What a great Twitter chat yesterday! Thanks to everyone who participated. The questions were great and the camaraderie was amazing. Yes, we plan to do it weekly. As soon as we manage through when, we’ll keep you posted. Follow along with the #writingsquared tag.
Know that Webinar Anne and I are hosting? Well, for about an hour or so yesterday we panicked and cancelled. Why? Because technology ain’t my strong suit. We were seeing no registrations. None. I was scratching my head and having a meltdown. What’s wrong? What the heck aren’t we doing right?
Turns out the answer was we weren’t confirming our email address with PayPal. Mind you, I know I did (first thing, in fact), and when I got on the phone with support, I walked through it again (and the website gave me “You’ve already confirmed” message). So perhaps having a human involved behind the scenes was the magic ingredient. But Anne was going through some techno-nightmares on her side (her site, then her email, then her phone…), so we weren’t leaving anything to chance. All is well and the Webinar is still on.
But since we were having such glitches (woman-made and otherwise), we decided to extend the deadline for early registration. So now you have until Monday, June 20th to get the discounted rate. Join us! We promise the same fun and frolic we had yesterday on Twitter.
One of yesterday’s participants asked how to break into a particular market. Because Twitter allows you a whopping 140 characters, I had to say “Study the market” and “Read the pubs.” It seems like throw-away advice, but it’s not. Both are things every writer needs to do in order to fashion a query that targets the right pub with the right material.
But there are other things we can do.
Introduce yourself. Paula hooked me on the idea of letters of introduction. What a great way to introduce yourself to a potential client! You tell them about yourself, your background, and you touch on your writing – what you are proposing perhaps. One great inclusion is noticing something they’re doing right. For instance, “I notice you publish a number of case studies that spell out the benefits of your company’s services.” Then you ask for the sale. “If I can be of any help in putting those together or handling editing, please let me know.” Or ask in a more powerful way. Just ask.
Ask writers who have done it. Rarely have I had a writer protect his or her in with a particular publication. Those who do have their own insecurities, but if you choose to ask someone whose work appears regularly, you’re less likely to bump up against someone’s fears and more likely to get a positive response. If you’re nervous about asking someone who writes for the pub you want to write for, ask someone who writes for one in that same genre. Tell them which pub you’re targeting and ask if they can help you understand what editors in general are looking for.
Ask the editor directly. You may not get a response because editors are nutso-busy, but asking what they’d like to see versus sending them something that doesn’t fit and clutters up their email is always a better idea. Make it a short note – ask if they’re accepting submissions, how the editor prefers to receive it, and what he/she is looking for specifically.
Attend online and in-person events. If the pub or the industry hosts a Webinar, attend it. If there’s a Twitter event, go. If there’s a conference you can get to easily, make time and do it. If your target client hosts it or attends it, what better way to rub shoulders and get direct access?
Join their groups. Follow their editors on Twitter and mingle with them in LinkedIn groups. Be present and be part of the conversation.
How do you break in to new markets/meet new clients?
9 responses to “Moronic Techno Moves”
Last night, I went to a mixer hosted by a local publication to celebrate their newest issue. They do these every month, and I started attending as soon as I found out about them. I wanted to meet the editor, introduce myself, and find out how I could help her. Turns out, I know the assistant editor, so I've been working with her on some story ideas. At last night's mixer, I wanted to meet the editor, but she was busy all night and I hated to interrupt. Weird thing, though – her boyfriend introduced himself to me as I was leaving! He said he would tell the editor about me. So, you just never know how things might work out. I'm going to email the editor, probably on Monday, just to introduce myself. Hopefully her boyfriend will have mentioned me by then 🙂
Go for it, Ashley! Sounds like you have an "in" with the boyfriend at least!
The editor is a person, not a goddess. 🙂 Just remember to act as you did with the assistant editor. An editor is just a slightly higher paid version with a lot more headaches attached. 🙂
Roughly eight years ago I combined an LOI with "ask the editor directly" and landed one of my long-term clients. I approached two venerable showbiz trades that I didn't think would even use freelancers.
Boy, was I wrong. Both editors responded immediately (one didn't get my snail mail clip folder and LOI, but when I followed up via e-mail they immediately asked me to re-send it.) The other editor called and assigned me something on the spot. Eight years later I still write several articles (and even little fillers) for that editor and several of his co-editors.
There you go, Paula! You've just proven that you don't have to let your fears slow you down. Good for you!
As a former magazine editor, a couple of additional thoughts:
1) Don't *call* an editor you don't know — always communicate via letter or email. Most react poorly to unsolicited calls. (I'm a pretty easygoing guy, but that used to earn an instant blacklist.)
2) As an aside to Ashley's point, it's often better to contact the managing editor — at many publications, they do most of the assigning, or will put it in the hands of the right person. They're generally more organized than the editor.
By the way, LW, gave you and Anne a bit of link-love for the #writersquared chat in the interest of hearing more client-longevity stories.
Great points, Jake. I never liked phone calls, either. My mind was always somewhere else. Email, please!
You're right re: the managing editor. That's who the real workhorse is, and who generates the assignments.
Thanks for the link love, Jake. Much appreciated. 🙂
@Jake P, I think you made some salient points. However, I think the thing about phone-calls is people automatically connect them with sales, but the sad reality is (for me at least), if I want to get juicy copywriting jobs, I have to do more phone calls.
I know email has changed how we all do business, but there is a part of it which means we can hide behind email and other people can feel like they have the right to ignore you because of email.
I should say I found all my regular clients via cold emailing, however I wish I started calling before.
What I tend to do is use cold-emails and I am now incorporating more phone calls. Case in point: last week I called a potential client and found out the name of the marketing manager. I wouldn't have managed that if I had relied solely on email or LinkedIn.
I hate that I have to use the phone, but if it makes me eat, have to do it!
ahhh tech problems… enough said!
phone calls v. email… big difference between probably better not to call magazine editors – mostly true and cold calling corporate clients… businesses that need writing are not like editors.
Re managing eds, yes, and if it's a big mag check the masthead and see if there's an editor for the section you want to approach. Often works to simply call the magazine and ask whoever answers "who handles (whatever)?"
Kagem, I use cold emails, too. The phone calls I limit, but I've found that a follow-up email often gets some response, which I'd prefer to dead silence. I think Jake was speaking strictly to magazine markets. And I have to agree with him that calling an editor who's already over her head in work is a bad idea unless they've asked you to call. There, I'd ask "directly" via email.
Anne, that's a great way to get the name of the right person. Where I was on staff, we had an assistant and a front-desk receptionist. Depending on who was at the front desk, you could get that info from her. However, there were times (with new admins) that they simply transferred you to the assistant. Then the assistants were laid off. That meant the call went to the next person, who was usually a writer or an editor. I would have been fine if the call had been transferred to me and I had to field the question. Ten seconds out of my day. But if that happened a hundred times a day, I'd be frustrated.
Then again, wouldn't it make sense for magazines to put that information on their websites? And yet they don't sometimes, which creates a ton of stress for their staff.