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Know the Difference: Pitching, Querying, and LOIs

Posted on by Lauren Spear
Illustration by Ramiro Roman.

This is one of the most important blog posts on this site if you’re serious about freelance writing. Every writer – whether you write fiction or non-fiction – needs to learn how to pitch to editors. Or query them. Or send them a letter of introduction.

So let’s talk a bit about what each of those terms means.

Letter of Introduction (LOI)

This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s a letter in which you introduce yourself to the editor/publication. And…that’s about it. You say who you are and mention that you have an interest in writing for them, but you leave it at that. In my experience, LOIs are much less wanted than they used to be – most editors would rather jump straight to the query/pitch. (Though most modern queries/pitches have elements of a LOI in them).

Query

Traditionally, this is a letter written to an editor/publication regarding whether or not it’s acceptable to send in a pitch. However, recently, the term “query” and “pitch” can be pretty much interchangeable (with the meaning more focused on the latter).

Pitch

This is a letter written to an editor/publication essentially attempting to sell your idea for an article/post/book. You say who you are (the LOI element), and offer up a brief outline of what you intend to write. Most importantly, a pitch should cover why the idea at hand is perfect for the publication you’re writing to. (Editors want to know that their readers are going to be happy with what they’re reading).

The most important thing to remember is to follow the pitching guidelines for whatever publication you’re writing to. If they want a LOI, send them a LOI; if they want a pitch, send them a pitch.

But, in general, you’ll be sending in something that looks a bit like this template: Continue reading “Know the Difference: Pitching, Querying, and LOIs” →

Yours FREE! The Writernomicon: 50+ Blogs That Pay $50 or More for Guest Posts

Posted on by Lauren Spear

The Writernomicon is a list of 50+ publications that pay writers $50 USD or more for writing blog posts as guest writers.

Why Writernomicon?

Well, clearly, it’s based on the classic Necronomicon by H.P. Lovecraft. Even the cover design – by the talented Ramiro Roman – harkens back to potential designs for that fictional tome. And that makes me laugh. And things that make me laugh are awesome, and; therefore, worthy of publication.

However, the “nomicon” suffix that Lovecraft used, once translated as “Book of Names,” seemed fitting for this book as well – since it’s essentially a list of publishers’ names. A book of names…for writers. Writernomicon.

The way you use this “mystical” e-book is entirely up to you. Personally, I like to look up a publisher that seems interesting and then pitch them an article idea. But you could also think of an article idea first and then look up which publisher seems like a good home for it. Up to you!

The Writernomicon is in your hands now.

Use it wisely.

Download the FREE PDF here!

Need Help Using This Book?

Do you need help using The Writernomicon to your advantage? Are you wondering how to write the perfect pitch? Or how to create your freelance blogging website?

I now have a class up on SkillShare that covers everything you need to know to get started as a freelance blogger — and it’s only $10! (Normally a mentoring session with me costs $97/hour, so that’s quite a deal!).

In the class, I cover topics like:

  • How to get over your freelance blogging fears
  • How to find your area of blogging expertise
  • How to write the perfect pitch
  • How to set up your freelance blogging website
  • What NOT to do
  • How to get testimonials…

…and more!

Go check it out by clicking HERE! (affiliate link).

Love the Writernomicon Cover? Get the Shirt!

Available now on Society 6!

EXACTLY What It Takes to Be a Managing Editor

Posted on by Lauren Spear
Illustration by Ramiro Roman

Last week, I asked you, the readers, what you’d like me to write about next. The response I got most often was “What are the duties of a Managing Editor?”

That’s a great choice! But, boy – this is going to be a LONG post.

I’m the Managing Editor of both a news site and Be a Freelance Blogger. So I have some personal experience in this particular area. I’ve also seen the Managing Editors of the publications I’ve written for in action.

The basic duties of a Managing Editor in today’s online world boil down to this:

Accepting and rejecting pitches. Some publications hire a separate Pitching Editor for these duties but, most of the time, they fall onto the shoulders of the ME.

Editing writers’ posts. As a Managing Editor, you’ll not only be looking for typos and grammatical errors in the posts you intend to publish, you’ll also be making minor rewrites to get the “tone” of the overall article correct, and you’ll also be keeping an eye out for a Call to Action (CTA) at the end so that the post’s final goal is fulfilled (getting shared/getting comments/selling something/whatever).

Uploading and formatting posts. It’s your job to make the posts look pretty before they’re published. This means adding in headers, enhancing certain sentences, adding in a photo or video, etc.

Writing posts yourself. As a Managing Editor you’ll often be called upon to write certain posts yourself. Generally, when something needs to be done RIGHT – and is “too hard” for your stable of writers – you’ll have to take on the task of writing the post yourself. Or, if you’re a publication that accepts guest posts and your buffer has run dry, it could be up to you to fill in the gap in the schedule. So don’t think your writing skills are going to go to waste just because you’re an editor now!

Maintaining a uniform social media presence. Again, some publications hire a separate person to take on the duties of updating the publication’s social media accounts. But, as the Managing Editor, it’ll be your duty – if not to write the updates yourself – to at least take a peek at what’s being written to make sure it’s “on target” with the publication’s overall branding/message. You may also have to edit copy before it’s sent out.

Okay, now that we’ve gotten the “basics” out of the way, I’m going to share some helpful tips to get all you aspiring Managing Editors out there on the path to success! 🙂 Continue reading “EXACTLY What It Takes to Be a Managing Editor” →

The Six Pages Every Freelance Writing Website Needs

Posted on by Lauren Spear

There are six pages every freelance writer’s website must have to succeed:

  1. Home
  2. About
  3. Writing Services
  4. Contact
  5. Writing Samples
  6. Testimonials

You can add other pages – or a blog! – as you want/need them; however, those are the six you must have on your site.

The first four are pages you should put up as soon as you get your site. The last two can be added on as soon as you get them (not every writer starts out with writing samples or testimonials right off the bat).

Blogs are optional. Not every freelance writer’s website needs a blog. Only create one if you absolutely truly want one and plan to update it consistently. The only writers who have to have a blog on their site are those interested in becoming freelance bloggers. If your niche lies elsewhere – like copywriting, for example – don’t pressure yourself into getting a blog. You don’t have to have one.

Now, let’s take a look at those pages… Continue reading “The Six Pages Every Freelance Writing Website Needs” →

How to Win Writing Awards

Posted on by Lauren Spear

All right. This is going to be a difficult post to write without seeming like a Self-Congratulatory Braggy Braggart, but I’m going to attempt it anyway since a few of you have asked me about it…

I’ve won multiple writing awards over the past few years. You can see them displayed on the right-hand side of this blog post in the sidebar, if you’re interested in which ones.

Some of you are interested in winning awards too. And I can’t blame you! Not only are they a lot of fun, they also add prestige to your business and can help get you more gigs from better clients. They’re a great thing to have.

I can’t claim to know all the “secrets” to winning (I wish!), but here’s what I do know… Continue reading “How to Win Writing Awards” →

What to Do When You Lose Your Best Client

Posted on by Lauren Spear

The day before my 32nd birthday last week, I lost my best blogging client due to major layoffs at their company. Normally, I’d keep that fact to myself (it’s generally a good idea not to let anyone know that you’re essentially “jobless”); however, I wanted to write a blog post about this predicament to help others (like you!) and knowing that I’ve “been there” — and so recently! — might be of comfort to some people who view me as such a phenomenal success.

And, I am a success, by all rights. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle from time to time, just like you. It’s not uncommon for me to have to go job hunting. Contracts eventually come to an end. Or, companies have layoffs, and freelancers are always the first to go. That’s just how it is when you’re a freelance writer, “successful” or not!

So what exactly do you do when this happens? Well… Continue reading “What to Do When You Lose Your Best Client” →

The Real Freelancer is LIVE!

Posted on by Lauren Spear

Samar Owais of Freelance Flyer and I have teamed up to create The Real Freelancer, a website for ALL of your newbie freelancer needs. We’re very excited! 😀

Our first resource is The Real Freelancer’s Resource Vault!

The Vault has everything a freelancer needs in the first year of business – if not the first month.

From templates and checklists to workbooks, track sheets, and sample documents, the vault has you covered.

All-in-All, you get 14 tools and resources to help your freelance business grow and flourish. Continue reading “The Real Freelancer is LIVE!” →

The Positive Bloggers

Posted on by Lauren Spear

faces_moniqueHey, Everyone!

Today’s an exciting day for me! I just launched a new brand/business with my friend Monique called The Positive Bloggers. 😀

Monique and I realized that there were plenty of places online to get “how to” advice when it came to the business side of blogging. But that there were almost no resources to support freelance bloggers emotionally — to help them stay happy and healthy while building their careers. We decided it was time to fill that gap.

Both of us are successful freelance bloggers with over fifteen years of experience under our belts. And we both suffer from severe anxiety issues. We know first-hand the difference positivity can make for both your life and career.

We’re avid dreamers, but we’re also big-time doers. We strive for happiness in all aspects of our lives, but we also know how to organize our time in a way that we consistently meet deadlines and get stuff done. We hope to help you do the same!

Head over to The Positive Bloggers or follow us on Twitter @PositiveBloggy for positive-minded freelance blogging advice!

–Lauren*