A Marketing Blitz

Right now I’m in the midst of a promotional blitz of sorts. I’ve identified a list of companies and publications that I’d love to write or edit for (and that, I think, are a good match for my skills and abilities). And now I’m sending out a flurry of introductory letters, resumes, and clips.

Yet I’m not going overboard and sending out queries to every single company to which I’d like to proffer my services in one week. Why? Because as well-written and interesting as I’m hoping my introductory letters are (they are by no means cut-and-pasted for each company, but are for the most part similar in tone and information presented), as carefully as I crafted the descriptions of my experience on my resume, as sure as I am that I picked representative clips that will resonate with potential employers, I don’t have any clue what my success rate will be.

I’m a realist. I know how paltry the actual response for this sort of “cold email” is.

And until I snag a fish—whether it’s a guppy or the big one—I don’t want to throw the same style of introduction to everyone. This is going to take some refining until I figure out how to hit the right chord with the right audience, until I get things just right.

And if this initial attempt to drum up business fails? I’ll go back to the drawing board and try to figure out what I need to do differently. And do it. Such is the nature of starting out in this game.

Learn More:
The Letter of Introduction
Sample Introduction Letter for Blogging Jobs
How to Land an Assigment Without Writing Queries
Hate Writing Query Letters? Try LOIs

Photo: Mzelle Biscotte