Asking for Work Isn't Marketing

Yes, the economy is down. Yes, a good number of publications have been cutting back and even going under. Yes, you have to market harder to get work. But, no, simply asking people for work is not marketing.

One of the topics I"ve seen in the writers' newsgroups and forums is that of sending out letters of introduction (LOIs) and the disappointment that comes from not getting a response. But think about it for a moment. A letter of introduction should be just that: an introduction of the writer to the client. It's nothing more than knocking on the door. To expect work to immediately come from one is to expect that, to the potential client, you are important. You're not.

You need to be ready to follow up on an LOI, particularly at a time when everyone and their writing siblings are trying to nail down work. Even if you've found some approach for LOIs that seems to turn into assignments for you, be prepared to go further. And if you've never had much luck with them, don't expect more today.

That goes for asking for assignments from editors. It's one thing if you have a strong relationship that you've build over time (meaning that you have been marketing, particularly by satisfying the client's needs through your work). But if you haven't, then you're just another yelping writer outside the door, asking for a handout. Instead of doing the usual, try something different. Send an idea or two with an LOI to show that you're capable of taking some of the burden off an editor. Make a sharp observation or two (diplomatically put, of course) about a company's latest marketing campaign to show a prospect that you have paid attention to what it has done. Show that you can provide some value. That will help you stand out from the gimme crowd.