It’s the bane of every freelance writer’s existence: tracking down the correct section editor/marketing manager/hiring person, figuring out the ever-changing email format, and then having your LOIs and pitches go to That Big Black Hole. You know the one – that elusive place where your finely crafted query lingers, likely never to be read or replied to.
And for those of us who have been trying to branch out into other writing opportunities – custom content, brand storytelling, content marketing, corporate work – this process can be even more daunting. That’s because many of the folks who hire writers to do this kind of work fly way under the radar. Often, they do not even appear on their company’s website. They’re like ghosts, and it can be very challenging to find them.
Unless you think like a detective.
In my “Finding the Ghosts” session at ASJA’s upcoming conference Connect for Success, we’ll share actionable tips to help you find all kinds of content gigs, no matter what your niche is. We’ll also explore:
- Writing avenues you may never have considered: internal communications, writing for nonprofits, hospitals and universities
- How to get custom writing work within traditional publishing companies
- Plus: Put your new knowledge to work in our bonus round, where you can win prizes!
This year, I’m co-chairing ASJA’s popular Client Connections event with Jennifer Goforth Gregory on Member’s Day, where writers get quality face-time with editors, literary agents and other hiring managers. Our committee members have worked tirelessly since October to gather a stellar line-up of clients, and many lessons learned from this volunteer gig have helped us think outside the ‘Send an Email’ box while running our freelance writing businesses.
Last week, for example, after months spent emailing potential Client Connections participants, we tried an experiment to track down editors who – you guessed it! – had not yet replied to our invitations. One day, we began tweeting directly to them – more than 100 of them, to be exact. I was astonished at the response.
- More than a dozen tweeted back immediately, requesting more details.
- Two signed up within hours.
- Several others will likely be joining us because of our Twitter Bombing.
One editor admitted that her inbox is so swamped, she barely reads her email anymore. Yet, she answered my tweet within 15 minutes. Buh-bye, Black Hole.
Try it yourself. Find another way to reach out to clients:
- Send them a message via LinkedIn.
- Join a group they belong to online and start a discussion thread they might be interested in.
- Write a killer tweet to get their attention.
It works!
Don’t forget to sign up for Client Connections between April 16-20. This is the only chance to participate in the lottery; there will be NO SAME-DAY SIGN-UPS this year!