You know a great way to get assignments from editors? Introduction Letters!
I’ve been sending out introduction letters to editors I want to work with for the past couple of weeks, to great success. So far I’ve received assignments from around seven editors and I haven’t had to think of ideas, write up queries or do anything other than sending a letter of interest.
I think part of the reason this approach is working for me is because I already have quite a bit of experience under my belt.
Secondly and more importantly, I have a website where I can direct editors. With my introduction letter, I don’t include clips. I write a short bio and encourage them to check out my website. When they do, they realize I’m not a hack! I don’t have to sell myself over and over; my website’s already doing that for me.
And finally, I don’t forget to mention that I specialize in catering to international clients. This used to be my biggest bottleneck when it came to getting assignments from editors. Now it’s my biggest selling point.
And since a couple of you wrote to ask me what I’m doing these days, here’s the low-down:
I just finished up an assignment for Women’s Health & Fitness, am doing a nutrition piece for ePregnancy, interviewing experts for another college-oriented magazine, got a fabulous assignment for CE Lifestyles and am discussing five different ideas with the editor of a start-up for Asians in America. I also just wrapped up my second assignment for Wedding Dresses, and got the latest issue of Writer’s Digest, with what else– my article! Got six deadlines coming up in the next week and a couple more in the week after that (see why I haven’t been blogging lately?).
Oh, and my insomniac ways are back. Don’t look at me weird; I can’t help it. Really! But I’m SO not working 90-hour weeks anymore, and I’m happy that I’ve been able to make that decision guilt-free. I can safely say now that I’m a “recovered” workaholic.