The Writer's Guide to Queries, Pitches, & Proposals

Every writer wants to publish as widely as possible, and this book gives writers the tools to achieve a competitive edge and break into a wide range of markets. The second edition has been updated throughout and expanded to cover e-mail pitches, letters of introduction, pitching to international markets, how to pitch agents at conferences, and new markets such as greeting cards. This sprightly guide enables readers to expand their markets and increase sales by learning how to make the perfect pitch to magazines, publishers, corporations, and other potential clients. This indispensable resource provides writers with successful approaches to such topics as how to craft a query letter, create a nonfiction or fiction book proposal, approach newspapers with a column or syndication idea, get corporate freelancing jobs, and win a writing grant. Interviews with experts in a variety of fields and dozens of new examples of successful pitches, queries and proposals enliven and illustrate the text. Beginning and experienced writers will find this the perfect one-of-a-kind, desktop reference for developing the market approaches they need to sell their work.

Moira Anderson Allen has been writing professionally for more than 30 years, contributing to such publications as Writer's Digest, The Writer, Byline, and Entrepreneur, among others. She is the author of seven books (including Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer, Allworth Press, 2003, 2011) and more than 300 published articles. Her versatile background includes technical writing, corporate editing, corporate newsletter directing, and operating her own publishing firm. A long-time instructor of freelance and creative writing at community colleges, Allen is often a speaker at writing conferences and workshops. She lives in Columbia, Maryland.