"21 Query Letters That Sold" By Mridu Khullar Relph

Writing more-than-decent query letters is the very first step one has to take in order to make it big in the field of freelance journalism. Most writers are turned down by publications not because they are not good writers, but because their ideas fail to impress the editors. Although I have had some publishing success with Indian as well as international publications, I haven’t been able to break into what I like to call the “A-list” (publications that pay above a dollar per word) primarily because I didn’t have the patience to list out super-awesome story ideas and craft eye-popping query letters (which is why I mostly deal with copywriting projects, with a few magazine articles and a couple of regular columns here and there). 

So when Mridu Khullar Relph offered a review copy of her brand new e-book, “21 Query Letters That Sold” I just couldn’t say no. I didn’t take up the book just for a sake of adding a review to my blog, but because I needed it for MYSELF. I wanted to learn what makes for an irresistible query letter and as I went through her examples, I realized what I was doing wrong. Some of my story ideas were not timely, other’s didn’t have solid research to back them up. Editors probability sift through hundreds of query letters from new and established freelancers every single day – so how do you make yours stand out? Several articles, such as this one right here on this blog, will tell you how to write a winning query letter but very few resources will show you how it is done. Mridu’s book is of the latter kind. With 21 fabulous sample query letters, each accompanied by a back story, analysis, and a link to the published story,  this book is indeed a must-read for anyone who aspires to become a successful freelance journalist.

You will be delighted to know that this fabulous e-book is up for grabs - for free! "21 Query Letters That Sold" includes queries that sold to publications like The New York Times, Time, Girl's Life, etc. with detailed explanation of the background of each pitch, the author's relationship with the editor, and how she bagged the assignment. Writers will find the book immensely useful because it lays out bare the process of pitching and makes it seem doable.

The e-book is downloadable on subscription to Mridu's weekly newsletter: (http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/ebook-queries/)