Every day I receive email from writers seeking to be published. A link on our main website says How To Submit An Article. In their hurry to send out a generic query to as many publications as they have on their email list, many miss the link. They instead send out some version of what I just received. “My name is ___ and I am working to establish myself as a freelance writer. I have written for several websites on varying topics and my articles have been well received. I wondered if you would feel able to place some of my work on your website horizonsmagazine.com. The pieces I have had accepted were around 500 words in length. It would help me greatly if you would specify a particular subject, style and tone, as I quickly discovered that versatility in my writing is essential. I am confident that you would find my work engaging and authoritative.” ### end of email. It was so impersonal I almost deleted it. Instead, I sent her a link to our article submission guidelines.
I’m a get-right-to-the-point person. I get a lot of email and calls each day. When I contact someone new, it’s usually by email, since I feel that’s the least intrusive to a busy person and it’s what I prefer. I tell them everything in the first email: what do I want from them, what I’d like to do for them. I give them all my contact info in the first email. Before I write the email, the first thing I do is discover if they have a website and read it to make sure I am not asking them something that was answered on their site. That lets them know I pay attention to detail. That’s important to me.
My suggestions would be to read my website. Know what the publication is about. Most publications have links to article submission guidelines. Attach samples of your work that are relevant specially to my publication. Don’t ask me to suggest a topic for you to write on, write on what you have a personal interest in. Don’t tell me your work is engaging, show me an example of an engaging piece.
As I said, the email was so impersonal I almost deleted it on the spot. Instead, I sent her a link to our article submission guidelines. I can see, as I re-read this, that I sound gruff and grumpy over this topic. As aware and accepting as I sometimes like to think I am, it is a pet peeve when people do not pay attention to detail.
Not only is information to be found in the details, but magic is found in the details, the delight and satisfaction with All of life is found in paying close attention to the details of our everyday life. I sometimes judge that there is so much sleepwalking, people asking to be told the secret formula yet closing their eyes and ears to the answers, not even thinking to look for it, such as for a link on a website you are attempting to solicit to write for.
Whatever it is, if you want to be involved with it, learn everything you can about it. Read all about it. Know the people, know the mission, know the focus. In doing this research, you will find your place in it, you will find your niche. From that knowingness of having found your place in it, you will be guided to write something relevant and engaging.
Get to know me/them enough that you discover exactly what it is we need from you, then package that up and present it. From that vibrational standpoint, it will be a YES every time.