Market Constantly: The Key to Freelance Success

Occasionally I return to popular, evergreen posts. Marketing is on my mind as I'm going to start a big marketing push in a week or so, as I close in on the deadline for my current ghostwriting project. 

            

Here's the thing. This project is a full-time endeavor right now, but I know if I don't reach out to new markets soon, sending LOIs, and touch base with former clients, I will be looking at a big gap in work early in 2014. I don't want that. I like to start the year off busy, with plenty of work "on my desk," or new assignments. Talking to freelancers a few weeks ago at ASJA Con Con, I was reminded that even the busiest market constantly. 

            

The way you market will depend on the type of work you do, which means that the strategies that work for a freelancer who writes for magazines won’t work for a copywriter whose biggest clients are corporations. You should create your own marketing plan, selecting different techniques that will vary depending on the type of work you do. In addition to those dreaded cold calls, here are ten effective techniques to use:

• Query letters. If you write for magazines, whether print or online, a powerful query is your first line of attack. Every query should open with a compelling lead, make the case for the story, show the editor how you plan to approach the topic, and describe why you’re uniquely qualified to write it. 
• LOIs. Second only to query letters in the freelancer’s arsenal is the LOI, or letter of introduction. You should have a template on hand that you can customize for potential clients, whether you’re contacting a custom publisher, a business, or a potential ghostwriting client. A template you can tweak lets you strike fast if you see a freelancing post or find out about a possible gig. The client will usually hire one of the first qualified responders, so you want to be as close to the head of the line as you can.
• Your website. You need one. Period. Your website should be designed to attract your primary target clients. If you’re writing for businesses, play up that aspect. If you freelance for magazines, include clips on your site and a list of publications you’ve worked for. At the least, your website should include: a description of the kind of work you do; a brief biography; and contact information. You may also want to list of prior projects or publications or client testimonials as well.
• Your email signature. One of the easiest yet overlooked ways to market yourself is to create an email signature that describes the work you do. Change it occasionally to highlight different aspects of your business.
• Satisfied clients. Clients who are happy with your work are one of the best ways to market yourself. Once you’ve proven yourself, ask your editor if she knows of other editors looking for freelancers. If you feel that’s too pushy, at least ask her to pass your name along to colleagues who might hire you in the future. 
• Article and book sources. I’ve interviewed hundreds of sources over the years, most of who are professionals in the health and fitness fields. I let them know that I ghostwrite and coauthor books, and have had work come through recommendations because of the way I treated a source. 
• Online job posts. Believe it or not, I’ve found good-paying work through online jobsites like craigslist. Check outhttp://craigslist.org, www.elance.com, www.online-writing-jobs.com, and www.guru.com for freelance job postings. Yes, most of the work is low-paying but there are legitimate gigs to be found if you don’t mind trawling through the dreck.
• Networking. Hate the word? Put a different spin on it. Don’t call it networking. Don’t call it anything. Just make an effort to create relationships with other humans, help them when you can, and connect. The person you connect with may not be a potential client, but he may know someone who is. The more people who know what you do, the better.
• One-on-one meetings. ASJA Con Con offered “Personal Pitch” sessions to meet potential content marketing clients this year. If you do a lot of work for businesses, it’s worth it to join your local chamber of commerce or attend other local networking events to introduce yourself to business owners.
• Social media. Unlike a website, a blog isn’t essential, but it can help you market yourself and your business. Same goes for your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. Each should contain a brief blurb about the kind of work you do, again targeting potential clients. 

Bottom line is to avoid a common marketing mistake, and one I’ve made in the past. You get busy with work and you don’t market for a while. Then after you crawl out from under your deadlines, you discover that you have to scramble to line up assignments.

That’s why you should set aside time, even if it’s just a few hours a week, to market. That may mean sending out a query or two, touching base with your regular clients, connecting with someone on LinkedIn, or checking online sites for possible gigs. Consistent marketing will make for more consistent work, and consistent money. 

Want more advice? My latest book, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs, and More, Second Edition (Kindle), includes templates of LOIs that content marketing writers and ghostwriters use, along with sample contracts, nondisclosure agreements, and bids. Don't have a Kindle? Download it here.

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From Crappy to Compelling: Write Better Queries (and Half-Off Offer Continues)

Welcome back, readers! Last post I talked about crappy queries masquerading as good ones. The good news is that pretty much any bad query can be transformed into one that results in an assignment. Here's a revised version of my original query from last post, with my comments in blue:  

Dear Megan:

A recent study published in The Lancet tracked a competitive runner who continued to train throughout her pregnancy. To ensure the safety of her babies (she delivered healthy twins), she wore a heart rate monitor to maintain a heart rate of 130-140 beats per minute. [First off, my lead includes a double whammy—the mention of the recent study gives me both a time peg and evidence of a trend. The Lancet is a major British medical journal (along the lines of The Journal of the American Medical Association or The New England Journal of Medicine). I don’t have to explain what it is because my editor works at a fitness magazine; otherwise, I’d include the phrase “a leading British medical journal.”]

Heart rate training is growing in popularity, not just for pregnant women, but for time-crunched exercisers seeking ways to work out more efficiently and safely. Using a heart rate monitor can make cardiovascular training more effective as it helps ensure that athletes work out as intensely (or as easily) as they are supposed to. Starting at $100, a heart rate monitor is an inexpensive investment that can be worth much more for women looking to improve their fitness. [In the second paragraph, I target the audience of my potential market much more effectively. While the study in question involved a pregnant woman, I immediately explain that heart rate monitors are growing in popularity, “not just for pregnant women, but for time-crunched exercisers seeking ways to work out more efficiently and safely.” Aha! That’s pretty much everyone who reads Fit, isn’t it? (And is there anyone who wants to work out less efficiently and safely? Probably not.) Note that I also mention the benefits of using heart rate monitors and point out their affordability. At the time, a heart rate monitor only cost about $100—most readers would be able to purchase one. That’s another selling point for this story.]

Interested in a story about the use of heart rate monitors to train more efficiently for your "exercise.sports.fitness" section or as a short feature? “Target Your Training: How a Heart Rate Monitor Can Make You Fitter” will give an overview of how these monitors can be used to maximize training. I’ll include advice from athletic trainers and female athletes who use monitors regularly about how to get the most from a heart monitor; a possible sidebar might include a list of some of the different models available. Although I estimate about 800 words for this story, that’s flexible depending on your needs. [I'm trying to make it easy for the editor to say "yes" to this pitch. I’ve come up with a working title which is a little long but gives an idea of what the piece will look like; I’ve told her the type of sources I plan to interview; and I’ve suggested an appropriate, service-oriented sidebar. I go on to estimate word count and then let her know that I’ve read the magazine by suggesting the department (“exercise.sports.fitness”) the story seems right for. I also briefly mention my writing background; because I had worked with her before, I don’t enclose clips.]

As you know, I’ve written for Fit before as well as for other magazines including Cosmopolitan, Shape, Good Housekeeping, Modern Bride, and BRIDE’S. I hope you’ll find this story appropriate for a future issue of Fit; let me know if you have any questions about it. Thank you for your time; I look forward to hearing from you soon. [While overall this query is strong, my ISG is still weak. Why? At the time, I’d been using a heart rate monitor during runs for several years—a fact that certainly makes me “uniquely qualified” to write about them. But it didn't occur to me to mention it in the query, even though I wound up using my experience as a first-person lead in the story itself.] 

Very truly yours,

Kelly James-Enger

**This pitch sold, and resulted in a $750 assignment; reslanted versions of this pitch resulted in another four assignments on the topic. What I want you to realize is that you can improve any query, no matter how rough the original is. So if you have a pitch that hasn't sold, maybe this is the time to dig it out, update it and rewrite it. It may turn a "dead duck" into a new assignment. 

Want to know more about queries--and how to write better ones that results in assignments--even if you're a brand-new freelancer? Post your questions here, and check out Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets or Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition. For a limited time, you'll get half off both titles when you order directly through ImprovisePress.com and use the discount code CHICKENS.

Good-looking Queries that are Really Crappy: Why This One Didn't Sell

I've said before that if you want to write for print and online markets, you cannot underestimate the importance of your query letter--especially if you're a new writer. The query represents your first (and possibly your only) chance of impressing an editor who's new to you. It showcases your ability to conceptualize an idea, demonstrates your knowledge of her market, and highlights your unique qualifications to write this particular story for this market. 

I've written more than 1,200 queries at this point in my career and edited and given feedback on hundreds of others for freelancers. I've found that while some are clearly strong, and some are clearly horrible, there's a third type of query that new writers often submit. It's the crappy query masquerading as a solid one. At first glance, it looks fine--there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes, and the idea sounds like it might work for that market. But a closer look reveals that it is in fact, well, crappy. 

Here's an actual query I sent early in my freelance career. Read through it briefly before we move on. 

Dear Ms. Cook:

Most pregnant women are afraid that after the baby, their bodies will never be the same. They dread losing the fitness they have worked so hard to achieve but they don’t want to risk their babies’ health to keep up their workouts.

Most obstetricians agree that regular moderate exercise is beneficial to pregnant women as long as they were in good physical condition before pregnancy. However, mothers-to-be are advised to exercise at or below a certain heart rate to protect the baby’s safety. Using a heart monitor allows these women to keep up their fitness program and reassures them that their child is safe.

I am interested in writing a short article for Fitness on the use of heart rate monitors while exercising by pregnant women. I will interview mothers who successfully employed monitors through pregnancy and several physicians for their recommendations on exercise during pregnancy. This piece will also remind readers of the value of using heart monitors for working out even if they are not pregnant or planning on becoming so.

I am a freelance writer interested in health and fitness issues and have enclosed two recent clips for your review. Please call me at your convenience to discuss this idea further.  

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Very truly yours,

Kelly K. James

So, what'd you think? Not bad, right? That's what most writers say when I use this query in class. Many think I'm using it an example of what to do, as though it's a good query. 

Well, it's not. It stinks, and let's look at why. My comments are in red: 

Dear Ms. Cook:

Most pregnant women are afraid that after the baby, their bodies will never be the same. They dread losing the fitness they have worked so hard to achieve but they don’t want to risk their babies’ health to keep up their workouts. [Ok, first problem is that this idea is  much too general. My lead starts out with an assumption that nearly anyone could make—that “most women” are afraid that pregnancy will irrevocably change their bodies. This is along the lines of saying something like "most parents want their children to grow up to be happy, well-adjusted adults" or "most of us want to avoid getting a horrible disease." Duh, right? This lead is a dud.] 

Most obstetricians agree that regular moderate exercise is beneficial to pregnant women as long as they were in good physical condition before pregnancy. However, mothers-to-be are advised to exercise at or below a certain heart rate to protect the baby’s safety.  Using a heart monitor allows these women to keep up their fitness program and reassures them that their child is safe. [Here I make the the sweeping assertion that “most obstetricians” say that “moderate exercise” is beneficial as long as women keep their heart rate at or below a certain heart rate. How about some specifics here? It's clear I haven't done any real research on the topic, so I look lazy, or at least uninformed. Probably both. If I would have done any background research, I would have discovered that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists long ago rescinded its blanket recommendation that pregnant women exercise at or below 140 beats per minute. Instead, pregnant women are supposed to monitor their exertion levels and not push themselves too hard. If this editor knows anything about prenatal fitness, she’ll catch this oversight immediately and know that I didn't spend any time researching my subject.]

I am interested in writing a short article for Fitness on the use of heart rate monitors while exercising by pregnant women. I will interview mothers who successfully employed monitors through pregnancy and several physicians for their recommendations on exercise during pregnancy. This piece will also remind readers of the value of using heart monitors for working out even if they are not pregnant or planning on becoming so. [In addition to being, well, boring, I have misread the market. Think about it—how many women who read Fitness are pregnant or trying to become so? I’d guess maybe 1 or 2 percent. Yet this query is directed at that tiny subgroup although I do mention that the piece “will also remind readers of the value of using heart monitors for working out even if they are not pregnant or doing so.” If I was pitching a magazine like Fit Pregnancy, this wouldn’t be an issue. But I’m pitching a general women’s fitness magazine, so I need to keep its (mostly non-pregnant) readers in mind.]

I am a freelance writer interested in health and fitness issues and have enclosed two recent clips for your review. Please call me at your convenience to discuss this idea further. [My ISG, or "I-am-so-great," paragraph is kind of lame. Although I mention my interest in health and fitness, I don’t do a very good job of convincing the editor of my qualifications to write the article, do I? I'd been using a heart rate monitor myself--I was recovering from an injury--and should have mentioned that in this query. That kind of firsthand knowledge could have helped me get this assignment, assuming I tuned up this pitch.]  

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Very truly yours,

 Kelly K. James

So, do you see that a closer analysis of this query reveals how bad it is? Trust me, any editor will be reading your query just as closely, so make sure your query is compelling, well-researched, and geared to the market you're pitching. Next post, we'll take a look at how I turned this crappy query into a compelling one--and one that sold. 

**Hi, readers! Want to know more about queries and how to write better ones to get more assignments, even if you're a brand-new freelancer? Post your questions here, and check out Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets or Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition. For a limited time, you'll get half off both titles when you order directly through ImprovisePress.com and use the discount code CHICKENS. 

For New Freelancers: What's Lead Time? And a Compelling Query

You have an idea. Now it’s time to write a query letter, or query. (Remember that query’s a verb, too. You can write a query, or you can query a publication. Both are legit uses of the word.) The query is the way you introduce yourself to an editor. This one-page letter is likely your only opportunity to make a positive first impression, capture her attention with an idea that will work for her readers, and convince her or him to give you your first assignment. It’s important.

I’ve been using the same basic structure for queries for years, and I know it works. Each query includes four elements:

*The lead. This first paragraph or two should capture the reader’s attention. You don’t need to start your query with an introduction; instead, jump right into your story and write the lead of the article you intend to write. You may use a first-person or third-person anecdote; a recent research breakthrough; a surprising fact; or any other introduction that makes your editor keep reading.

*The why-write-it section. This paragraph gives more detail about the article you’re pitching so that the editor can decide whether it’s right for her readers.

*The nuts-and-bolts section. This paragraph describes how you’ll approach the article. Who do you plan to interview? How long will the article be? What angle will you use? What’s the working title? I always like to suggest the section of the publication I believe the story belongs here. It shows I’m familiar with the market I’m pitching, which helps set me apart from other writers.

*The ISG (for “I’m-So-Great”) paragraph. This is arguably the most important section of the query for an unpublished writer. You’re unknown and unproven, so you want to demonstrate that you’re the perfect person to write this particular story.

So when do you send a query? That depends on the publication's “lead time.” Lead time is the amount of time between when a publication assigns stories and when they actually run. Typically, national consumer magazines have the longest lead times—on average, about six months. Smaller magazines and trade publications tend to have shorter lead times, and online publications have the shortest, which may be only a week or two.

You want to think about lead time when you’re pitching an idea that has some kind of “time peg,” or reason to run the story at a particular time. For example, you’d probably pitch a holiday-themed story to a national woman’s magazine in early summer, and a “get ready for the beach” workout for a spring issue of a men’s fitness magazine in fall or early winter. The publication’s writers’ guidelines may tell you what its lead time is; if there’s any doubt, it’s always better to pitch a story a little early than too late.

In fact, I suggest you always review the market’s writers’ guidelines before you write a query. The guidelines may specify what editors like to see in pitches, and tell you which sections of the publication are written in-house or are otherwise unavailable to freelancers. The guidelines will also tell how to send your query (i.e., via email or regular mail) and may also give you a suggested response time.

Here’s an example of a straightforward query using the above template. I’ve included my comments in blue.

  

Dear Kristin: 

When I launched my fulltime freelance business on January 1, 1997, I did so without any help. I had no journalism background, no clients, no connections in the publishing world, and a portfolio that contained only two clips. I made every mistake possible along the way. I wrote articles and sent them to markets instead of sending queries. I took what editors offered without asking for more money. I signed all-rights contracts without negotiating to make them more writer-friendly. I wrote for markets once instead of trying to develop long-term relationships. The list goes on…and on…and on.

But over time, I started to learn from my mistakes. I looked for ways to work more efficiently. I focused on building relationships with editors, experts, and other writers. I cut back on the amount of time I spent researching stories, which boosted my bottom line. And I discovered ways to set myself apart from all the other writers out there clamoring for editors’ attention. It paid off—along the way, I’ve written hundreds of articles, two novels, three nonfiction books, and hit the six-figure mark as a freelancer. [This is a first-person lead. Do you see how I’m catching the editor’s attention with a “true-life” story and demonstrating that I’m uniquely positioned to write this article?]

Yet I see many writers making the same kinds of mistakes I did early on, which prevent them from reaching their monetary and personal goals. “The Biggest Mistakes Even Smart Writers Make” will describe these kinds of errors, how they affect your productivity, and show ways to overcome them. I’m thinking of breaking the article into five to eight sections (depending on how many mistakes you want me to cover), with practical, doable advice for each type of error. [This paragraph explains how I’ll approach the story, and shows the editor how her readers will benefit from the piece. In retrospect, I could have included a couple of examples of these types of mistakes to further strengthen this section.]

Kristin, are you interested in this topic for your “Work Smarter” section? I estimate 1,500 words for this piece, but that’s flexible depending on your needs. About me: I’ve been a fulltime freelancer for seven years, and wrote an article on reprints for Writer’s Digest last year. My work has also appeared in more than 50 national magazines including Self, Shape, Health, Redbook, Woman’s Day, Continental, The Writer, and Marie Claire, and I’m the author of four books including Ready, Aim, Specialize! Create your own Writing Specialty and Make More Money (The Writer Books, 2003) and the upcoming Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money (Random House, February, 2005.) If you like, I’ll be happy to send you clips via fax or snail mail. [Note that I’ve suggested the section of the magazine where I think the story belongs. I’ve also given her a word estimate that is consistent with the writers’ guidelines, and told her a little bit about my background.]

Please let me know if you have any questions about this idea. I believe readers will appreciate and benefit from this story. [Oops! I forgot to thank her for her time. Otherwise, I think this is a great query, and it sold.]

Sincerely,

Kelly James-Enger

Feel free to use this template and my four-paragraph structure to create your own queries. A model will help you create a compelling, professional query that will help you nab assignments. 

**Looking to launch your freelance writing career--or make more money for your words? Check out Improvise Press' first two books: Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets, and Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition. You can order them through any bricks-and-mortar or online bookstore, or directly through www.improvisepress.com. Use the discount code, IMPROVISEPRESS (all caps, no breaks) for 20 percent off of your order. 

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