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Wendy Burt-Thomas is a full-time freelance writer with more than 1,000 published articles, essays, poems, short stories and greeting cards. She is the author of The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters, her third book. To learn more about her books, read author interviews or find writing contests, visit her blog at AskWendy.wordpress.com.

1. Hello Wendy, thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for us! First, we'd like to know how you came about writing your latest book 'The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters'. Was it a natural choice following your class about freelance writing?

Absolutely. My first two books were nonfiction humor “hip chicks” guides for McGraw-Hill, but I’d always had my mind set on writing a book about writing. Since I’d been teaching a workshop called, “Breaking Into Freelance Writing” for about eight years, this was a natural fit! The irony is that I never even wrote a query (or proposal) for this book. My friend Christina Katz (author of “Writer Mama” and “Get Known Before the Book Deal”) recommended me to Writer’s Digest Books and they basically agreed on the phone to have me write the book. Like I said, ironic considering the title of the book!

2. What is the most common mistake you think writers make when it comes to writing query letters?

They rush through them. If you take a year to complete a novel and then crank out a crappy query letter, you’re ruining your chances that anyone will request to read the manuscript. Why would you blow your shot? Make the query letter reflect the tone, style and voice of your book (or article). You’re pre-selling yourself so they’ll want to read more.

3. You have had over 1000 pieces of your work published. Which projects did you enjoy the most or were the most satisfying?

I loved writing this book. They let me keep in all my humor and it felt really easy to write because I knew the material. I also love writing greeting cards – especially humor. It’s great money and fun to see your name on the back of cards! I also wrote an essay for Family Circle that was very personal – about my husband serving in Iraq. It was cathartic to write and it didn’t hurt that I got $1,000 for about 800 words!

4. What do you think the main difference is between writing for print and writing for the web? Is one or the other better for freelance writers to get started?

The biggest difference is in the rights that you sell. Once you publish on the Web, you’re selling e-rights (electronic rights), which sometimes makes it harder to resell your work to larger, higher-paying print publications because they see it as an article that is already accessible to the masses. With print publications, you usually retain some form of rights. I’m a big fan of selling one-time or reprint rights so I can keep selling the same piece all over the country to non-competitive markets. It’s extra money for no extra work.

5. What do you recommend for new writers who'd like to break into this business? How do you make a plan for your new career?

First of all, you need to take every paying opportunity you can. You can always drop the lower-paying gigs as you land higher-paying ones. (I’m talking about turning down regular work, not quitting an assignment mid-stream.) It’s vital to build your credentials with small and medium jobs so you can break into the larger, higher-paying publications later. They want to see published clips, and this is how I built mine.

Also, don’t put yourself in a box. I started off writing poetry and short stories (seriously bad pay!) but then moved on to articles and greeting cards, which pay much, much better! When clients started asking me to write copy for Web sites, brochures, press releases, advertising, etc., I just said “ok” then learned how to do it. Turns out, it’s often not very different from writing articles – just less words.

As for planning your career, plan to keep your day job while you work your butt off at night, on weekends and during lunch breaks. Don’t quit your job until you get enough regular work to make a living as a writer. I’m fortunate that I can make a full-time living as a writer and editor. But I also have insurance for my family through my family. That’s a big consideration nowadays so you can’t just quit your job and assume you’ll make it. Build your client base first.

6. Do you have a favorite quote or words that ring home to you?

“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” Someone once said to me (regarding writing), “You’re the luckiest person I know.” I said, “Are you kidding me? I’ve busted my butt to get where I am today. I just seized every opportunity that came my way!”

7. Who inspires you on a personal or business level?

My dad has 12 books so I’m fortunate to have a writing mentor. He was the first person in history to win the Bram Stoker Award for a self-published book. He tied with Clive Barker! As an interesting sidenote, they actually mailed him Clive’s award and mailed my dad’s to Clive. When Dad called me, I joked, “Finally a way to make money as a fiction writer. Sell it on eBay!”

8. Finally, a most important question: what was the last song you sang out loud when you were by yourself?  :)

No doubt a children’s song. Probably “I like to move it, move it!” from Madagascar. I have a 1 year old and 3 year old so I never get to listen to anything I like. ; )

Thanks Wendy for your insights - we wish you great success with your future projects!