Letter of Introduction | Words on the Page

How to Lose a Freelance Client Prospect in 4 Moves

Posted on September 22, 2021September 27, 2021 by lwidmer

We talk a lot about how to find and win over potential clients for our freelance writing life. What we don’t talk much about is probably more important — How you might be losing that client before you even win them over. But Lori! I sent out a letter of introduction! I told them all…

One Freelance Marketing Tweak to Boost Results

Posted on May 12, 2021May 11, 2021 by lwidmer

I saw a tweet the other day that, once upon a time, I would have agreed with. These days, however, I know better. The tweet: The reason you’re not seeing success with your LOIs is this: VOLUME. Send 10 times more of them than usual and see what happens next! You know what? That works….

Is Your Freelance Cold Pitch Working? How to tell, and what to do if it isn’t

Posted on May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 by lwidmer

Everyone and his uncle is in hoarding mode, and things are getting weird. So far, I’ve seen the following shortages: Toilet paper Tofu Live magnolias in pots taller than 2 feet Plain white t-shirts in my size (and under $85) While the tofu was a bit of a surprise, the white t-shirt was just madness….

The Introvert’s Guide to Building a Freelance Writing Business

Posted on January 29, 2019January 28, 2019 by lwidmer

Don’t you love all the great advice you find on blogs and in articles? If you do all the reading and really absorb what’s being said, you’ll have a great blueprint for achieving a successful freelance writing business. The steps go something like this: Study your market, including prospective clients Write a killer letter of…

Free Advice Friday: The Real Secret to Getting Freelance Work

Posted on November 18, 2016November 18, 2016 by lwidmer

What I’m listening to: Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen Yesterday was proof of why I love my job. My kid needed someone to sit at her house and wait for an appliance delivery. My hand went up — hell, I volunteered. So I packed up my Surface and cell phone and moved my work to…

The Letter of Introduction, Simplified

Posted on September 15, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

Thanks to everyone who showed up for the Marketing Q&A webinar hosted by Jake Poinier! It was a great conversation and I hope you took something actionable away from it. We promise to do it again soon. We had some really interesting conversation in the webinar, too. With 54 people in attendance, the questions were…

Guest Post: The Letter of Introduction

Posted on October 20, 2010November 2, 2017 by lwidmer

When I put the call out for guest posts, there was one person I contacted directly. Paula Hendrickson, better known for her ongoing knitting extravaganza over on Paton’s Blog is a work horse. Okay, more than I think she should be, but hey, if she has the energy, who am I to say? She’s a…

Ashley

October 20, 2010

I've never sent an LOI and often wondered what you meant by LOI in your comments here. Thanks for the excellent explanation. These letters sound like something I will definitely try.

Cathy

October 20, 2010

Hi Paula-great, simple suggestions.

In fact, I just sent a couple of LOIs last week. I heard immediately from both potential customers. Nothing solid yet, but both definitely left the door open. They are both local (which is the 1st time I reached out-I recently moved here) and one wants to meet. So hope springs eternal.

I agree it is a much softer approach that can actually work.

Paula

October 20, 2010

I hope Lori's enjoying her vacation, and am extra glad that her readers are still here.

Ashley – Once you write your first LOI, keep us posted on how well it works for you. Chances are you'll start sending as many LOIs as queries.

Cathy – you're living proof that I'm not kidding about how effective LOIs can be. If nothing else, it puts you on the radar at places you'd like to work.

Jake P

October 20, 2010

Paula, interesting post. I've been in this game for over a decade and never sent something like that, but it's a great idea. (Perhaps b/c I don't send out many queries, either, but that's another topic for a different day.) Will give it a spin sometime in the near future.

Susan Johnston

October 20, 2010

I've had mixed results with LOIs. It's really a numbers game, because these days many trade magazines don't have the budget to buy freelance articles. Or sometimes it can take awhile to get a response, because editors are stretched so thin. But when LOIs pay off, they can lead to a lucrative, ongoing relationship! I can think of a few examples where I've made thousands of dollars from assignments that resulted from LOIs.

Wendy

October 20, 2010

Wow. I didn't realize that there was a difference between an LOI and a query. I just learned something new today. I love it when that happens!

Thanks for the post. I think I have some brainstorming to do now.

Paula

October 20, 2010

Jake – I used to say, "What can it hurt? It costs little more than the postage." Today, it doesn't even cost that in most cases.

Susan – You raise a good point. A lot of publications have slashed freelance budgets. This year several of my LOIs elicited responses along the lines of, "We don't have a freelance budget now, but we'll keep you in mind if anything changes." Like you said, it's a numbers game, so if you send enough LOIs, eventually something should click.

Wendy – Glad you learned something that I hope will prove useful!

Sal

October 21, 2010

Paula,

My very first LOI (and only for that matter) was to a local magazine. It was the first time I had ever even attempted to write for print. Within a couple hours of hitting send on my LOI (it was by email, with a few clips of articles I had done for other clients) I received a call and 1,500 words between two different articles.

It was a lot of fun and I will have to get more LOIs out on the street soon. My biggest issue is trying to find a better way to see if a topic has already been covered by a magazine if they do not have content online…talk about a lot of skimming at the library 😉

Paula

October 21, 2010

Sal, your assignments (plural, no less) came within hours?

That kind of result should motivate everyone here to send off some LOIs by week's end. Thanks for sharing.

Anne Wayman

October 21, 2010

Paula, what a great idea. I'm totally new to the idea of a LOI… and yet I suggest new writers pick up the phone and do roughly that to their free local newspaper… you've moved that theory to the next step.

Thanks!

Paula

October 21, 2010

I wish I could take some tiny degree of credit, Anne, but LOIs probably go back to the days of Austen (or beyond). It's amazing how far a simple introduction can take you – even when you're introducing yourself.

Using Lori terms, LOIs are a fairly informal form of marketing.

Sal

October 21, 2010

@Anne, LOIs are a bunch of fun because you are not restricted to same terms as a query. I think they are fun because you get a chance to introduce yourself in your natural light – since you don't have a project riding on the balance.

They also help you connect with your editor because it gives them a chance to understand who you are as a person, rather than just some words on a page.

@Paula – I am not a big fan of submitting queries, although I will if I need to. I am a relationship person and I like to develop a relationship with the editor before I begin working with them. I am not sure if this is WAY unusual or if more people prefer to work this way. With a LOI, I feel I can ask the editor "What can I do to help you?" rather than piling more work on their desk.

Paula

October 21, 2010

That's it, exactly Sal. You're contacting editors and showing you can help them, not giving them yet one more query to read.

10 Ways to Land Your First Freelance Writing Job – Gigora

March 15, 2022

[…] can do this with letters of introduction, query letters, or cold […]

Freelance Shorts: Random Advice to Improve Your Writing Biz | Words on the Page

June 8, 2022

[…] clients are those you might want to work with. Research them. Read. Follow them. Then reach out to introduce yourself as Paula Hendrickson taught us. That letter of introduction shouldn’t be a sales pitch, but […]