Recently, I've heard from a few different writers wanting my opinion on LOIs (or letters of introduction). The great thing about LOIs is that you don't have to spend time finding a brilliant idea for an article only to discover that someone has already beat you to your epiphany and written a cover story for the latest issue. Nor do you have to start from scratch each time, searching for that eye-catching statistic or witty one-liner that will convince that editor that widgets are sexy enough to merit a 1,500 word feature.
In fact, LOIs are much simpler to write, and once you've got the formula down, you can adapt it to almost any market. The catch? To write an effective LOI, you should be semi-successful as a writer and/or have in-depth knowledge of the publication's topic area. Otherwise, you won't have much to say, and most editors can see right through fluff.
For instance, if you're a nurse who's trying to break into magazine writing, then you might be able to leverage your knowledge and experience into assignments with a healthcare trade publication. You may not have many clips, but if you can write a clear, coherent letter selling yourself as a healthcare expert, then you're well on your way. Often in the case of trade publications, the ideas are generated in-house and farmed out to freelancers, so writing a carefully crafted query might not get you very far with that market anyway.
However, I usually include a line about how "I'd love to tailor a query to your needs" or "I'm open to discussing ideas" to show that if they need/want writer input, I'm not going to just sit around and wait to be handed an assignment. Here's an example of a recent LOI that landed me an assignment with a new-to-me magazine market:
Dear [redacted]:
I am very interested in contributing to [redacted], and I understand that you sometimes work with freelancers. I would love to be considered for assignments or get a copy of your writer's guidelines so I can tailor a query to your needs.
My writing runs the gamut from business profiles to features on lifestyle and the arts. As a Boston-based freelance writer, I have contributed The Boston Globe, DailyCandy, and Self magazine. In addition to having a strong passion for the arts, I have also contributed to specialty publications including Making Music and Dramatics.
Here are some writing samples:[Here's where I included some links to articles that are somewhat related to the magazine's topic area.]
I would love to discuss your editorial needs, so I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!
Best,
Susan
One last note about LOIs: sometimes you'll hear right away ("Yes, we have an assignment for you" or "thanks for writing, we'll keep you on file"), but sometimes it could be months before get a response. You can gently follow-up after a few weeks, but hang in there and trust that you offer something valuable to editors.