I agree with Jennifer L. and Ed. While I appreciate the need for querying and the skills associated with it, it has never been my strength to query editors who don’t know me.

For me, since I don’t have the best results with querying, I’d much rather spend my time writing than convincing people I can write.

Looking forward to the new site!

Thank you,

Elizabeth

I don’t want to stop sending queries because I do get some work out of them; I just convinced a new editor to commission a piece by me for a magazine last week. And it’s much easier to send a query to an editor you’ve worked with before; all you have to do is sell your story idea, not yourself. But it’s tough going when you’re sending most of your queries to people who don’t know you from Adam.

I’m pretty dang query based right now, but I figure that’s until I build a reputation. I’ve only been at this about a month as of last Friday, and I’m already making enough to cover expenses. We’ll see how things develop as I build my business.

The other point is that too often, writers forget their job is to write for pay, not for fame. After a while, you’ll get more of a thrill seeing your name on a check than in print. I’ve written thousands of anonymous pieces and you know what? The check or PayPal statement was all the recognition you need. I think we all want bylines in high profile publications, but the day-in-day out business of writing is about paying your bills, not feeding your ego.