By C. Hope Clark

The shortest, most blunt email anyone receives from me is “The guidelines are on the website,” and I send that email many times a week.

The online guidelines at www.fundsforwriters.com/submissions clearly ask for articles on spec. Or if a writer isn’t sure, they can pitch ideas, and if one is selected, they then submit that piece on spec. But still, I receive letters of introduction.

The difference between queries and letters of introduction are simple.

QUERIES pitch specific topics or might even pitch the article in its entirety, especially in our situation where the articles are so short (500-600 words). They are as close to publish-ready as a writer can make them and show that a writer understands the publication. They might even write on a topic recommended in the publication’s guidelines.

A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION is when a writer sends a brief bio and links to samples of their work. An LOI might be more fitting for someone pitching copywriting work or to a magazine seeking a stable of writers to assign writing to in the future. An LOI outlines your qualifications for that particular publication or corporate entity.

Neither of the above can be generic. Each is written specifically for a particular publication in attempt to show the editor that the writer knows the publication and wants to help make it great. But most of all, the query or LOI isn’t about you. It’s about what you can offer the publication. . . in very specific terms.

But if the magazine asks for a pitch, don’t send an LOI. It almost comes across as arrogant. As if the writer doesn’t want to take the time to submit on spec…waiting for the editor to just send an assignment to them. As if the writer doesn’t want to think what to write about. Magazines and newsletters are seeking fresh ideas as well as good writing. Stop and think about it….most magazines already know good writers, and if they already have a topic they want written, they’ll assign it to who they know already. You break into magazines/newsletters with new ideas. The writing quality can be hammered out if the idea is savvy enough.