Why Writers Need to Track Article Queries

The business of being a writer involves keeping track of article queries.

Most freelance writers track their submissions in some way. It is just as important to track article queries and related article ideas.

A writer may query an editor in two different situations: one, the writer has written an article with a shelf-life, and is shopping the article around to multiple publishers.

The other reason a writer sends out a query letter is to entice an editor to an article idea that you have not yet written. This works best for editors with whom you have built a working relationship. Depending on the editor, they may begin accepting you article ideas after only one or two previous purchases.

It is useful to be able to query an editor before the actual article is written because it leaves room for modifications to the original idea. The editor may lead your article in a direction that is more suited to their publication.

Why Writers Need to Track Article Queries

It is important to keep track of queries for a number of reasons.

Why Writers Need to Track Article Queries: 1. Idea Management

One reason to keep track of queries is to help you manage your ideas in an organized fashion. When ideas are not organized and managed, they can be fleeting. Writers can forget which queries went to which editors, or if the idea ever even made its way into a query at all.

Why Writers Need to Track Article Queries: 2. Quicker Response Time

Organizing queries will make it easier to find the original query ideas when they are approved or accepted by the editor. Once the editor informs the writer that the query idea is a "go" the writer will want to respond with the article quickly. By keeping the query ideas organized, the writer can more quickly find the original query idea and get started on the money-making article.

Why Writers Need to Track Article Queries: 3. Saving Brainpower

Writers will benefit more when they use their brainpower to actually write the articles, not in trying to recall exactly how the query was worded, or where they may have put the actually query.

Why Writers Need to Track Article Queries: 4. Good Business Practice