Part of our "Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career" Video series
( Read the transcript )
Perfect your query e-mail. When applying for a writing job from an online writing jobs listing, many times the employer will list nothing more than what they want and their e-mail address. This means that you will send an e-mail to the job advertiser, trying to convince him or her that you are the person for the job. Unless the ad specifies an exact requirement for your query, such as links to writing samples or an attached résumé, then you are on your own when it comes to figuring out what to send. In many instances, it is a great
idea to keep your query brief. You don't want to burden the recipient with an epic e-mail which details your life story and what has led you to the point in your life where you want to write professionally. Simply let the person know that you are interested in writing for him or her, and if you have samples of your writing include them. If your work is featured somewhere online then a link usually suffices, but if not then consider embedding the sample into the body of your e-mail. Most people get nervous about opening attachments in e-mails from people who they do not know because of the
possibility of computer viruses and spyware. You can have a generic query e-mail which you save on your computer and use again and again, personalizing it for each job. If you aren't sure where to start, use this as a guide:
Greetings,
This is in response to your ad listed at (insert job bank name) for a freelance writer. I would enjoy writing the (insert subject) article, and have experience from (insert your experience with the particular topic). I have attached links to some of my recent writing. Please contact me if I may be of assistance.
Thank you,
(insert your name)
(insert links to your work)
You notice that the e-mail is simple and to the point, and it does not appear overly casual. One of the quickest ways to have your e-mail disregarded by a potential employer is to pepper it will informal speech or Internet jargon and acronyms. Consider this example:
Hey!
I soooo want to write 4 u. You'd be my first paid job *LOL!* but you can see some of my other stuff on my site. Hit me up w/a reply or I'll b crying!
Even if the employer works for a very informal website, you can see how this e-mail would probably be deleted immediately. One more thing which you should always keep in mind when sending an e-mail query: ALWAYS conduct a spell check before sending the e-mail off. You may usually have impeccable spelling and grammar skills, but you never know when you might make a simple mistake which you just don't notice. It is much better to let your computer find the error for you instead of the potential employer. If you were looking for a writer, would you hire someone whose initial e-mail to you was riddled with spelling and grammar errors?
Greetings,
This is in response to your ad listed at (insert job bank name) for a freelance writer. I would enjoy writing the (insert subject) article, and have experience from (insert your experience with the particular topic). I have attached links to some of my recent writing. Please contact me if I may be of assistance.
Thank you,
(insert your name)
(insert links to your work)
You notice that the e-mail is simple and to the point, and it does not appear overly casual. One of the quickest ways to have your e-mail disregarded by a potential employer is to pepper it will informal speech or Internet jargon and acronyms. Consider this example:
Hey!
I soooo want to write 4 u. You'd be my first paid job *LOL!* but you can see some of my other stuff on my site. Hit me up w/a reply or I'll b crying!
Even if the employer works for a very informal website, you can see how this e-mail would probably be deleted immediately. One more thing which you should always keep in mind when sending an e-mail query: ALWAYS conduct a spell check before sending the e-mail off. You may usually have impeccable spelling and grammar skills, but you never know when you might make a simple mistake which you just don't notice. It is much better to let your computer find the error for you instead of the potential employer. If you were looking for a writer, would you hire someone whose initial e-mail to you was riddled with spelling and grammar errors?
