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Making This Common Query Letter Mistake? Here’s Your Pitch Fix

Welcome to Pitch Fix, The Write Life’s newest column! Once a month, we’ll take a look at a real pitch from a real freelance writer and figure out how to make it better.

Pitching is one of the most important parts of a freelancer’s career — it’s how we get the gigs that make us money, as well as how we form relationships with editors and publications.

We’ve written before about how to identify whom to pitch, as well as how to track your pitches after you send them, but we haven’t written much about what goes into a good pitch.

So we’re going to fix that. With Pitch Fix!

Let me introduce our first Pitch Fix subject:

Connor Relyea’s comics pitch to Paste Magazine

Connor Relyea is an actor, editor and writer who has been published in The Billfold, Fangirl Magazine and more. He’s looking to build his freelance writing portfolio, and he agreed to be Pitch Fix’s first subject.

Relyea was curious about whether his pitches were too short. He wanted to showcase his expertise to editors, and wondered if that meant he needed to lengthen his pitch emails. Little did he know that I’d be providing the opposite advice!

Here’s Relyea’s troublesome pitch to Paste Magazine:

I recently graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism with a bachelor of journalism in magazine editing. I have been reading Paste Magazine for several months and I am looking to write for the comics section of the magazine.

I have experience writing about comic books for an independent comic book site, All-Comic.com, where I wrote reviews on Marvel and Image titles. I also currently contribute comic book reviews to a new feminist, geek magazine called Fangirl the Magazine. For the past few weeks, I have been following the Marvel Secret Wars event and providing coverage of the updates for that magazine.

My general focus has been on Marvel properties as this publisher is where I follow the most titles. Recently, it was announced that Kelly Sue DeConnick would be leaving the Captain Marvel property that she has been working on for several years to pursue work on other projects, including the TV spot with Universal with Matt Fraction. I am looking to cover the change in writers on this title, and potentially, if it is possible, secure an interview with Kelly Sue DeConnick to discuss her next steps after she leaves Captain Marvel, what she hopes to accomplish with the final lap of her run and look back on what she has accomplished over the past three years.

Relyea is off to a good start — he has clips and he has a strong set of credentials — but this pitch needs a lot of work. It’s wordy, and it focuses on what Relyea wants from Paste rather than what he can offer the magazine.

Pitch fix: Get to the point

Opening the pitch with “I recently graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism” makes it sound like Reylea has no experience.

If he wants to include this information, he can include it in his bio section — but he shouldn’t lead with it, and shouldn’t draw attention to the fact that he just graduated.

“I have experience writing about comic books for an independent comic book site” doesn’t provide an editor with useful information. Is that site reputable? Is the writing good?

Instead of describing his experience, Reylea should link to his clips — which should be good enough to speak for themselves.

“My general focus has been on Marvel properties as this publisher is where I follow the most titles,” Relyea writes. This comes across as “I read comics, please pay me to write about them,” which is not what an editor wants to read.

Instead of focusing on his interests, Reylea should focus on how he can benefit the publication.

On hoping to, “Potentially, if it is possible, secure an interview with Kelly Sue DeConnick”: Don’t go to Paste unless you have the DeConnick interview in hand. A magazine has no reason to respond to your pitch if it’s only about something that is potentially possible.

Also, even though it sounds nitpicky: “potentially, if it is possible,” is redundant. Keeping your pitches as clean and tight as possible shows editors you know how to write clean copy without wasting words.

Here’s how I’d rework this pitch to send to Paste:

Recently, it was announced that Kelly Sue DeConnick would be leaving the Captain Marvel property that she has been working on for several years to pursue work on other projects, including the TV spot with Universal with Matt Fraction.

I’ve secured an interview with DeConnick about her next steps after Captain Marvel, as well as what she hopes to accomplish with the final lap of her run. Would Paste be interested in this interview?

A bit about me: comic reviewer and blogger focusing on Marvel properties. University of Missouri J-school grad. Clips here: DeConnick Rocks the New Captain Marvel Title, [second link to a piece you’ve written]. Full portfolio available at [link to full resume/portfolio with active links to all articles].

Thanks,

[Name and contact info]

I sent my edit of his pitch back to Relyea, along with a few questions about the experience. Read on to learn more about how he’s changing up his pitching game.

Q&A with Connor Relyea

ND: How do you feel about this pitch critique? Are any of these ideas you want to implement in future pitches? Is there anything you disagree with?

CR: I am really thankful for this critique. My pitching needed a lot of help and all my pitches were essentially the same format as the one that you helped me with, which was probably why I wasn’t getting much work. I have taken all the ideas that you gave me in this critique and applied them to my pitches and I actually landed some more stories. (Ed note: check out one of Relyea’s most recent pieces, The Cost of a Comic Book Hobby.) I don’t disagree with anything that you gave me. It was all really helpful and I feel like I have a better handle on pitching and landing clients now.

What is your current freelancer pitch strategy? How many pitches are you sending out per week, and what is your average response?

Actually, I have been able to slow down on my pitching strategy because I was recently picked up as a local reporter for several newspapers in the Chicago suburbs….I usually send out one or two pitches a week, and normally I don’t hear back, but for some places, like The Billfold, they were really positive and I’ve started to make connections with some editors.

What advice would you have for other freelancers who send out a lot of pitches?

My advice for other freelancers is to learn how to be succinct, which is definitely something that I had to learn how to do. If you can boil your story down to a few key sentences, use those to sell your piece. Plus, editors will love you because they are juggling so many different things and it will be easier for them to decide if they want to run your work or not.

To our readers: Do you agree with this Pitch Fix? When you’re proposing an article that includes an interview, do you secure the interview before or after you pitch?

Got a pitch that’s striking out? If you’d like to be an upcoming Pitch Fix subject, please contact Nicole Dieker at dieker.nicole@gmail.com.

October 27, 2015
Why I Hired an Editor to Help Me Polish My Personal Essay
You know all those times you pitch a publication and never hear back? After spending weeks or months on what you thought was a pretty awesome story?

We’ve all been there.

It’s part of the job, but it’s frustrating nonetheless. It’s hard to know what you did “wrong.” The blank void doesn’t help you fix what needs fixing so you can grow and improve.

But what if, for every essay you wrote and article you pitched, you received line edits, notes and suggestions for improvements?

We know hiring an editor is an important investment if you’re working on a book, but what about smaller pieces: the novellas and short stories and personal essays and articles?

Why I hired an editor to polish my personal essays

I worked on an essay for New York Times’ popular feature Modern Love for six months. That essay went through a memoir class, an amateur editor, a re-write, a hiatus and finally a few trusted friends. One of those friends was Dara Kaye, a developmental editor at a literary agency.

I’d never experienced anything like Kaye’s edits. It was my story, but better. They were my words, but tighter.

I found the magical unicorn: An editor who understood my style while bringing her own talents to the table.

After half a year tweaking and reworking, my essay was finally perfect. I finally felt confident sending it out into the void. Modern Love didn’t take it, but xoJane immediately accepted my essay. As someone who had never published a personal essay before, I was proud.

Kaye volunteered her time to review my essay, but I knew I needed to invest in her ongoing editing services.

If you’re just starting to pitch publications or are branching out into new territory, hiring an editor for ongoing projects could be one of the best career investments you’ve ever made.

Why hiring an ongoing editor is important

“Trying to edit your own writing is like trying to lick your own elbow,” says Kaye.

“You’re just too darn close to the thing. When you read something you’ve written, your mind fills in plot holes and glosses over misspellings, inconsistencies, and awkward sentences. You can’t see them, but they distract agents, publishers, and readers.”

After realizing Kaye had helped me bring forth the strongest incarnation of my work, I hired her to help with all my essays. I’m balancing client work with personal projects, with a goal of slowly transitioning out my client work and focusing solely on personal essays and fiction.

It’s going to be a long process, but the quicker I can get into publications I admire, the quicker I’ll create a portfolio to build that platform.

Running every essay and story past an editor helps me accomplish three things:
1. Increase my chances of getting published
2. Give new editors the best first impression of my work
3. Learn a ton about writing
Carin Siegfried, owner of CS Editorial (and my first-ever publishing mentor) told me a major benefit of hiring an editor for ongoing work is that “over time, your editor learns both your style of writing and how you best respond to editing, and can tailor their suggestions to work better towards your writing strengths and weaknesses.”

They can also morph into more of a writing guide as well as an editor. “If you have multiple projects,” added Siegfried, “Your editor might be able to point out that a minor project you were putting on the back burner actually is more marketable or has a better shot at getting published than the front-burner idea you’re really excited about.”

How to find an editor

Okay, you’re convinced. Now, where to find this magical unicorn?

Referrals are a great place to start. Ask published friends for a recommendation or take to social media. Publisher’s Marketplace also has editor listings, but their website can be difficult to navigate.

How to choose the right editor

Obviously, you need to find an editor who you not only like, but can also learn from.

Editors should: Know your audience

Many editors work in a variety of genres, but your editor should have at least some experience in yours. So if your big dream is to be a war correspondent, don’t hire an editor who specializes in self-published erotica.

The first editor I hired to help polish my Modern Love piece had never published a personal essay before. Although the price was right, her lack of experience with personal essays meant I wasted my money.

“You want someone who’s familiar with your genre and dialect,” says Kaye. “If you hire a U.K. editor to work on a U.S. book, don’t be surprised if you end up with a more ‘colourful’ manuscript than you want.”

You also want to stay consistent once you do hire an editor. “With one editor,” Siegfried told me, “your voice will have more consistency across multiple projects and you will be able to better stay on message. You don’t want some pieces to have a lesser quality than others, making your writing look uneven.”

You should: Request a sample edit

Unfortunately, there’s no universal, industry-wide standard for copyediting, developmental editing and proofreading. This is why sample edits are so important.

Most editors will offer a complimentary sample page edit so you can better understand their style. If they don’t, ask for a sample from a previous project to help align your expectations.

Kaye asked me an important question about my expectations: “Do you want someone who will leave everything intact save outright errors? [Or] someone who will dig a bit deeper to suggest alternative wording for unwieldy or repetitive sections?”

Everyone will approach editing with a different tack, but a sample can catch any red flags about whether your potential editor’s style will match yours.

You both should: Agree on a communication style

Have a conversation with your editor about preferred communication style. Kaye was kind enough to share examples of three different editing styles from real manuscripts she’s worked on:
- Option A “Love this sentence! It’ll read more smoothly if you delete this comma.”
- Option B: “Comma deleted; these are cumulative adjectives, not coordinate adjectives. (See CMOS 5.90, CMOS 6.33)”
- Option C: no margin comment, just silent corrections
It’s entirely up to you. Do you want an editor who’s expressive about their love for your writing? Or someone who just does the work without coddling you?

I’m in the former camp. If you’re going to criticize, I need a buffer. It’s been great to have an editor who reminds me why I do what I do.

“Knowing and setting expectations for communication will make the work flow smoothly,” says Kaye. “My favorite clients are the ones always seeking to become better writers. They’re the ones who trust my judgment but are also comfortable asking ‘Hey, can you explain that rule?’”

Kaye and I have worked together on two pieces so far. By the end of the 2015, I’d love to have a list of bylines or a competition win. But I’m also super happy to have a growing collection of near-perfect personal essays I can pitch until they’re published.
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October 22, 2015
Writing for the Web: 4 Ways to Step Up Your Game as a New Blogger

This post is sponsored by Start Blogging Online, your resource for building a blog, generating traffic, creating passive income, and more!

As most regular bloggers will tell you, writing for the web is an utterly different beast than writing for a magazine or newspaper.

It takes a certain ability to catch a reader’s eye and, in 1000 words or less, tell them everything they need to know about a subject. Your piece has to be entertaining or thoroughly useful to hold readers’ full attention in a sea full of other articles attempting to do exactly the same thing.

A year ago, I had never considered the idea of writing for the web; without a well-timed suggestion from a friend I probably never would have. Since then, I’ve gained an appreciation for the skill and have even had experienced small successes getting published.

Here are a few of the major tips and tricks I picked up along my online writing journey.

1. Write about what you know

This seems like a no-brainer, but it can be extremely easy to get too focused on pitching the best piece for a website and lose sight of your piece.

Yes, it’s important to choose topics related to the overarching niche of the website, but try to avoid situations that involve writing about a topic you’re not interested in.

Writing is best when the author cares, and becomes even better when there is passion behind the words.

A good rule of thumb is to never publish a piece you wouldn’t put your real name or regular pseudonym on.

If you find yourself writing an article based around ideals you don’t actually support or facts you don’t believe in, it will never turn out as well as it could have. Find a way to make your work something you can defend.

2. Learn how Google (and other search engines) work

When I started writing for online outlets, I had no idea how Google, or any other search engine for that matter, worked. I had never given any critical thought to how search engines are able to index the majority of the internet and categorize it in a way that boosts user experience. The whole process is actually extremely sophisticated.

Understanding a bit about how search engines work is instrumental in making sure the pieces you write get seen by your target audience. Making small adjustments to title tags and phrasing to make articles easier to find can make all the difference in gaining authority as an internet writer.

Although Google is the largest search engine and makes up more searches than all other engines combined, it’s important to understand the slight differences between search engines so you work can rank highly in no matter which search engine a potential reader uses.

3. Pitch something straightforward

Editors are busy people who receive hundreds of emails full of amazing pitches just like yours every day.

In my experience, they aren’t interested in being flattered or reading personal anecdotes about how you relate to their blog; editors want to know what you’ve got to offer as quickly as possible. For most sites, a two to three sentence outline of what you want to write about, why it’s important, and why you’re the person to write it is sufficient.

The style of the pitch also plays a key role in getting responses. For instance, unless an editor has a dogged ability to read hundreds of emails in order from oldest to newest, he or she is going to click on the attention grabbing headlines first.

If you have an attention-grabbing working title, use it as the email header to pique an editor’s curiosity before they even open your message.

Finally, never apologize or use apologetic language in your pitch emails. This language gives editors an easy way to reject your piece without seeing a draft, especially if they are on the fence. Confidence is key; remember that you are the one offering them a service by writing for their outlet.

4. Always, always follow through

When you do get a response from an editor, don’t slack off. You’re in, but you still have to prove yourself.

Produce a quality piece in a timely manner (two weeks max unless otherwise specified), send follow-up emails, and say “thank you.”

If and when you do get editor feedback, always be appreciative and take their suggestions seriously. Building relationships is essential for online writing and it never pays to burn a bridge when taking five minutes to write an email would have helped.

When your article is finally published, show that you are an engaged contributor. Share your work as much as possible on social media. Respond to any comments you receive in a positive and appealing way.

Proving that you are both easy to work with and involved with the blog’s reader base is a great way to build relationships and score regular contributor status.

Writing for the internet can be tricky, and sometimes just feels frustrating. Whether you’re just starting out or are a veteran, always remember that you have a perspective and style that readers value. Taking the time to write about topics you care about, understand aspects of search engines, pitch great ideas to editors, and following up on feedback are major steps to make sure your words are read and enjoyed againand a gain.

What other tips do you have for writing for online outlets?

October 21, 2015
Why Writing for Content Mills Isn’t as Bad as You Think

I’ve been writing for more than 20 years, and in that time I’ve seen some pretty crazy sales pitches.

“This book will get you out of the rat race and into a hammock.”

“These tips can turn an aspiring writer into a hammock-swinging success.”

“Take my class and before you know it your novel will be earning hammock money!” The ones I see always feature hammocks for some reason, along with that tall glass of sweet tea.

I’ve tried a few, avoided the majority, and am still working daily from a chair like some kind of failure, but one recent change has made a big difference.

What if I was to tell you about a writing boot camp that boosts your speed, expands your focus and helps you get more organized than you’ve ever been?

Sounds crazy, right?

Now what if I told you this boot camp pays you to join?

A lot of naysayers are going to tell you to walk on by, but this maligned corner of the freelance world has a lot to offer if you know how to approach it correctly. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the content mill, the P90X of freelancing.

I know. Everyone hates content mills.

As you probably know, there are plenty of downsides to writing for word factories. The pay is atrocious, often as low as one to two cents per word.

Anything you might do to game the system, like typing extra fast, comes back to drag your time down when you’re presented with a suite of complex edits to address.

And there’s an assumption built into the structure of the job itself that writing doesn’t matter; it’s not treated as a skill of any value whatsoever. Your work is just another splat of fake dog doo passing by on the assembly line.

This view can be disheartening, and the repetitive grind of the work doesn’t brighten the view at all.

Content mills can help you learn as you earn

And yet — here is where the techno music starts building softly in the background — content mills have much to offer seasoned pros and new writers alike.

Most require a grammar test. Take it! You’ll probably ace it, but if you don’t, it will show you any blind spots that may be compromising your professionalism.

When you get accepted, take the training as seriously as if you were in medical school. Take notes. Print, save, and reread information.

If you’re new to writing, it’s valuable practice for the day you’re juggling clients who all operate with different guidelines tied to different style guides. Just laser-focus on what’s in front of you and keep circling back to it until the work is done.

For an established writer, dealing with so many new particulars offers a chance to reset and refresh those muscles, and maybe to be humbled a bit.

The content agency I recently signed up with offers outstanding training; the staff are comprehensive and unfailingly kind and supportive, even when middle-aged writers freak out about the terrible pay relative to the obsessively nit-picky level of detail they expect in 48 hours or less.

I bristled at first. I think about quitting once a week. But I’ve kept at it, and the results are noteworthy.

What I’ve learned writing for a content mill

I’ve always been a fast writer, but now I’m an absolute monster. Six articles totalling 2,150 words in less than half a day? Not a problem!

The work has to squeeze in between my regular assignments, running errands and occasionally sleeping for a minute, so there’s nothing to be gained by getting precious.

I spend more time trying to claim and deliver the assignments, which always involves roughly 25 more steps than should be necessary, than I do writing them. The work is nevertheless high quality. I am definitely more efficient now.

I’m able to balance the workload because this new addition forced me to adopt an organization system.

An online discussion thread led me to the Bullet Journal method, and it’s absolutely perfect for my needs; yours may vary. A dry-erase board above your work station may help, or a calendar nearby with deadlines posted may be all you need to stay focused. Whatever it takes, make it a priority.

Another gift from this this ostensibly crappy job is the ability to write on any topic an editor could possibly come up with, because that’s exactly what the work consists of.

Granted, writing about facial exfoliation one minute, foreclosed homes the next, then pivoting to bang out a series of blog posts for a Unitarian church can induce a kind of mental whiplash, but you do it and get through it, like a series of reps on a leg press machine.

Yes, the work is a grind, and I often look at the pay next to an assignment and spitefully calculate the rates of all my other clients in comparison (the absolute lowest pays eight times the highest rate available to me at the mill right now).

But the skills I’ve gained have changed my approach to work in ways that make it more lucrative, not less.

Prior to my time as a word miller, I neglected to answer calls for submissions if the subject was something I didn’t know about. Today? I know there’s nothing I can’t learn and report back on, and my pitching reflects it. I’m more optimistic, which often helps get a pitch to “yes.”

And it feels good to always have work! Searching for lucrative assignments can be discouraging, but plugging in quickly between paid assignments and committing to a pitch goal for the end of the week?

That’s feeling the burn in the best way possible.

Have you ever written for a content mill? What did you learn from the experience?

October 20, 2015
Want to Freelance Around the World? Take a Remote Year

Why spend the next year writing at home when you could be out exploring the world? That’s the thinking behind a few programs that help get digital nomads out and about in the world — and connecting with like-minded peers.

Check out these programs to learn how to work from the road alongside others or design your own DIY globe-hopping adventure.

Remote Year

Remote Year lets you travel the world with up to 75 like-minded peers for a year while working remotely. The current crew is made up of people from 15 different countries.

Participants spend a month in each of 12 different cities around the world, while networking and building relationships with peers and locals.

This program costs $2,000 per month, and you have to plunk down an initial $3,000 to reserve your spot. The fees cover travel between destinations, accommodations, an internet-equipped workspace and special activities and events.

You’ll have to provide your own job, though. You can be self-employed or work for an employer that allows telecommuting, but it’s your responsibility to find work for the duration of the program.

You’ll also need to commit to the full year, since they want people to fully participate in the program. But you’re not locked into a rigid schedule. You can head out on your own for a vacation or trip home at any time and rejoin the group upon your return.

Stephanie Walden is one of Remote Year’s participants. She writes about her experiences on Mashable, including how she prepared for her year-long trip, from securing visas to storing her stuff while she was away.

The next Remote Year cycle (which begins February 1, 2016) covers three continents, starting in South America (Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru) before heading to the European leg of the voyage (Turkey, Czech Republic, Serbia and Croatia), and ending with a final four-month stint in Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam).

Applications are open for the next cycle here.

Coboat

Water lovers who want a shorter co-working journey might consider joining a Coboat trip. This new program is set to debut in November, and its inaugural voyage will depart from Southeast Asia.

Up to 20 digital nomads will stay on the 82-foot catamaran “Coboat” at a time. Its itinerary features stops all around Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Caribbean and other locations.

People typically sign up for week-long stints, which start at 980 Euros or about $1100 USD, but you can combine destinations or even sign up for an ocean-crossing voyage for a more intensive and longer trip.

With Coboat, your fees cover not only boat passage, but shared accommodations, food, internet and even watersports equipment for your downtime. To peruse available dates and itinerary options, check out Coboat’s website.

DIY your own remote year

While many people long to travel the world, some are wary signing up for a year-long program with a set itinerary. Others prefer to avoid boats. If neither of these programs is quite what you’re looking for, why not design your own DIY remote year?

Plenty of people opt for a DIY version of Remote Year by working while traveling the world, staying in appealing places and moving along when they feel like it. This is a great option for people without a full year to spend traveling around the world, and those who want to focus on an itinerary of their own creation.

Those who plan their own working trip can plan it out in advance or decide on stops one at a time.

Options such as VRBO and Airbnb let you rent accommodations with full kitchens and all the comforts of home for a day, week or even longer along the way. Sites like Nomad List can help you scope out the best places to connect, both in terms of WiFi access and local freelance communities.

You can find plenty of places to work while you travel, but be sure to have the tools you’ll need to succeed. Spend some time figuring out your hardware, software, connectivity and which gadgets you’ll need on your self-directed journey. Once you’re ready to embark, you’re sure to have the experience of a lifetime.

Have you worked while traveling for a long period of time? Would you sign up for one of these programs?

October 19, 2015
How to Use Periscope to Build Your Writing Brand

Can writers benefit from live video streaming?

It seems like every time you turn around, there’s a new app or social media tool that makes claims about getting your name in front of a larger audience. The novelty of that new tool is quickly replaced by pressure to create content — and pressure to see results from your efforts.

Live video streaming might not seem like a natural promotional tool for writers who work through the written word more than relying on their voice or image.

But creating live video streams through Periscope could help you build your brand and engage with your audience in a fun new way.

What is Periscope?

Get the free Periscope app, link it to your Twitter account, and you’re ready to stream live video instantly. You can create private broadcasts for invited users or share them with the public via your Twitter feed.

Videos are only available on Periscope for 24 hours, but broadcasters can save a copy of the video to be uploaded elsewhere, like a YouTube channel.

Some peopler prefer a similar app called Meerkat, and Facebook is in the process of rolling out its own streaming-video option. But Periscope’s integration with Twitter has made it the most popular of the streaming video contenders, with 10 million registered accounts and about two million active users every day.

Distraction, or marketing tool?

Some folks see live streaming as a distraction. Marketing expert Chris Brogan has done several scopes to see how it will benefit his business. Even though he grew his list and made some sales, he hasn’t joined the growing numbers of mega fans, many of whom were disappointed he didn’t like the new platform.

Others have completely embraced it. Derek Halpern of Social Media Triggers was intially skeptical, but gained a huge following on Periscope with just a few broadcasts of business tips, impromptu interviews with mega-preneurs like Marie Forleo, and book recommendations. Of course, Derek’s an ace in video blogging, so this platform is perfect for him.

How to use Periscope to build your writing business

So how in the world can writers take advantage of this?

Freelance writer Carrie Smith of Careful Cents uses Periscope to offer behind-the-scenes looks at her work space and Q&A sessions about freelancing and budgeting.

“I am really loving Periscope, and will definitely be leveraging it more,” she said. Smith sold a coaching session after a particularly successful scope.

Blogger Javacia Harris Bowser has created a weekly event tied to her organization, See Jane Write. She hosts #SeeJaneScope events where folks can discuss blogging, business and writing goals.

Career writer Jon Acuff often summarizes longer social media posts into a quick list on Periscope, with titles like “10 Small Things Every Big Writer Needs to Know.”

My Periscope streams have teased upcoming blog posts in a similar fashion. I’ve also used it to give live tours of interesting places I’ve visited. Most of my scopes have been brief and personal.

Periscope best practices

To recap: behind-the-scenes scopes, Q&As, blog teasers, regular events and video social media posts are a few ways writers can use Periscope to build your brand.

But before you sign up, remember a few things:

1. This is a brand new (and changing) form of social media

Give Periscope the same respect as other new tools.

And like those other social media tools, Periscope notifications can be quite addicting. You could spend an entire day watching broadcasts or creating broadcasts to ask people what nail color to pick at the salon (I saw this happen, for real). Try not to get sucked in.

2. Be purposeful when creating and watching video

You can automatically add everyone you follow on Twitter to your Periscope account. But since this media is just getting off the ground, not everyone is using it.

Only follow people who broadcast regularly. If you go to someone’s profile and they only have one heart or have no recent broadcasts, it’s best to unfollow them. Hearts are insta-likes: viewers can tap the screen to indicate when they like something. You get one heart automatically for joining, so if there’s just one heart, more than likely they haven’t done any broadcasts.

3. Integrate Periscope into your social media or content marketing plan

Even if you scope sporadically, prepare for in advance and make sure you provide valuable content to keep people watching.

If you have a plan a certain number of Facebook or Twitter posts every week, do the same with Periscope broadcasts. Include them on an editorial calendar with other content you produce.

Periscope is new and features will be added (and possibly removed) as the needs of its audience changes. Just like any other social media platform, if it’s not for you, don’t include it to showcase or market your writing.

What do you think of this new platform? Do you think you can use it in your writing business?

October 15, 2015
How to Market Yourself as an Author Before You Have a Book to Sell
Let’s say you have a book out and want to promote it. So you contact a website and offer to write a free guest post (or several) for them.

In exchange for providing the free content, you have some requests:
- You want the column(s) to be accompanied by your book cover
- You want the column(s) to be accompanied by your headshot
- You want the column(s) to be accompanied by your bio, with a link in the bio that will redirect readers to a buy page for the book — Amazon or IndieBound or whatever you ask
Some people may have further things to promote, like classes or workshops or consultation services or an eBay profile full of knickknacks. It doesn’t matter.

The point is that if you’re writing the column for free, what you want out of the exchange is the chance to promote something. Simple and easy.

This is Guest Blogging 101, and everyone wins in this deal.

The best time to promote yourself: now

But what if you don’t have a book or anything to sell yet? What are you selling then? Simple: You’re selling a connection to yourself.

Sure, you don’t have a book for sale now, but you will in the future — so you need to connect yourself to interested individuals now so you can inform them of the book release down the road.

You can encourage potential readers to stay connected to you in a few simple ways:
- Follow you on Twitter
- Sign up for your free email newsletter
- Like your Facebook fan page, or befriend you on your personal page
- Subscribe to the RSS feed for your blog
If you get someone to connect with you in any of these ways (preferably in multiple ways), then you establish a lasting connection with a person that doesn’t likely disappear.

This means that when your book comes out in three weeks or three years, you still have an avenue to inform them of its existence, and thus possibly make a sale. This is your author platform, plain and simple.

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Give people a real reason to connect with you

Not sold on this concept? Let’s imagine a simple, watered-down scenario.

Say you get a call from the local Toastmasters Group. The coordinator says, “We just had a last-minute speaker cancellation. I’ve got 50 people in this room waiting to hear a speech. I got your name from [acquaintance] and she said you were an aspiring writer and a very good speaker. I wonder if you might be able to come down and talk to my crowd.”

Your answer is yes. You throw on some nice clothes and head down. Then for one hour you speak in front of this Toastmasters crowd about [anything you want].

At the end of the speech, you motion to a sign-up sheet near the door. “If you enjoyed what you heard today,” you say, “please sign up for my email newsletter so I can update you from time to time on my writing.”

This is the key element. You’ve given them 60 minutes of information for free. The whole payoff is them signing up for your newsletter.

Then all 50 people slowly get up and mosey out the door, with not one leaving an email on your sheet.

If that happens, then what was the point of speaking?

Fifty people just walked out the door and you have no means to contact them later.

If you don’t have a product or service to immediately promote and sell, you must connect to people so you can have a selling avenue down the road, or else they can slip away forever.

If they befriend you on Facebook or subscribe to your blog, then you nabbed that valuable connection and can potentially get them interested in your future products and services when you reach out down the line.

Keep in mind that people need motivation to stay in contact with you — they need to know you’ll be giving them something of value.

Let’s just say the Guide to Literary Agents didn’t exist and I had no books to sell, but I did have social media accounts.

In my bio on a guest post, I would say, “If you’re looking for a literary agent, check out Chuck’s blog, sign up for his newsletter, and follow him on Twitter. All those channels include free information about queries, submissions, new agents, interviews, platform and more.”

In other words, I don’t just say “And follow me on social media — pretty please.” I drive home the incentives of connecting with me.

And by doing that, more people link with me online, and I gather more followers to inform of a book down the road.

What tips would you add for forging relationships with potential readers?
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October 14, 2015
Tracking Freelance Earnings: September Income Report From Nicole Dieker

Do you have a plan for what you’ll do when your next big project ends? Doing a little bit of advance work in preparation for a project’s end or a client’s departure will help ensure that losing a gig doesn’t also mean losing money.

I closed out a big project this month — one that provided almost 25 percent of my monthly income. Because I had planned ahead, I was able to ride out the income drop and secure new work to take the project’s place.

Before we get into that, here are September’s numbers:

Completed Pieces: 71

Work Billed: $6,983.35

Earnings Received: $6,137.81

I wrote a little over 50,000 words in September, with an average per-piece earning of $98.36. My highest earning piece was $1,002, and my lowest earning piece was $35.

I really, really wanted to beat $7,000 this month. I kept hoping I could fit in one more piece to push me over the $7K mark, but it didn’t happen.

Planning for a project’s end

This month, I wrote the last column in my Ask A Freelancer series. I delivered weekly freelancing advice at The Freelancer for just over a year, and the project brought in just under 25 percent of my monthly income.

I began preparing for the end of Ask A Freelancer in July. So far, all of the columns I’ve written have lasted for about a year, and although my editors had not yet said anything about Ask A Freelancer ending, I suspected it would close out sometime in its second year. That meant I needed a plan to keep from losing 25 percent of my income overnight.

I could have structured the plan as “find one new big client who is willing to pay me an equivalent amount,” but that seemed difficult and overwhelming.

Instead, I thought of it this way: If Ask A Freelancer ends, I will need to write one new piece every week. (One piece that pays roughly what I would have earned for Ask A Freelancer, of course.)

Next, I made a list of all the clients I could contact and ask for one new piece. As soon as my editors and I started talking about closing out Ask A Freelancer, I began to reach out to my list of clients to ask them for additional work. Some of the clients said no, but enough said yes that I was able to fill in the income gap.

I also received a few new job offers after we formally announced the end of Ask A Freelancer. It was pretty clear that some editors saw, “This is the last Ask A Freelancer column” and thought, “I wonder if Nicole has more time available to write for us?”

On a related note: Look forward to my new column, Pitch Fix, coming to The Write Life this month.

It was also a good time for me to start pitching new clients, and I chose to focus on major magazines. I’ve done print magazine work before, but getting my byline in a popular, recognized publication would be a significant step up in my career. I’ll let you know what happens.

Thinking ahead to 2016

We are officially in the last quarter of 2015, which means I’m doing a lot of thinking about next year.

Nobody can predict the future, but here’s what I anticipate will happen in 2016:

1. This November, I’ll begin to reach out to my current clients and ask about the possibility of renegotiating rates. Some clients will be open to a rate increase, and some will tell me it isn’t in their budget. Still, it’s important to ask — and it will help me bring in a little more money for 2016.

2. At some point, probably before the summer, I might end up losing a client. This’ll be due to budget adjustments or — worst-case scenario — a publication shutting down. I need to start preparing for another 25 percent income drop, because it will happen eventually.

3. Also likely before the summer, I’ll land my next big client. Either the client will reach out to me directly, I’ll cold-pitch the client, or I’ll ask one of my current clients to refer me.

I’ll need to work on pitching and asking for referrals, because I can’t sit around waiting to be asked.

4. My novel The Biographies of Ordinary People will continue to gain readers and subscribers via Patreon. Right now my subscribers are growing slowly but steadily; if I want more rapid growth, I’ll have to figure out how to promote my novel.

So far my best promotion strategy is social media, and at this point my social network is well aware of the project. I need to think of additional ways to share this project with people, such as writing guest posts for other writing sites.

5. Now that I’m earning enough to save 10 percent of my income, I also need to start thinking about long-term investments. Do I fund an IRA, a Roth IRA or a SEP IRA? It might be worth talking to my CPA or another financial advisor.

One thing’s for sure: I’m still going to be discussing money and freelancing with as many people as possible, because sharing this information helps us all get smarter about our own businesses.

Do you have a plan for what you’ll do if one of your big projects comes to an end? What do you predict will happen to your freelancing career in 2016?

October 13, 2015
Working on the Road: 4 Tips for Freelance Writing While Traveling

As I write this, I’m at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport waiting for the next leg of my journey out to the East Coast. As a location-independent freelancer, I always try to take full advantage of travel interludes to catch up on my work.

Working on the road can be a tricky endeavor. It’s amazing to be able to work from anywhere with a WiFi connection, but it’s important to plan ahead to be able to enjoy work and play while traveling. Trekking through Machu Picchu is a whole lot less exciting when deadlines are weighing you down.

No matter how location-independent you are, working from the road definitely has its share of challenges.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way to help balance work and travel.

1. Plan before you go

Before I leave home for a trip, I always pull a few lists together. I use old fashioned pen-and-paper, though many prefer digital to-do lists and programs such as Evernote (which still live in the cloud if you spill coffee all over your notebook).

The first list I pull together is a list of deadlines that need to be completed while I’m away, urgent emails and phone calls I’ll have to find time to return, and other important items I can’t forget.

I always try and get as many of these sorts of things taken care of as possible before I leave, but things have a way of coming up at the last minute.

Whether it’s an urgent revision request for an article turned in months ago, or an email from the person you’ve been trying to track down for a month saying they have a small window of availability for an interview before they move to rural Botswana, sometimes things pop up on the road that you have to take care of.

The second list I pull together is a list of offline tasks I can do. Generally, this involves “deep work” such as writing and non-web research, which is best done without online distractions such as pinging messages and emails — or the ever-present temptation of surfing the web. These tasks are great for airplanes. I don’t opt for expensive airline WiFi, though many freelancers swear by it.

I find brainstorming also works very well while traveling. An infusion of newness and a disruption in one’s daily routine can allow for a lot of creativity. The change in scenery lends well to brainstorming, whether it’s mapping out an article, thinking of new articles to pitch, or adding a new twist to the novel you’re writing.

2. Stick to a schedule

When you are lucky enough to be able to work and play, you sure don’t want to blow it. That’s why it’s important to schedule your time and plan so you can make the most of both work and play.

When I’m traveling, I like to do a little work first thing in the morning, and then check for any urgent emails I need to respond to in the late afternoon. Many times, I’ll be in locations with limited internet access, so I’ll check my emails whenever internet is available. It’s also important to take some time offline in order to disconnect and recharge.

If I need to put a solid chunk of work in on a project, I’d rather do that first thing in the morning so I have the rest of the day free to wander around and play without worrying about making a deadline. It also gives you the freedom to go explore the local nightlife without stressing about your assignment.

But that’s just my personal preference. Some night owl writers prefer the opposite schedule. Experiment and find what works best for you.

But be sure to stick to your scheduled times for work and play. You don’t want to fall down the rabbit hole of email and spend your trip responding to emails instead of seeing the sites of Belarus, Bangladesh or the Bahamas.

3. Communicate with clients

So, you’re leaving town. What do you tell your clients? Well, that depends on your work plan. Will you be scheduling a few hours for work every day and be available for routine, day-to-day inquiries? In that case, you may not need an away message at all.

But if you’re going off the grid, be sure to set an away message on your email and voicemail so clients know why they’re not hearing back from you right away. Be sure to let them know when to expect a response. If you have a back-up contact for urgent matters, be sure to list that person’s information.

If you’re planning on going off the grid for a significant amount of time, you should communicate this to clients well ahead of time so they can work with you to wrap up any loose ends before you head out.

4. Back it up

When you’re working from the road, it’s important to have dependable access to your files. I always have a few options available and I plan for different contingencies.

Before I head out, I load important files that I’ll need onto my mini travel laptop. Then, I copy these files to a flash drive I also take with me. I figure if the laptop conks out, I can take the flash drive to a hotel business center or internet cafe with the files to get my work done if need be.

As another layer of protection, I also have the files uploaded to my Dropbox account, so I can access them digitally if I need to. While none of these solutions is foolproof, having some redundancy in my data storage makes me feel much better when I work on the road.

Do you spend a lot of time working while traveling? What tips and methods do you rely on?

October 9, 2015
NaNoWriMo is Coming: 5 Tips for Preparing to Write Your Novel

November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo: a frantic month of writing with the goal of drafting a 50,000 word novel.

Want to give it a shot? NaNoWriMo season will be here before you know it. But here is a little-known fact that you may not know: most writers who actually accomplish their goals during NaNoWriMo don’t start with a blank page on November 1.

Does this mean writers cheat and start halfway into their book? No. But an experienced novel writer knows that it takes time to flesh out a story.

In addition to having a general idea of what your novel will be all about, you should follow these five tips to get your novel done before the end of the month.

1. Set up your work area

You need a quiet place to write. Having your writing desk in the middle of the kids’ playroom is obviously not a good idea. However, if you need to keep an eye on a toddler while you’re writing, it’s fine to move your laptop or tablet around the house with you as needed.

Your work area doesn’t have to be anything fancy. In fact, some writers work inside a closet. It’s a good idea to have a decent chair to sit on, a big-enough computer screen to read the words you type, and a safe place to put your choice cup of caffeinated beverage.

2. Start writing now

Have you thought about how many words you’re going to have to write every day in order to write more than 50,000 words in one month? If you don’t take a single day off, then you “only” have to write 1667 words every day.

*Gasp*

Does that sound like an incredibly large number? It’s really not. In fact, this article is almost half that amount. Unfortunately, if you’re not used to writing a lot, then chances are, you’re not going to write enough during November, either.

In order to work your way up to 1667 words a day, you might need to start slowly. Start writing something every day now so you’ll be ready to write a novel in November.

3. Take advantage of progress-tracking tools

There are a lot of different tools available for novel writing. Many of them allow you to keep track of your progress and will even send you encouragements and reminders. It doesn’t really matter which of these tools you use as long as you keep track.

Fortunately, keeping track of word count is easy. Almost every writing program will do it for you, and you can even track your word count through the official NaNoWriMo website.

If all else fails, you can put the number of words you write each day on a sticky note on your fridge. You can also share it through social media — maybe you can get your friends to cheer you on!

4. Write while you wait

Writing doesn’t have to take up all your spare time, although that wouldn’t be a bad thing for many authors. When you’re in a time crunch where you really have to get a project done, it’s a good idea to work on your novel every spare minute of your time.

Do you spend a lot of time waiting? Whether you’re on the bus, riding the subway, in line to eat at a restaurant, waiting for a date, or waiting for your turn at the doctor’s office, you should be working on your novel instead of staring off into space.

Fortunately, there are online novel-writing programs that allow you to write on any device as long as you have internet access. Yes, you could even write your entire novel on your cell phone. But even if you don’t currently own a smartphone or iPad, you can bring along an old-fashioned notebook and type your notes up later.

5. Finish the novel before you edit

National Novel Writing Month is not about getting a novel ready to publish. Instead, you’re only expected to write the first draft of your novel. As much as many authors really hate the editing process, it can be tempting to stop writing and start editing too soon.

Does that mean you don’t have to edit your novel? No. But it means you should wait until you’ve finished it to edit. That’ll give you something to do in December.

Are you ready for NaNoWriMo? What are you going to do to ensure that you finish your novel on time?

October 6, 2015