The Writing Life

Query Letters First

reachme@tonyberryman.com (Tony Berryman) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Query letters are the bread and butter of the freelance writing world. Why? Simple - you don't want to do work for which you may not get paid.

The way it works is this. Many writers have an idea for a short piece - a profile or sidebar or short article for a magazine, a series of blogs for a topical website, etc - and they think, 'the editor doesn't have time to read a letter, respond to it, and then wait while I put the thing together. I'll just send them the entire article, or a few full blog posts. Then they'll see what I can do, and they will have to hire me!'

In my experience, this reasoning is flawed. Firstly, editors largely prefer to see a brief query letter rather than a full piece, if only to aid in their weeding out process. They are professionals, and will be able to divine your quality just from how you promote your article idea. A well-written query letter advances your professionalism in the editor's eyes, and if your idea and your style suit the publication, you will most likely get a hit. Then your full article or blog post will receive the attention it deserves.

So do the 'extra' work that a query letter involves. Pay it close attention, do your job well, and you will pass yourself off as a professional person and avoid writing articles that will never see the light of day.

Why - It's The Key To The Real Story

reachme@tonyberryman.com (Tony Berryman) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:50:00 +0000

My goodness, it's June 1 already - when you get so busy writing other people's blogs that you neglect your own, it's time to stop a moment and remember why you're here to begin with.

Which takes me to my revelation of the day. My daughter needed some direction with a mock newspaper article she was writing about the recent provincial election, and I reminded her of the basics - who, what, when, where, and why.

Why Is The Key To The Story

The first four were the basic information of the article, and easily answered. When we got to the 'why', she paused and thought about it. We ended up in a protracted discussion about why we hold elections, why the winning party won, and other juicy subjects. And I was struck by the thought that 'why' is almost always where the real meat of the story is.

What's Your 'Why'?

Good thing to remember - and to think about every once in awhile, in life and in business. Why should your business succeed? Why should people choose your product/service/website over everybody else? Why are you in your chosen business in the first place? Good thing to keep in mind - your own passion for what you do can often be the driving force behind why others will be drawn to you.

'Why' - The Heart Of All Your Words

In your business writing - whether it's your website content, advertising, or even intra-office communications - why you do what you do provides the fuel that makes your message burn brightly in the reader's mind. Don't forget the other W's - who, what, when, where, and even how - but keep your Why foremost in your mind, and you'll shine above the rest.

Tony

Give More Than They Expect

reachme@tonyberryman.com (Tony Berryman) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:11:00 +0000

Good selling technique rules the business world. As an independent businessman, it occurred to me one day that I should know a thing or two about sales and marketing techniques. A cousin of mine involved with a yacht charter business and a tour guiding company loaned me a book about how to close the sale. What started out as a one-book read turned into a year of dedicated study, the material was so fascinating. Basic principles of sales and marketing are now a part of everything I do - for myself, my friends, and my clients.

One good rule of sales is, give them more than they expect. More than they are asking for, even more than they know they want. Remember, as freelancers, we are the experts our clients are turning to. Often we know more about our clients' projects than they do. When a business approaches us to help set up a site, begin a blog, or develop a user manual, it's their first time. It's more than likely our twentieth, so we have valuable knowledge to share about where the pitfalls are, what stumbling blocks they can expect. I say, give it to them.

But doesn't that diminish our offering? Shouldn't we put a price on all that hard-earned wisdom? Here's the secret - you can tell someone where the bridge needs to be, tell them how to build it, even give them the plans. They'll still hire you to build it for them. Since you're obviously so good, they'll even pay you more.

I start offering sage advice, if I have any, from my very first contact letter or email responding to their job ad. It not only proves my worth, it helps my contact stand out amidst the hundreds of other responses they're seeing that day.

So give it to them. Tell your prospects how you can provide what they don't even know they need. Once you're hired, go the extra mile where you can, providing more value than they think they paid for. Their business will prosper, and so will yours as they spread news of your largesse far and wide. It only makes good sense, and it's the right thing to do.

The Marketing Message - Freelancers Are Their Own First Client

reachme@tonyberryman.com (Tony Berryman) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:23:00 +0000

At this point in my freelance career not too many people know about me. That's not good for business, and it's something that will soon change. But before that happens, before I announce my presence to the world, I have to know what I will tell them. In marketing circles this goes by several monikers - the Unique Selling Proposition, the Elevator Pitch, the Marketing Message. In essence, it is crafting a concise way to tell prospective clients what I can do for them and why I am the best person for the job. For a freelance writer, it is our first writing job. We get to write for ourselves.

Everyone I contact, even my longtime friends, need to know exactly what my skills can do for them. It behooves me to hand to them a concise, precise message that they can give to their contacts - and their contacts, and their contacts ... you get the drift.

To succeed in this vital mission, a freelancer needs to answer several vital questions.

1) What corner of the freelancing world do you want to focus on? You might be great at everything from technical writing to brochures to feature magazine articles, but saying all that dilutes the message. To start with, pick one or two specialties.

2) Who are your prospective clients? Are they men, women, young, old? Seasoned businesspeople, or harried small business owners, or academics? What niche in the corporate world do they hold? What are their ultimate desires in hiring a freelancer - shovelling work off their own desk, getting quality work to further the business, trying to impress the boss?

3) How can your skills best fulfill their desires? What makes you the best and only person for the job?

Once you have all that in mind, then the rest comes easy.

Okay, time for me to get busy, and do some work for myself. I am, after all, my first, last, and best client.

How To Write Well - Writing To Your Reader

reachme@tonyberryman.com (Tony Berryman) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:30:00 +0000

How to write (fill in the blank) is actually a very, very popular search on Google (hence it leads my title and blog post;). This speaks to the tough time lots of people have when called upon to communicate well with words.

Today I met a friend who found himself needing to write papers and essays for an intense course he was taking. Hoffman has tons of grey matter - he can talk your ear off on many subjects - but when he sat down at the keyboard, his mind went into a foggy whirl of disconnected words. I think we all can relate to this.

I redirected his efforts with one simple perspective change. "When you sit down to write something, just talk to the keys," I said. The lights went on in Hoffman's eyes. "Yes, I can do that!" And a better writer was born.

When we write, we are just having a conversation with someone who's not there yet. The basic foundation of good, personal writing is to have the sense of the other person, the one who will be reading this - you - firmly in mind. Then we're not talking to a wall, or staring at an uncooperative keyboard. My topic goes through the language, through the keys, directly to you. That way it is almost as if the words, and the keys, aren't even there at all.

How to write well, so that it sounds natural, un-forced, and flows like a conversation? Simply make it a conversation, with someone who's in your mind but not yet in the room. This simple perspective change produces copy that is personal, direct, and speaks to your audience. And then the real fun can begin.

Tony

The Freelance Writing Mindset

reachme@tonyberryman.com (Tony Berryman) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:11:00 +0000

Ah, the new blog! Most of my posts here will pertain to the facts and craft of freelance writing, but for today I will just see where my fingers take me.

The freelance writing life is a wild and crazy ride, to be sure. It's been said that freelance writing in Canada is a good way to starve slowly. I say, that all depends on your outlook - your mindset, as it were. In any job market, in any economic climate, anywhere, anytime, there is work available. The seekers who start the day inwardly convinced that they won't find work are the ones who will not see the diamonds among the stones.

"You know the rotten thing about working for yourself? Every Monday, you're unemployed!" I actually heard this from a carpenter once; I don't think he was feeling well that day, but it also underlines a pervasive mindset that can sink the most sincere jobseeker. If you don't think you can do it, then it just won't happen. If you harbour the thought that the entrepreneurial world is a desolate and dangerous place, then striking out on your own is probably not wise.

I believe in another quote - Fortune favours the prepared mind, by Louis Pasteur. Sharpen your tools, present yourself well, and let the world know what you can do; buffer this all with the attitude that you can provide value for others and receive value in return. This is a basic philosophy, with many details hidden within the generalities, but keeping this mission statement in mind keeps me on course when I'm getting lost in the minutiae.

In future blog posts I will elaborate on some of the details - how to sharpen the writer's tools, how to market, and all of that. Stay tuned, and stay positive.

Tony