Q & A: Submit on Spec or Query?

Yesterday I got an email from a fellow who asked “Should I submit a completed article to a trade magazine in hopes they accept it, or should I submit a query first?”
(Somehow I deleted the email without responding – I hope he reads this.)
The answer, like so many things in the freelance writing business, is “it depends.” Trade magazines tend to be more open to new writers than consumer magazines, but that doesn’t answer the question. I think I’d decide based on how much time it would take me to put the article together.
If it was something I could …read more