My Query Letter for an “Odd Jobs” Newspaper Column

I sent this query letter not to the editor of the New York Times, but to the Canadian equivalent. This is just an example of a creative way to make money as a writer…

Dear New York Times Editor,

If you think your job stinks, try detecting flatulence, evaluating bad breath (does Scope really kill morning breath?), or boiling animal hair. Or, if you think it’s hard to work on a computer all day, image what it’d be like to test tampons (37 in a day’s work!) or reach into a chicken and pull out its guts without breaking the fragile, poisonous gizzard inside. Some of these unusual and odd jobs in America will make you grateful for the work you do, while others might prompt a career change.

More Than an Article: An “Employee of the Month” Column

Picture this: The New York Times honors Americans by profiling hundreds of unusual occupations on a monthly or bi-monthly “Odd Job or Hobby of the Month” page. The column would highlight different people in different states in a wide range of odd jobs that make money in creative ways: Crime Scene Cleaners, Scat Sniffers, Totem Pole Carvers, Scribes, Bee Wranglers, Cattle Hoof Trimmers ….it’d be a great way to show America who we are. I have a list of 25 possible odd jobs and hobbies that are creative ways to make money – and that’s just scratching the surface.

Below my signature line is a sample profile: “The Artificial Eye Maker.” Each job profile would be 250-300 words, describing the best, worst, and most surprising parts – along with a colorful “action shot.”

This would become the best reason to read the New York Times! People would be wondering: Which odd job or unusual hobby is highlighted this month? What state? Will the New York Times surprise me yet again with something I didn’t know about how American workers and entrepreneurs find creative ways to make money?

Of course, I could be convinced to write the column. 🙂 I’d love to do it! What a great way to connect with readers and honor who we are.

About me. I’m a full-time freelance writer and blogger in Vancouver, BC. I’ve written for magazines such as Reader’s Digest, Heath, Woman’s Day, MSN Health, alive, Spirituality & Health, and More. My newspaper writing experience includes a column for the Bowen Island Undercurrent (it ran for 2 years).

My undergraduate degrees are in Psychology and Education, and I have a MSW (Master of Social Work) from UBC. I lived in Africa for 3 years, teaching at an American school for kids of ex-pats – an odd job! I recently signed with a NYC literary agent who is thrilled with my nonfiction book proposal (if he sells my book, it won’t interfere with my writing gigs). And, I created a successful series of Blossom blogs, including HowLoveBlossoms and Health Blossoms.

I have sent this pitch to Oprah magazine, The Economist, and several newspapers. I didn’t know who would be interested in this idea, so I cast a wide net. Reader’s Digest wanted it, but wouldn’t offer me a 6 month contract. They want to run it for 2 or 3 issues, and see how it goes. That doesn’t work for me — I’d like at least a 6 month trial period! So I turned them down.

What do you think?

Best regards,

Laurie