Be the freelance writer editors want to commission

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Mingling with a group of freelancer colleagues over a bucket-sized glass of too-tart Sauv Blanc and a tray of cold, puckering party pies last week, I realised I was the odd chick out.

Bear with me while I explain. The gist of the conversation was that mass culls from media and publishing companies had resulted in a glut of unemployed journalists looking for freelance work.

Compounding that, the discussion continued, was that many companies had tightened their freelance budgets in response to the global financial squeeze.

“So, have you all got enough freelance writing work at the moment?” This question came from a freelance writer who is new to the business.

I nodded my head, but around me I noticed a wave of shakes so in sync that for a moment I thought I was at Wimbledon.

Now I am not blowing my own trumpet or even my school-issue recorder here, but the reality is that I am up to my bangs in work. The calluses on the tips of my fingers are testament to the hours they spend dancing on the computer keyboard.

The point of this article is not to gloat or trounce those caught in the bear hug of the financial crisis, but to simply impart what I feel are the vital elements to staving off the head shake.

Be professional
From meeting deadlines to being articulate in your conversations with editors to your efficiency at returning phone calls, professionalism is paramount for a freelancer.

Often it is the little steps you take to perfect your overall presentation that count the most. For example, if you send an editor a waffling story brief from a hotmail account that is void of any contact details, how do you think you will stack up against a writer with a more professional approach?

I’m not saying you won’t get work if you only use a hotmail account, but it can suggest - rightly or wrongly – that you are not taking your freelance business serious enough to even warrant the small investment of an independent ISP provider.

Meanwhile, something as equally simple as having an email signature eludes some new freelancers that I know. It is so easy to create an automatic email signature that your editor can easily access, so why not do it?

I even create different email signatures for each different client that I am working for. Each signature includes the same contact details, but they clearly state which publication I am representing. I also remove my branding to avoid confusion. This shows a level of professionalism and organisational skills.

So, my advice is to always consider the physical appearance of your emails to editors, the concise and clear nature of your briefs and the inclusion of your contact details.

Also consider your demeanour when talking to editors. Hide your nerves not behind a high-pitched, quavering voice, but behind a strong, assured tone that indicates knowledge and commands respect. Even if you haven’t a clue what you are rabbiting on about, fake it!

Check your messages and emails regularly and make it a priority to return calls and meet deadlines.

Above all, remember you need these guys who are sitting at their cluttered, coffee-stained desks deciding whether or not to publish your work. Be polite, respectful and, always, professional.

Mix it up
I have just looked at my schedule and I am writing for four different clients this week alone. One is a corporate customer, two are mainstream online publications, and the fourth is a trade newspaper. Next week I start work for a new client; editing books for a children’s publisher.

Writing within a certain speciality can certainly make your working life a lot easier because you become knowledgable in the topic and of the various publishers and contacts in that field. But, if you are finding the work in one area is drying up, branch out and look for work elsewhere.

After all, as a freelance writer your job is to interview the head honchos in the speciality you are writing about, make sense of it all and then finesse it into words that everyone can understand.

That is where your true expertise lies. So, it makes sense that you can, theoretically, write about many different topics in many different styles for many different companies.

Take the lead
I have never sat on my white, funky posterior waiting for stories – or editors - to come to me. I am, if nothing else, very driven, proactive and a persistent pain-in-the-rear-end.

It’s ironic, then, that in many cases these days, the editors and the stories do come to me without me having to lift a callused finger.

When you are proactive, determined and motivated, you are more likely to achieve all the steps needed to get yourself published. Those steps include refining your writing skills, digging for a good story like a dog digs for a bone, and chasing editors to the point that they wonder if you are a stalker.

To give you an example of the power of persistence, I have never applied for an advertised job in my life. My freelance career aside, every single one of my full-time jobs in journalism – with the Gold Coast Bulletin, The Daily Telegraph and Australian Associated Press – I got by contacting the editors and badgering them until they employed me.

So, you can take a leaf out of my dog-eared, spiral notebook if you want. Or not. It’s entirely up to you. But it is my firm opinion that by being professional and proactive, and by diversifying, you certainly stand a much greater chance of achieving just about anything you want in this business.

To learn more about WriteSmart or Pamela Wilson, log onto http://www.writesmart.com.au/