Comments on: Finding New Writing Clients

By: Jake Poinier

Jake Poinier — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 20:40:00 +0000

Oddly enough, I emailed you a possible project earlier today that would seem in line with your experience. Let me know if you didn't get it!

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:03:35 +0000

Allena, good seeing you! Wondered where you were. Happy to hear iGoogle didn't leave you too stranded.

I've had the same thing this week -- I was starting to see daylight when a bunch of work came pouring in. I love it, but I'm hoping to diversify the portfolio a bit. Much of the work is from one or two clients. That always makes me nervous!

By: Ally (Allena Tapia)

Ally (Allena Tapia) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 19:37:11 +0000

Hey Lori, Just managing to check in with your blog now that I've cleared out my igoogle and figured out how to follow faves like you. I was JUST ABOUT to start looking for more clients/work/projects when a large project dropped out of the blue. Gotta love that! Now, if my kids would just enjoy their summer and let me work a little more :}

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 18:21:34 +0000

Good for you, Paula! Yes, follow-up contact is essential. They sometimes forget. And yes, they do sometimes want to be reminded! We writers tend to think we're bothering people. Not so. We're conducting business.

By: Paula

Paula — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 17:13:30 +0000

One thing to remember with LOIs: always follow up.

My newest client came from a LOI I sent about a year ago. They quickly replied, asking for additional clips and information. Then...crickets.

I followed up about six weeks later and they asked for my rates. More crickets.

I followed up a month or so later and they assured me they liked my work and my rates were within reason, and said they'd contact me when they had something to assign.

I sent a Happy New Year message just to stay on their radar and a month or two later I landed my first assignment. I'm currently working on my third, and was told more work was forthcoming.

There's another place I sent an LOI to a couple of weeks ago. A longtime friend of the family works there, and I know I'll be seeing her at an event this weekend...I'll smile, be my usual charming self (ahem), and not mention the LOI. I want her to remember she said she'd speak with her colleagues about adding me to their freelance pool.