Uncategorized | Words on the Page

Common Myths About The Cape Town Industry

Posted on June 22, 2015 by lwidmer

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This Is Why 2015 Will Be The Year of Dubai

Posted on June 22, 2015 by lwidmer

Seven Undergrounds That Will Actually Make Your Life Better

Posted on June 22, 2015 by lwidmer

What's So Trendy About Paris That Everyone Went Crazy Over It?

Posted on June 22, 2015 by lwidmer

Really Bad Writing Advice to Avoid

Posted on June 18, 2015May 24, 2017 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Into the Mystic by Van Morrison This week has gone by a little too quickly. I have one article due tomorrow (my own deadline, but a promise is a promise), and I have two blog articles to complete before the end of the month. Plus a stalled project may be getting…

Spotting Raw Writing Deals

Posted on June 11, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Not Afraid by Eminem Good friend and fellow writer Jenn Mattern has a great post up this week about an email that’s been sent to quite a few writers. The problem: the company sending the note is putting a new face on an old tactic. You work for free and they…

5 Trade-ups to Boost Your Writing Career

Posted on June 9, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Able McLaughlins by Margaret Wilson What’s on the iPod: Hell and Back by The Airborne Toxic Event There’s nothing like working outdoors to center you. We spent the weekend accomplishing various things, one being leveling the ground near the house. Six hours of digging and hauling sod and dirt made me…

Writers Worth: My A-ha Moment

Posted on June 4, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan TGIF in a big way. I’ve spent a somewhat frustrating week trying to clear up a rather large outstanding invoice. The project is on hold, the money is nowhere to be seen, my emails haven’t been answered, and this writer is getting pissed. I get…

Learning from Freelance Writing Mistakes

Posted on June 3, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What I’m reading: God Help the Child by Toni Morrison What’s on the iPod: Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson After a fantastic Writers Worth Month, I’m settling into a busy June. Typically, June is when things slow down. July and August are usually quiet as graveyards. This year, however, I’m working…

Doing Your Homework

Posted on June 2, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

“You have touched on some fastidious factors…” Don’t you just love spam comments? I was weeding through 1,900 or so of them the other day and I realized the correlation between spam comments and writers missing the mark with their queries — neither the spammer nor the writer did their homework. Sure, we don’t expect…

Gabriella F.

June 2, 2015

This is so typical–and yet it floors me every time!

I often get press releases and responses to queries I've posted that are utterly unrelated to what I do or asked for. It makes me mad, and I often want to respond like you considered responding–angrily and accusing them of wasting my time. But, like you, I don't.

The thing that irritates me the most? I'll post a query on Help a Reporter Out being very specific about the topic I want. Let's say it's how to hire a social media expert. And I'll get responses like this:

"I'm a social media expert, and I've been doing it for 10 years, and I'm just freakin' awesome, and I was once on TV, and some people might recognize me, and you should interview me on that basis alone."

What does that have to do with the topic I'm writing on? The best answers are those where someone says, "I've hired 10 social media experts, and here are three tips I've learned from the process…"

Like you said: It's all about tying your query into the request/publication/client's work, etc.

Which brings me to the point I've learned as a writer: If you show you've done some research and thought about the client's business and needs, you're already ahead of your competition. Top that off by offering a few ways you can add value, and you're golden.

Lori Widmer

June 2, 2015

Amen, Gabriella!

A PR person got in touch recently with this answer to my ProfNet query: "Did you get what you need? I have XX sources in YY topic if you're interested."

Why this worked — she didn't try to oversell it. Plus, she had the right sources for the right topic. I didn't use her experts, but I did respond. But I've had PR people who twist that topic like a contortionist to try making their people fit. That does a huge disservice not just to me, but to the people they represent.

Emily Fowler

June 3, 2015

Yes, yes, yes and YES. I get loads of the usual 'hey, let me help you with X/Y/Z' and I got so annoyed last week that I actually replied to one, to point out a couple of things.

1. 'Dear website owner'. My web address CONTAINS MY NAME. The email address they sent the email to CONTAINS MY NAME. How difficult is it to address me personally?

2. No idea whatsoever what my website is about, nothing at all to indicate they've even looked at it.

I suggested that they at least TRY not to look like spammers. Of course, I didn't get a response, but it made me feel better sending it :o)

Lori Widmer

June 3, 2015

Way to go, Emily. 🙂 That's exactly how I want to respond — like Beyonce said: "Say my name…"

It gets to a point where you just want to reach out and head-slap them. Do your damn homework, people! But I doubt anyone legitimate is on the other side.

At least you got to vent your frustration. 🙂