unmarried,
several of them are given lectures, stern looks, or are completely dismissed. The
result is a large number of youngsters who feel reluctant to approach doctors
and health workers about their sexual health, and are as a consequence,
susceptible to STDs, genital infections, even AIDS. Abortions among unwed
mothers continue to be on the rise.

Not surprisingly, this moral policing is directed mostly at women.


Would this be a story you might be interested in? Ill talk about the lack of
willingness among parents to talk to their children (especially girls) about sex,
interview women from different generations to get their takes on the issues, and
talk to health and education experts to find out what this means for the future of
Indias youth.

[My bio]

etc.


The Published Piece:

Have They Forgotten the Kama Sutra?
http://www.mridukhullar.com/portfolio/kama-sutra.html

Happiness

SELF

The Backstory:

This was my first query to Self magazine. Id recently come across the Slow
movement and it seemed like something Selfs readers could apply to their lives
in various different ways. I had already interviewed Marc David for a feature
earlier that year and Carl Honor pretty much wrote the book on slow living
(quite literally!), so I wanted to include these experts in my pitch. I dont always
include experts, but for national womens magazines like Self, Glamour, Elle, etc,
anything you can do to get a leg up on your competition works in your favor.
These magazines get thousands of submissions each week and the effort you put
in your query matters. So while I didnt go overboard, I did use my existing
research to make this query a little more in-depth than I would have had I been
querying a newspaper or regional magazine.


The Query Letter:

Slow Down Your Life

Are you always racing against the clock? Does life seem like a never-ending list of
to-dos, commitments, and responsibilities?

It may be time to slow down.

Heart disease is the biggest health problem in America, followed only by
depression. Research shows that over the last four decades, happiness among
people, especially women, has been on the decline.

Started in Italy as a movement against fast food chains, the Slow Food Movement
quickly gained momentum and became a way of lifeSlow Livingwith
branches such as Slow Exercise, Slow Sex, and Slow Design.

Slowing down doesnt mean losing productivity. In fact, even though the French
work only 25 hours a week and the Germans have established 28.8 hour work
weeks, their productivity has been driven up by as much as 20 percent! Slowing
down, will in fact, help you work with greater quality, less stress, and more
attention to detail.

In Slow Down Your Life, Ill provide readers with tips on how to achieve
balance and control using the principles of Slow Living. Some of these include:


* Do a bit less, advises Carl Honore, author of In Praise of Slow. Sit and list
everything you do in a week in order of importance. Then, cut from the bottom.
Once youve created an extra few hours for yourself, fill them with activities that
are slowsuch as slow reading, yoga, or meditation.

* Take up a slow hobby. Knitting is a fast-growing hobby in America and the
numbers indicate that it has grown by as much as 50% in the under-35 age
group. Most people admit to taking up knitting as a way to reduce stress.

* In his book The Slow Down Diet, nutritionist Marc David says that eating slowly
is a sure shot way to permanent weight loss. The slower you eat, the faster you
metabolize, says David. Being aware of what youre eatingits aroma, taste, and
textureis an important part of your digestive response. Simply put, if youre
not aware of what youre eating, youre only utilizing about 60-70 percent of
your bodys metabolic efficiency.

* Slow down your e-mail. Heres a novel concept: How about checking your e-
mail only twice a day instead of keeping it open all day long? The founders of the
slow e-mail concept believe that by cutting excessive time spent on responding
to e-mail as soon as it arrives, its actually more efficient to respond to all non-
urgent matters at the start of the day and then once more before the end.

For the article, Ill interview Carl Honore and Marc David, as well as founders and
leaders of the Slow Life Movement.

I feel the article would be an interesting look at a movement that has been
catching on widely, especially in high-productivity cultures such as those in
America and Japan. It will also help Selfs readers find more time, happiness and
well being in their own lives.

Let me know if you agree.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Mridu

ELLE
SPIRITUALITY & HEALTH

The Backstory:

This query first sold to Elles Indian edition, was subsequently picked up by Elle,
UK, and was then also requested by Spirituality & Health. I wrote two versions
a 2,000-word piece for Elle and a 1,500-word piece for Spirituality & Health.

Since I knew the editors at both publications, this wasnt a formal query. I do
outline my ideas sometimes when I know my editors wont be familiar with the
topic and thats what I did here.


The Query Letter:

Idea: In the Himalayas, Western Women Turn Nuns

Can a shaved head, red robe, and abstention from sex grant enlightenment?

What motivates a British woman with a full life to leave everything and get
ordained in India? Can a former promiscuous drug addict live the life of celibacy?
Why does a woman from a Western culture become an Eastern nun?

In a nunnery in Mcleod Ganj, India, lie some of the answers.

Trisha Donnelly was born in 1944 in Surrey, England. She spent many years
traveling and like many women, trying to figure out the meaning of life. In the
small town of Mcleod Ganj in the Himalayas, which is home to the Dalai Lama,
she found Buddhism. After several years of practicing the faith, on New Years
Eve 2003, the 59-year-old finally took the plunge with five vows, a shaved head
and a new maroon and yellow attire.

Lina was once a part of Colombias drug culture. Today, the only proof of her past
are the holes left behind by her piercingsin her tongue, eyebrow, nose and
ears. Today, 23-year-old Lina is a nun.

Ani Tenzin Sangmo is a Dutch Buddhist nun and a spiritual leader. She is helping
in the creation of a nunnery/institute in Mcleod Ganj to answer the spiritual
training needs of Westerners who have become ordained as Buddhist nuns.

Id like to write an article about Western women who have come to India and
become Buddhist nuns. Ill interview several women and find out what inspired
them to give up full lives and take on the tough life of a nun. With me, readers

will visit these womens pasts, their lives before they became nuns, and learn
about their present and the changes theyve experienced.

In addition to taking an interesting peek behind-the-scenes into the lives of these
nuns, I also hope to give readers a glimpse into the answers they may be seeking
themselves.

[bio, etc.]

Science

BRAINWORLD

The Backstory:

Id written for this magazine a few times and the editor would e-mail regular
writers every now and again asking for ideas for the next few issues. This was
one of those times when the editor had e-mailed to ask for specific ideas for a
themed issue and so I responded to her e-mail with this pitch.


The Query Letter:

Hi [Editor],

We like to think that were free to choose and capable of making decisions, but a
famous experiment from the late 1970s and early 1980s shows that if say, you
want to move your arm, your brain has already begun preparing for movement
before you consciously decide to move it. What this experiment shows is that
contrary to popular belief, the brains gets ready to move, THEN you make a
conscious decision, and then you act.

Which brings us to the question: Could someone know before I do what Im going
to do? In a series of recent experiments, neuroscientist Dr. John-Dyland Haynes
has taken that 1970s experiment one step further. He claims hes able to tell
which decision a person will make long before the person makes it.

Even though its in experiment conditions, his results could have a lot of practical
implications in new technologiesbuilding lie detectors, for instance, or trying
to find out whether consumers will like a certain product or not.

The ethical waters of these experiments are murky and these technologies
clearly raise moral issues. The worry is that in the future, the government, the
court system, or even private companies could be able to get deeper into you,
know your biases and prejudices that you may not even be aware of.

How much really do we want to find out? And will these technologies of the
future be a boon or a bane?

Id love to write a piece about these technologies, this research and these ethical
issues. I think it could make for some fascinating reading.

Let me know what you think.


Thanks so much,
Mridu


The Published Piece:

Whos The Decision-MakerYour Brain or You?
http://brainworldmagazine.com/whos-the-decision-maker-your-brain-or-you/

Writing & Publishing

WRITERS DIGEST

The Backstory:

This was, I think, the second time Id pitched a successful query to Writers
Digest. Id written for their Breaking In section once before, a piece on a new
type of digital magazines that were entering the market (this was 2004), and so
when the piece got published, I thought of other things I could potentially submit
to the same department and this idea seemed like the perfect fit.

It had been a while since Id worked with the editor, so I made sure to remind
her of my credits.


The Query Letter:

Dear [Editor],

As a new freelance writer almost two years ago, I didnt like the $4,000-a-year
freelance writing income statistics I saw. Determined to make a good living from
the freelance business, I decided to target markets that would give me a higher
payoff for my words. I targeted international markets, leading to my first
assignment from an Indian magazine, my second sale to a newspaper in the US,
and my third published credit from a start-up in Australia.

Today, even though my main markets are located in USA, Canada and England, I
continue to sell reprints to various other countries, netting me a lot of extra cash
for no additional work done. This has not only increased my bottom line, but also
opened up a host of new markets for my work. The international writer tag
helps, too.

Or take the case of US-based writer Michael Sedge, whos had over 4,000
published articles and 21 books in print. The king of reprints, Sedge is known for
selling his articles across the globe. If a writer knows how to manage his rights,
its a great way to expand potential markets, he says. His advice is to make your
international sales a marketing, and not a writing, effort. He constantly makes
up rights, such as First English Language Rights in Japan.

Interested in this piece for your Breaking In department? Ill include advice
from respected freelancers such as Sedge, and editors from countries outside the
United States. Ill outline ideas and advice on maintaining a solid income from
your international freelancing efforts, such as:


* Consider the time factor: If two years ago, you made 500 Euro for an article, it
would come to be around $420. Today, that same amount is worth $625. So, its
wise to focus a great deal of effort on European markets, which will pay more for
your dollar.

* Make it a marketing effort: Sell what youve already written. Tune up your
queries to meet the needs of markets, and send out three or four international
queries per week.

* Keep track of your rights: Never sell all rights. Instead, make up some of your
own. Youll probably fine-tune the pieces to suit the particular countrys
audience, but its still worth the effort.

Id love to write this article for you. As you may remember, Im a full-time writer
with a range of international writing experience. [Some of my recent credits.]

I look forward to working with you and providing quality content for Writers
Digest.

Have a great day!
Mridu

THE WRITER

The Backstory:

This was not, by any stretch, the first query I ever sent to The Writer magazine,
but it was certainly the first that was ever accepted. Ive since written for them
several more times, but getting this first assignment was definitely the most
difficult. As I say frequently, relationships matter in this business. Once youve
got your foot in the door and have worked with an editor, your chances of
acceptance the second, third, fourth time around improve immensely. In the
least, it gets your work looked at. So keep at it. You only have to work super hard
for that first assignment once with each publication you write for.


The Query Letter:

Dear [Editor Name]:

As the economy further plunges in free fall and publications that have been
around for decades close their doors, its easy for a freelancer to become anxious
about her continuing sources of income.

But despair not, because despite these turbulent times, successful freelancers are
reporting more work than theyve ever had before. If youve been feeling the
pinch, tooand who hasnt?here are some ways to increase your income this
month.

In my piece, How to Make an Extra $1,000 Each Month, Ill advise readers on
small things they can do in this economic climate for some extra quick cash.

Some ideas:

1. Focus on the online dailies. Theyre low-payers (usually between the range of
$50-500), but they publish daily, pay quickly, and require minimal or no edits.
Examples of these publications include Mahalo.com, Orato.com, The Womens
International Perspective, and Chow.com. Whats better, because these
publications are small and need freelancers, theyre usually nice to their writers
and will respond within days to your queries.
Extra Money Made: $50-500.

2. Add value to your stories. Start offering complete packages to your editors,
which could include multimedia aspects like photo slideshows or video. Most
editors will pay you more simply for coming up with these ideas, and many times
you wont be required to actually do these things, only suggest them. But start

learning, thoughmore and more, freelancers are being asked to provide full
packages. If you can, youre gold.
Extra Money Made: $100-250.

Ill provide 8-10 such ideas to your reader, and also interview writers whove
used these techniques to add to their income. For instance, a freelancer I know
recently got her first multimedia assignment and an additional heft paycheck.

Would you be interested in assigning How to Make an Extra $1,000 This
Month?

A bit about me: Im a full-time freelance journalist, have lived and worked in Asia
and Africa, and am currently based in the SF bay area. I write for Time, Glamour,
Marie Claire, Elle, Ms., Parade, and Womens eNews, among others.

My website is at www.mridukhullar.com. Let me know if youd like to see clips.

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards,
Mridu Khullar

THE WRITER

The Backstory:

I dont typically write 1,000-word tomes of pitches, but I wrote a free e-course
for my blog titled A Month of Marketing and I decided that it was good enough
that it needed to reach more people. I took the e-course off my website and
decided to pitch it to The Writer as A Week of Marketing instead by taking
some of my best tips, interviewing other writers, and perhaps seeing if I could
find a way to make it even easier to market yourself as a writer. Since I already
had a good idea of what I wanted to cover in this piece, writing the query was a
breeze, even if it looks like it took quite a bit of effort.


The Query Letter:

Dear [Editor Name]:

In my decade of experience as a freelance journalist, an editor, a coach, and now
a blogger, theres one question writers ask more than any other: How can I get
work FAST?

The answer I give is simple: Spend an entire week, anywhere from 50 to 90
hours, doing nothing but marketing. You will get work. And you will get it
quickly.

Consider this: I just returned from maternity leave and despite having a two-
month old demanding my constant attention, Ive been able to drum up enough
work to keep me busy for a month. Some of it will pay quickly, which means I can
start getting money in straight away. This isnt a fluke. Last year, I took a month
off to start writing a novel and when I returned, I had editors, including those
from Time magazine and the New York Times, waiting to give me assignments.

I propose the piece, One Week of Marketing, which will show writersnew
ones and those returning from extended breakshow to get back into
freelancing and drum up work quickly. While there is a lot to be said about
patience in this business, it helps to know some ways of getting assignments fast
because not only does it keep you afloat financially, but it keeps you moving
forward emotionally. These tried and tested marketing strategies will help even
the most reluctant of writers.

Heres a sampling:

Day 1: Update your portfolio and tell people what you do. Before we get into
intense marketing, lets do a bit of housekeeping. If you want new-to-you editors

to hire you, you need to impress them with your previous work. If you want to
impress them with your previous work, you need to showcase it, both online and
offline.

Day 2: Send out letters of introduction, check in with your regular clients, revive
old contacts, and fix meetings. Today, its time for you to get in touch with old
contacts. Remember that marketing manager you worked with in your old job?
The communications consultant you once had lunch with? That editor who came
to stay in the hotel where you worked as a receptionist? Call/e-mail them. Ask if
they might need a writer.

Day 3: Send out the rejects and market ideas that never got off the ground. There
are likely some queries that you sent out in the last few years or months that
seemed like pure genius at the time but never sold. You wrote them off, moved
on, and went about your life. Its time to revisit. Look through your sent e-mails
folder for pitches that never sold and read them again. Are they well written? Is
the idea youre proposing shaped up nicely and cleanly? Is there new research or
development on this story? Rewrite the proposals if need be and send them out.

Day 4: Check in with your regulars. If youve been writing and selling for more
than three years, make a list of all your clients in an Excel sheet. Delete the ones
you no longer want to work with. Of the remaining, next to each, write down the
number of assignments youve done for them and categorize them as
fewer than 3
3-5
5-10
10+
The fewer than three clients are either one-offs or people you should be
pitching again. The 10+ are your regular clients, and you likely already have good
relationships with them. But look closely at the 3-10 range and figure out how to
turn these into editors wholl give you work regularly.

Day 5: Exchange information and ask for referrals. Ask your writing friends to
suggest their best (well-paying and easy to work with) clients in exchange for
giving the names and contacts of yours. Do this with people whore at the same
rung of the ladder as you or a little higher or lower. If youre writing for $250 a
piece, dont ring your friend who works for four times that to share her contacts.
Since what Im suggesting is mutual give-and-take, make sure you have as much
to give as you have to take.

Day 6: Get Linked In. You dont have to spend every waking hour posting random
thoughts on social networking websites, but its good to have a presence.
Connect with colleagues, give and get references, apply for jobs, make contacts,
and youll find that sometimes, youre even able to find work.

Day 7: Follow up on your correspondence. E-mails get lost in cyberspace, editors
forget, things get busy, and your submission may be deleted without being
looked at. It happens. Follow up. Follow up on queries. Follow up on letters of

introduction. Follow up on any correspondence that needed a response and

didnt get one.

As you may remember, Ive previously contributed to the Writer magazine a few
times. Im also a regular contributor to the New York Times, Time magazine, The
International Herald Tribune, ABC News Australia, Global Post, The Christian
Science Monitor, Womens eNews, and over a hundred other publications. Ive
also written for several womens magazines including Glamour, Self, and Vogue,
and am a contributing editor at Elle magazines Indian edition. In addition, Ive
contributed to the books Chicken Soup for the Pre-Teen Soul II and Voices of
Alcoholism. Samples of my work, as well as more detailed credits, are available
on my website www.mridukhullar.com. Please let me know if you have any
questions about my background or my work.

Thanks for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Mridu Khullar Relph


The Published Piece:

Marketing Blitz:
http://www.writermag.com/en/Articles/2012/11/Marketing%20Blitz.aspx

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mridu Khullar Relph is an award-winning freelance journalist and writer. She
has lived and worked in Asia, Africa, and North America, and writes for Time, The
New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, Ms. Magazine, The Christian
Science Monitor, and Global Post, among others. She has also contributed to
various national and international editions of Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Self, and
Glamour.

Mridu has contributed to the books Chicken Soup for the Pre-Teen Soul II, Voices
of Alcoholism and Breaking Out: How to Build Influence in a World of Competing
Ideas. In 2008-09, she spent a year at the University of California, Berkeley, as a
Visiting Scholar at the School of Journalism. In November 2010, she was named
Development Journalist of the Year at the Developing Asia Journalism Awards
Forum in Tokyo.

Visit her website at www.mridukhullar.com.