The LOI

In the throes of my first couple of weeks as a freelancer, I sent out a flurry of letters of introduction (LOIs) to potential clients.

LOIs are a means of contacting editors, business owners, and the like to let them know who you are and that you’re interested in working with them. Think of it as cold-calling, only by email.

It’s a less time-intensive method of drumming up business than sending out query letters, and it can be successful if you do it right. Here’s what I’ve learned about crafting and sending LOIs that get results:

Know when to use an LOI. If you’re pitching a major consumer publication, sending an LOI is probably a waste of time. Unless you’re pitching very specific article ideas that are a perfect fit for their publication, busy editors (or their assistants) are going to toss your letter without a second glance.

Who will take heed? If you’re finding work possibilities on freelance writing job boards, odds are those employers are looking for general letters of intro rather than specific queries. Smaller publications, b-to-b pubs that focus on very specific content areas, trade publications, custom publishers, web design companies that might be in the market for writers to assist their clients, and businesses that can benefit from your copywriting abilities are all possible targets for your letter.

Show some personality. Writing a formal letter that provides a basic rundown of who you are and what you do—and nothing else—won’t get you anywhere. This is your one shot, your first impression. You have to convince the person you’re sending this letter to that you’re interesting, that you’re reliable, that you’re a talented writer, that you’re everything they’ve ever wanted in a freelancer and more. But you can't just say that. You have to prove it.

Think of your LOI like you do an article you’re writing. What are you going to say in the lede that’s witty, that’s intriguing, that will convince your reader that they have to keep going to learn more? Is there a turn of phrase or an aside you can insert into your second paragraph to give the person you’re writing to a glimpse of what you’re like or what you’re capable of? How will you close your letter to leave the reader wanting more?

This isn’t to say you should go over the top. But a well-crafted letter should leave a lasting (positive) impression on the reader. When you read back over your letter, does it bore you? Does your attention wander? Then odds are, it’s going to bore the person you’re sending it to too.

Customize it. Sending the same form letter to everyone on your LOI list might seem like a great time-saving move, but it’s not going to yield results. When I was an editor for a custom-publishing company, I could spot canned letters a mile away—and didn’t give them the time of day. Why would I consider hiring a writer who doesn’t even bother to demonstrate they know my company and what we do?

This doesn’t mean you have to write every LOI from scratch. I created a basic template that goes into a lot of detail on who I am and what I do. Then I customize that template depending on where I am sending it. If I’m introducing myself to a “green” magazine, for instance, I’ll pen a new introduction about my passion for the environment. Then I’ll move up my experience working on other green publications, my educational background in environmental studies, and any other relevant info. Other experience that isn’t as relevant in this instance—such as small business writing—is barely mentioned or removed altogether.

Finally, I add a couple of sentences here and there to make it clear I am familiar with who they are and what they do. (This means, of course, that I make certain I truly am up to speed on who they are and what they do.)

Include an offer. An LOI won’t do much good if it isn’t actionable. Close your letter by stating that you’d love to discuss possibilities with the editor or business owner you are writing to. Or say that you’d be happy to send story ideas their way or provide additional information about yourself if they’d like to learn more. Then be prepared to do exactly that.

Proofread. Then proofread again. You’ve heard me say this before, but I can’t repeat it enough. Once you’ve penned that letter, set it aside for a while—a day or two is ideal. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and read it closely. Set it aside. Repeat. Have a friend proofread it too if possible to catch errors you might have missed. That attention to detail matters, because rest assured that if you let a typo sneak in, it will jump out at the person reading your letter immediately.

Be smart about sending. Root around online, place a call to an editorial assistant. Do what you have to in order to find out how your letter would best be received. Some folks still like a snail mail introduction with clips. But most prefer an email message, with a link to your work online. (Watch out for sending clips attached as large digital files—they might not make it to the person you’re emailing, and they may be a nuisance if they do.)

If you send by email, paste the LOI in the body of the email. Proofread it again. Check formatting.

And don’t forget to write an engaging subject line. Make clear why you’re emailing or what you're offering. “Introduction” or “(No Subject)” won’t cut it. But something like “Looking for a stellar writer?” may be enough to compel the editor to read your email before deleting.

Follow up. Your job isn’t finished just because you hit send or slapped a stamp on the envelope. Keep track of your queries, and when a reasonable amount of time has passed—say, a month—be prepared to follow up with a brief email or phone call. That follow up works—really, it does. I’ll explain just how well soon.

In the meantime, start researching companies and publications you’re interested in writing for and get to work on those letters. The best way to drum up business is to be proactive.

Learn More
Introduce Yourself to Land Work: Why Freelance LOIs Matter (WordCount)
You Ask, We Answer: LOI or Query Letter? (The Renegade Writer)
Letter of Introduction: A Profitable Alternative to Queries (WritersWeekly)

Photo: Miky Jpeg

Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch

When someone asks you what you do for a living, what do you say?

It's a complicated question for me, and a response usually involves a lot of hemming and hawing before I mutter under my breath, "I'm a freelance writer." Then I wait for the next question, which is inevitable, and usually is some form of: "OK, but, what do you write?"

I'm not very good at describing what it is I do because it's complicated. My honey can say "I'm a lawyer" and everyone knows exactly what that means, although they may ask what kind of law he practices. But "freelance writer" is a fuzzy term, one that isn't clear-cut, and that isn't familiar to many people.

It could mean I write magazine articles, newspaper articles, blog posts, website content, advertising copy, short stories, novels. It could mean I'm simply unemployed and sit in my bedroom penning terrible poems that I won't share with anyone (although, fortunately, that's not the case). It means a lot of things to a lot of people and nothing to most—in other words, it requires clarification.

Yet most of the time I end up passing along some vague description and changing the subject, because I'd rather not talk about myself for that long and figure the person asking is being nice and doesn't really care anyway.

But, I'm beginning to realize, that's not what a savvy freelancer should do. Even if you're meeting some random acquaintance at a party or are being introduced to someone in the park, you have an opportunity. You have the chance to promote what you do, to pique interest in your work.

Perhaps the person you're speaking to will simply have a better grasp of—and, likely, an appreciation for—what you do. Maybe you'll have scored another reader for your personal blog. Or, you never know, that person may file what you said away in their mind and later, when they overhear someone talking about the need for a stellar writer, your name will come up.

And that, my friends, is why you don't brush off career questions or mumble responses under your breath. Be specific, be confident, and explain exactly what you do to anyone who asks.

Often called "the elevator pitch," it's a brief description of your job, your business, or a service you offer. The premise is this: If you're stuck in an elevator with the CEO of a major company (or anyone, for that matter), what could you say in the span of that elevator ride to explain yourself and your skills (and, potentially, to land a job)?

In the process of creating my own spiel, I've discovered that the best elevator pitches are:

Interesting. I have 30 to 60 seconds to hook this person's attention and that's it. So I need to draw them in right away. Think of it as your lede—what can you say first thing to get your listener interested in your pitch?

Specific. There's no time to waste rambling on when it comes to an elevator pitch. Stick to clear, concise, active words so you can say as much as possible as briefly as possible.

Customized. Who are you talking to and what will interest them most? If you're speaking with an entrepreneur, play up the writing you've done for small business pubs or the copywriting project you just finished for a local company. If you're chatting with a dietitian, mention the series of nutrition articles you recently wrote for a parenting website.

Passionate. If you're not excited about what you do, why would anyone else care? There's no need to go over the top here, but the enthusiasm you show for your work may rub off on the person you're speaking to.

Actionable. Hand over a business card with your contact info and web address. Scribble down the address to a blog you write that you think the person you're speaking to might like. Ask if you can follow-up with an email explaining a bit more about what you do. Inquire as to whether the person you're speaking to knows anyone who's looking for a talented writer. You never know where your pitch might lead if you ask.

Ready to write your own elevator pitch? Check out a real-life elevator pitch, then share yours here.

Learn More

The Art of the Elevator Pitch (Business Know-How)

Elevator Pitch 101 (Chris O'Leary)

Crafting an Effective Elevator Pitch [slideshow] (BusinessWeek)

Is Your Elevator Pitch a Home Run? (FreelanceFolder)

Photo: serakatie

Why I Use Twitter

When it comes to sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and the like, I have long been a reluctant participant. Most of my friends were hooked on social networking sites in college. I, on the other hand, refused to even sign up for a Facebook account until almost a year out of college, when they held me at gunpoint and made me sign up. (OK, I lied about the gun part, but they sure did hound me a lot.)

I was slow to hop onto the LinkedIn bandwagon too. And Twitter? A lot of my friends were tweeting away and I still didn't even really understand what the heck it was.


Recently, however, I've changed my tune about social media—particularly Twitter. Why? Because I'm figuring out how to use it and, in the process, am discovering that it's a great way to promote myself and my freelance work.

If you use Twitter right, it really can boost your freelance business. Here's how:

Snag sources. If you're writing an article and want to find someone who's passionate or knowledgeable about a given topic, Twitter is a great place to look for sources. Search for common words or phrases related to the subject matter you're writing about (the more specific, the better), and after you weed through some junk, you just may find a gem of a source.

Discover story ideas. By following newsmakers, media types, and just plain interesting folks, you can learn a lot about what's going on in the world. What topics do people keep coming back to? Anything particularly random that folks seem to be responding to? Not every tweet is newsworthy, but a lot of messages people post on Twitter contain nuggets that, with the right moves, can be shaped into stellar story ideas.

Connect with other freelancers. Freelancing can be a lonely life, and it helps to have a network of others in the same boat. Some of my favorite people on Twitter are writers or freelance creative types just like me. Following along with their trials, tribulations, and random rants on Twitter is interesting, inspiring, and comforting, because I realize I'm not alone.

Make contact with potential clients. If publications or companies you want to write or work for have Twitter accounts, are you following them? Keeping up with what interests them gives you an in, and you may even hear about opportunities to work with them through their Twitter accounts. Case in point: I just landed a gig blogging for one of my favorite publications, Natural Home magazine, because they sent out a call for bloggers on Twitter and I responded. Really. It's that easy.

Promote what you do. When I land a freelance writing gig or finish a project, I'm excited. I want to share that excitement, so I often tweet about what I'm doing or have done. It's a great way to share with friends and family who follow me, and it shows other folks that I'm busy, that I'm productive, that I'm the sort of person they want to work with. (At least, I hope!)

Land work without even trying. If you're an interesting creature (and I'm sure you are), just being your most creative, professional, engaging self through those 140 characters on Twitter may lead to work opportunities. If potential clients search for your name, see a link to your Twitter account, and like what they see on your Twitter page, they may call you up. Seriously.

Of course, the aforementioned scenario can also have the exact opposite effect if you're not careful. Twitter has its drawbacks—two of the most commonly mentioned are the fact it can be a real time-suck (or a great procrastination tool, depending on how you choose to look at things) and that people post really stupid stuff online. Insanely stupid.

Much has been written about how to use Twitter effectively, how not to look asinine. I say it comes down to commonsense. Don't post things you wouldn't want your grandmother to read. Don't post things that reflect poorly on you as a professional (even if it is your personal account). And whatever you do: Don't post things you shouldn't about someone you're working with or for or hope to work with or for in the future. That means "I hope I never work with someone like Client X again" is not going to fly. Nor is "Too hungover to work today. Going to sit on the couch and watch soaps instead."

You know what? If you're going to do that, fine. But odds are sometime in the future a potential client will search for your name online and find that random Tweet and it will reflect poorly on you. And I'm pretty sure that's just not worth it.

For this exact reason, some people believe business and personal tweets should be confined to separate accounts. I'm OK with mixing business with personal within reason, particularly if you're a generalist like me. I write about the things I'm passionate about, so if I'm doing something that I'm passionate about—gardening, cooking, doing yoga, what have you—I'll tweet about it occasionally, even if it doesn't directly relate to my work. If you look back at my messages on Twitter, you can get a pretty good idea of who I am and what I'm into. And that has helped me snag writing gigs, because then people know I really am into what I propose to write about. Or, if a potential client is looking for someone who's interested in a specific topic, like compost, they may come across my Tweets on the topic, see that I'm a writer, and there you have it. I'm in.

How else do you use Twitter? Or do you avoid it like the plague—and, if so, why? Do share!

Learn More
Embracing Social Media as a Job Search Tool (freelancewritinggigs)
Twitter Benefits for Freelance Writers (Quips and Tips for Successful Writers)
Putting Twitter to Work for Your Freelance Writing Business (Freelance Switch)
Twitter: The Freelance Writer's New Best Friend Parts One and Two (Thursday Bram)

Making Rain

Two weeks ago I was frazzled. I was overwhelmed precisely because my work life was underwhelmed. I was starting to feel the pinch from my second month without a real, steady paycheck. I wasn’t getting responses to my freelance job applications and LOIs. In other words, I was starting to question the sanity of leaping into the freelance life. I was starting to question myself and my abilities. Maybe my resume wasn’t impressive enough. Maybe I didn’t say the right things in those emails.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

And then, just like that, last week I was busy. Really busy. I was writing like a maniac on a cover story for one of my go-to publications. I was proofreading an entire issue of an annual baking magazine. (Let’s not even talk about how desperately it had me craving sweets all week.) I was finally getting some media coverage for the online travel magazine I created (it’s called Illinois Adventures, and you can check it out here if you’re so inclined), which meant I was feeling the pressure to add more event listings and write more articles to post online.

At the same time, I managed to engage some fellow freelance writers in a conversation—online, in the comments section of this Renegade Writer post, as well as through email with some writers who stumbled upon my blog. The general consensus was: Wow, it’s a tough time to be a freelancer. We’re in drought. We’re scared. When is it going to pass?

During a week when I actually felt pretty good about where things were, it humbled me and brought me back down to earth. It reminded me that the freelance life is fickle—one week it pours, the next you’re desperate for one little raindrop.

Being incredibly busy often makes you wish you weren’t quite so much, makes you wish you had time to breathe. But last week, I tried not to think like that, knowing full well this week I could end up desperately seeking any writing gig or proofreading assignment I could find and not land a single one.

Last Friday, once I wrapped up the feature and sent off the last of the proofread layouts, I breathed a tentative sigh of relief that I was done, then looked to the sky. I wondered if it was time for another drought, if my momentary good luck would fail me.

And then another giant raindrop fell squarely on top of my head, in the form of an email asking if I’d be interested in serving as an editor for an annual publication produced by a company I have a connection with. And then—through Twitter!—I landed a blogging gig with one of my favorite magazines. And yesterday? I scored an assignment writing an article for the print edition of that same magazine. I wish I could say it’s just happy coincidence, luck. Perhaps it is, a bit.

But you want to know what I’m beginning to think the real secret is to avoiding a drought?

Putting yourself out there. The reason I scored that editing gig? I read about it in a newsletter I received, had an “in,” and jumped at the opportunity to let that connection know I was just the sort of person they were looking for. The reason I got that blogging gig is because I responded immediately, enthusiastically, to the Tweet that mentioned it. And the reason I got that article assignment? Because I followed up—multiple times—after sending a detailed query. See? When it comes down to it, sometimes it’s not luck at all. Sometimes you can make your own rain.

As a freelancer, you determine your own success. You make your own luck. Sure, there are plenty of things beyond your control: shrinking magazine budgets, publications folding or keeping work in-house, writers who take on painfully low compensation that drives down rates for the entire industry. But there’s a lot you do control: how many freelance jobs you apply for, how often you send out queries and follow up, the steps you take to market yourself online.

My challenge to you: focus on the positive, focus on what you can do. And then, when you have that “up” week soon, share your success. I’ll gladly help you celebrate.

Photo: konomike

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