No More One and Done

No More One and Done All writers know that building a career in words is only two parts   writing and sixty parts marketing. For new writers especially, the   ratio of marketing to writing is high. Writing regularly for a handful   of publications means less marketing and more actual paying work. You probably have a few editors youd like to work with again, but   dont stop there. Dream Clients Keep a list. Decide where you want to write and pursue those   publications. Decide what types of writing you want in your   day-to-day. If your goal is to write health and wellness pieces, pitch   those markets. You might not jump straight to the ranks of Oxygen   magazine but keep them on your list while you build clips from other   fitness publications. Eventually, you can show off those Now What? Youve landed an assignment at a publication youd like to write for   again. You rocked the article, you liked your editor and your piece is   approaching publication. Now what? Submit another ideaor two. You dont have to wait months or start from scratch somewhere else.   Remind the editor of your previous work together and submit a couple   new article ideas with an offer to send an outline on any that pique   an interest. If you met your deadline and delivered what you promised,   youre already ahead of 99 percent  of the submissions in her inbox.  I landed a regular column this way. Keep In Contact Ways to maintain relationships and create new ones include: Social Media Retweet, share, like and tag those posts. Follow your dream editors on   Twitter and LinkedIn. Friend them on Facebook. Not only will it keep   your name in front of them but it will also keep you informed and   current and might even get you some inside info, like birthdays and   pet peeves. The Comment Box â€Å"Nice post† is not enough. You have to contribute meaningful and   helpful comments. Remember that the purpose of a blog is to help the   readers. Bloggers, whether youve written for them before or not, will   notice your willingness to assist their readers and your knowledge of   the subject. Subscriptions, duh No brainer, right? This is cheaper with online publications because   most digital newsletters are free and youll probably get the latest   download in exchange for your email! For print publications, read the   letter from the editor every month and note any changes in format or   the masthead. In your pitch, mention something recent to show youre informed on   what the publication has been up to. A quick â€Å"congrats on being named   one of the top fifty blogs in the universe† or â€Å"excited for the   release of your [insert upcoming product here]† demonstrates your   continued interest. The Editorial Calendar A pitch aimed at the editorial calendar shows youre professional, do   your homework and are there to make the editors life a little easier.   Find their lead time which will tell you how far into the calendar   you should focus. If you cant find an editorial calendar, you can   always shoot a quick email asking if there are upcoming themes for a   publication. Narrowing your client list can lead to steady sources of work and less   time marketing, which means more time writing and earning. Be   professional and respectful. Meet your deadlines. Deliver what you   promise and if you maintain those relationships, editors will be   relieved when they see your name in their inbox again and again.