Public Service Announcement: Writers, pick up the phone!
Last week I led a free teleclass on building relationships with writers that included a lengthy Q&A session with participants. I was amazed at how many of the writers’ questions I could answer the same way. For example:
“I want to write for a magazine but I can’t figure out if they use freelance. What should I do?”
“I turned in an article three weeks ago and haven’t heard back from the editor on whether it’s been accepted. What should I do?”
” I e-mailed my query twice but have still had no reply from the editor. What should I do?”
My answer to all these questions? “Pick up the phone and call the editor.”
I know it’s scary to call someone who doesn’t know who you are and who is not expecting your call, but once you get someone on the line, it usually goes fine. For example, last week I came up with an idea for a consumer magazine, but I wasn’t quite sure if it was right for the magazine — and I didn’t want to write up a full query without having a better idea of whether the article would work. So I called the editor. Her phone extension was right in the masthead! When I introduced myself she seemed a little wary, but when I asked if she had a minute, she replied, “Sure.” I explained my idea, and she told me that they had run a short news piece on the business I wanted to profile a couple of years ago. She offered to e-mail me a link to the article, and advised me to find something new about the company that they hadn’t covered. I then pitched her a second idea, and she said it sounded interesting, and to e-mail her a pitch.
See? Not so bad!
So please — don’t be afraid to call an editor. Make sure you’re prepared with what you want to say so you don’t stutter and stumble. And if you get the editor’s voicemail, go ahead and leave a message. What have you got to lose? [lf]
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Mar 15, 2010 Advice, Editors, Marketing, Motivation
Scary? What is the worst that can happen.?Some assistant will ask a lot of questions you don’t feel like answering for that person? Just say, “It’s kind of long–but I will not take more than 5 minutes.” Or the editor will say, “Who are you again? What? Huh?” I had one guy say could you just send me the info or were you thinking of some sort of freelance scenario?” Yes–a scenario, I want a scenario. I sometimes mention the weather–we are roasting here in AZ. We have been talking on phone all our lives…it’s not that scary. If they say no, they say no. But often you can get a better email address–then write right away and say, “We just talked.” If you get the “she is in a meeting” gambit a few times, just feel sorry for the poor woman who has to go to so many meetings. Pretend she really is.
I still find cold calling scary, but I know it’s good advice. Speaking of good advice…A few months ago you wrote about “Planting Seeds.” That inspired me to send a bunch of letters of intro. I heard zilch. Then today one of those magazines contacted me and asked me to write two pieces for them. Woo hoo! Thanks for the kick-start. I’ll remind myself of your wisdom next time I have to pick up the phone and call an editor.
I went to a training seminar at a newspaper I write for yesterday.
Another writer complained that editors don’t reply to every pitch. When I pointed that they sometimes can’t, so suck it up, he said:
“I just wish there was a quick way to find out if they were interested.”
I was there going “Well, er, there’s thing called a telephone…”
Thanks for your comments! Kirsten, congratulations!
Anne, too funny.