Consider this a public service announcement for letters of introduction.

At a friend’s recommendation, I wrote a letter of introduction – LOI in freelance lingo – to the editor of a just-launched personal finance website back in February 2008. Never heard back, forgot about it, and months later read somewhere the editor I’d written to left to do other things.

Flash forward to this week. The editor I’d first written to 17 months ago contacted me to inquire about my availability for an assignment for another soon-to-be launched personal finance website. After some initial back and forth on terms, etc., I’ve just agreed to accept. If things work out, the opportunity could lead to a steady stream of assignments.

Lesson learned: LOIs matter, though it could be months – or even years – before you see the pay off.

What to put in a LOI? At the very least, a description of who you are, what type of writing you do, what publications you’re written for, and the types of work you’re available to do for the editor or market you’re writing to.

What to emphasize and how much detail to go into on any of those points depends on who you’re contacting and why. If it’s a magazine you’d like to write features for, you’d want to mention similar pieces you’ve done in the past for similar markets. If it’s a website looking for bloggers or other regular contributors, you’d want to emphasize any relevant experience you’ve had working with a publication on an ongoing basis, particularly if you did the same type of work.

If you’ve got more ambition than experience – nothing on your resume or in your clips file quite matches the work you’d like to do – play up any strengths you do have. Explain how they could translate into the opportunity you’re now seeking. Don’t leave it to an over-worked editor to put two and two together – do the math for them.

LOIs should also always include links to your resume and a few clips. If you’ve already got these on your website or blog, all the better. If you don’t have a website or blog, send them as attachments. But why make an editor work that hard? It’d be in your best interest to start a simple blog if only to warehouse these types of documents, so an editor can see them with one mouse click.

Do LOIs have to be long? No. Here’s the one that landed me the assignment I mentioned earlier (with some information removed for privacy purposes):

Hi XXX:

My name is Michelle Rafter and I’m a freelance writer and friend of XXX. She told me recently that she’d passed my name onto you as someone you might be interested in working with on XXXX’s new Website, XXXX. I’d love to talk to you about possible writing opportunities. Or if you’re looking for pitches, I’d be interested in the types of stories you have the most urgent need to fill.

I’m a long-time business and technology reporter and first met XXXX when we were writing for XXXXX. I now write for several Websites she edits, including XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. I am also a contributing editor at XXXX, where I cover a variety of issues, including careers, hiring, retirement, pensions and recruiting.

You can read my resume and clips at my Website. I also have a blog for freelance writers called WordCount. You can see everything there at http://michellerafter.wordpress.com.

Thanks,

Michelle

Susan Johnston, has this example of a LOI on her blog, The Urban Muse Writer.

Got your own LOI secrets? Let’s hear them.

This is the closest to sending a chain letter I’ll ever get.

Last week, freelance writer Kerry Dexter included WordCount in a list of 15 blogs to explore. She was continuing an experiment started by another writer/blogger friend who included Dexter’s blog in her own list of 15 ‘Lovely Blogs, after that blog had been included in someone else’s list.

Now it’s my turn.

When it comes to blogs, I regularly read a mashup of subjects I write about like technology, HR, Internet security and business, and blogs about what’s happening in the media industry – as you can imagine there are more and more of those these days. I also read a handful of blogs on writing, blogging, marketing and social media that influence my own writing and blogging.

Since I started using Twitter, I probably read more posts on random blogs than posts on blogs I subscribe to – but that’s a subject for another day.

Without further ado, here are the 15 blogs I read almost every day:

Media industry

• Romenesko – Hands down the most informative blog for what’s happening in the newspaper and magazine business.
• NewspaperDeathWatch – Another strong chronicler of what’s happening in the newspaper business, written by newspaper industry and social media expert Paul Gillin.
• PBSMediaShift – With the tagline, “Your guide to the digital media revolution,” host Mark Glaser is turning this into a multi-sourced must-read for what’s happening in digital media.

Writing and freelancing

• The Urban Muse – Susan Johnston, aka The Urban Muse, is the freelance writer I wish I was when I was starting out – smart and accessible, not above sharing her frustrations, foibles and successes.
• The Social Writer - Motley Fool writer Tim Beyers uses his blog to explore how writers can use the latest social media tools in pursuit of freelance happiness.
• Seth’s Blog – An old-school online marketer, if it’s possible to call anyone associated with interactive marketing old school, Seth Godin’s been around since Web 1.0 and it shows. With the tip of his bald head peaking out at readers, Godin’s like a Buddha, spouting short daily aphorisms on sales and marketing. Freelancers are in the business of selling, whether we like to think of ourselves that way or not, so why not draw inspiration from a master.

Social media

• ProBlogger – Instructive but not preachy advice on blogging. Whatever blogging difficulty you’re encountering – building traffic, looking for topics, getting readers to comment, etc. – chances are Darren Rowse and crew have covered it, from multiple angles.
• Mashable – Do I read this to stay current on what’s happening in social networks for the paid writing I do, or do I read it for the tips to get more out my own social media use? Probably a little bit of both.
• TwiTips – Not an everyday read, but definitely the first place I turn when figuring out something new on Twitter. (Note: I’ve written a guest column here.)

Business and technology

• Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist – If you read me you know I have a train wreck kind of fascination with Trunk. Yes she’s wildly inappropriate at times, but also an incredibly compelling blogger who tackles issues other people wouldn’t dream of, like her post connecting abortion and careers, which to date has received 370 comments.
• YourHRGuy – What’s not to like about Lance Haun – he knows HR, he brings a Gen Y perspective to workplace matters, he writes well, he’s in Portland, and he’s into sports and making sports analogies about HR issues.
• TechCrunch – Love him or hate him, Michael Arrington’s group-edited blog is the CNN Headlines News for Silicon Valley.
• ReadWriteWeb – Another group-edited blog covering the tech biz. While it might not have TechCrunch’s sizzle, or bite, it’s become another go-to source for breaking industry news – and anything with so many writers based in Portland is OK in my book.

Just for kicks

• The Cohens in DK – If I’m being totally honest here, some blogs I read just for fun. One is my sister’s about life as an expat wife living in Copenhagen, which will end soon because her husband’s been recalled to the States for a new position. This is as good an example as any I’ve come across of excellent writing from an amateur writer/blogger, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister.
• My daughter’s blog from college, which she started so she wouldn’t have to email or even call home about her adventures or, God forbid, friend me on Facebook. Sorry, this one’s not meant for public consumption so I’m not including the link.

I’m no fan of chain letters, so I won’t ask anyone to pick up the mantle and blog about the 15 blogs they read most often. But if you’ve got a couple favorites, feel free to share them here.

On Thursday when I got the Industry Standard’s weekly e-newsletter, which always runs 1 or 2 predictions at the very top of its other news stories, and read their guess that the Dow would fall below 9,000 this month I thought “No way.”

Then it happened. That very day. For the first time since 2003.

I am finally and officially worried.

And if I’m worried, I have to assume a lot of other self-employed writers are too.

So I put together the WordCount Bad Economy Emergency Survival Kit. In it you’ll find a hit parade of WordCount blog posts about what writers can do to ride out bad times. It includes some of the most popular posts I’ve written this year, based on the number of page views received.

Happy reading. Here’s hoping the market recovers next week.

Freelancers’ strategies for prospering in bad times - Suggestions from a variety of freelancers about steps they’re taking to strengthen their businesses this year.

Going freelance in a down economy – Susan Johnston’s choice to leave a full-time job to work for herself coincided with the start of the current down turn. Read how and why she did it in this guest post from the author of the popular Urban Muse blog.

Marketing your freelance business in bad times – Advice from a marketing expert and assistant professor of business at Oregon State University about what self-employed writers can do to promote their services.

Bad times are good for new media’s business news writers – While more newspapers are trimming their business sections, business news Websites are popping up all over the place, giving freelancers who cover business more places to pitch.

10 things freelancers can do to save money in a bad economy – Although I just wrote it this week, this post on simple things you can do to cut costs and save money is already proving popular – and has elicited some great comments.

10 things writers can do right now to feel better about the economy – More advice, this time on simple activities like updating your resume, joining social networks and calling editors, that could boost your sales.

Taking my own advice on beating bad times – How I’m practicing what I preach.

Do you know HARO?

If you don’t, it might be time to get acquainted. HARO stands for “If I Can Help A Reporter Out.” It was started by a PR guy and networking maven named Peter Shankman as a place reporters can turn to when they’re stuck for sources. Shankman started it as an alternative to ProfNet, which some writers have complained has grown so big the sources it nets aren’t relevant.

For reporters, HARO is easy. You don’t even need to register. Just go to the “Reporter” side of the service, fill out the request form and click “Submit it.” Your query will be included in an emailing of multiple requests for sources that Shankman sends out several times a day to a list of more than 23,000 PR representatives, company executives and other sources.

I’d heard a lot about HARO in recent months but didn’t give it a try until last week when I was hurting for sources for an IT industry story for IncTechnology.com that I was writing at the last minute. So I took the plunge and submitted a HARO request. Within 24 hours, I got about 40+ responses from PR reps, IT consultants and company presidents, etc. By the end of day two, I’d received close to 60.

HARO isn’t just for tech stories. I have freelance friends who write about all kinds of things, from green living to parenting to finance, and they all use it and rave about it. And they’ve been able to track down the hardest sources of all to get – real people.

HARO has grown so popular so quickly, it’s now got some of the same problems that plagued other source-finding services, namely too many off-topic responses, which you can read more about in this post about it on The Renegade Writer blog. Get around that by making sure your queries are as specific as possible. And state up front that people won’t hear from you unless you’re interested in using them.

If you decide to give it a try, I’ve got one more piece of advice: since HARO can result in inquiries from many more sources than you could possibly use, when you fill out the query registration form, give a very short time frame for people to get back to you, such as in 24 yours or less. Otherwise you could get bombarded.

And if you’re a PR person, read these great do’s and don’ts from Susan Johnston’s The Urban Muse blog about using HARO to pitch story ideas to writers.

Thanks to the nominations submitted by all you faithful readers, WordCount has been tapped as a finalist for Writing White Papers’ 3rd annual top writing blogs contest. Yahoo!

The contest, created by Michael Stelzner, proprietor of the Writing White Papers blog, received 300 nominations, which he narrowed down to 37. According to Stelzner, he’ll choose the top 10 based on quality and frequency of posts, reader involvement and Technorati ranking. Winners will be announced soon.

In addition to WordCount, congratulations to the following freelance friends whose blogs were also nominated:

• Susan Johnston, The Urban Muse
• Beth Morrissey, Hell or High Water Writer
• Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell, The Renegade Writer

WordCount is taking a break this week while I’m on vacation, so I’m rerunning some of WordCount’s most popular posts ever on a variety of topics.

Today: Career development for freelancers

Freelancers’ strategies for prospering in bad times – Suggestions from established freelancers with a variety of backgrounds and business plans, including tips for maintaining old clients while cultivating new ones.

Guest post: Going freelance in a down economy – Susan Johnston, a.k.a. The Urban Muse, shares how she ditched her full-time job for freelancing in this guest post.

Freelancers need to pursue grants, scholarships, fellowships – It’s hard for self-employed writers to make time to take classes, but the payoff in more interesting, better paying assignments can make it worthwhile.

Grants for women in digital media – Information on institutions that run grant programs to support women in media, who are at greater risk of dropping out of the profession than men.

News U. offers online courses and Webinars – Take classes without leaving home.

Today I’m guest blogging at The Urban Muse, Susan Johnston’s popular freelance writing blog. The subject is how to make life work as a writer and mom. Here’s a little taste:

I didn’t set out to be a freelance writer. It’s the compromise I made in order to do it all, be a writer and a mom. It’s made for a good life, and a good career. I’ve had to work hard to do both. How? Here are my 8 secrets for making life work as a writer and a mom:

Get organized. If there’s a golden rule of being a writer mom, it is this. Use whatever works for you. I’ve always been a list maker. I recently switched from paper lists to putting everything in Microsoft Outlook: Tasks manager is my friend. I mix work, family and personal to-dos, but I’ve mixed my work life and personal life for so long it doesn’t faze me.

You can read more at the Urban Muse here.

Going out on your own is scary enough, so why would any sane person do it in an economy like this one? Because a bad economy may actually be a good time to start a freelance career.

At least that’s what Susan Johnston is hoping. Johnston is a Boston writer and creator of The Urban Muse blog, which I’ve mentioned here before. Though Johnston has freelanced for some time, she recently left a steady job to pursue it full time. She’s agreed to talk about what led to her decision and how she’s making it work in this WordCount guest post. Here’s her story:

I’ve been freelancing for several years, but I finally made the leap to full time freelancing a little less than a month ago. Most of the people in my life were supportive but a few practical people wondered, “Are you sure this is the right time? Why not wait until the economy bounces back?”

I concluded that there is never a “perfect” time to make a major life change, so I trusted my gut and jumped in. Here’s how I did it.

1. Minimize spending. Even though I had a bit of cushion when I quit my job, I also know that editors and clients can take a long time to process payment. In the case of one website, it took over a year for me to get paid – needless to say I don’t write for them anymore. Fortunately, I’m a saver by nature and several of my clients do pay promptly, but working from home has made it even easier to curb my spending. I can go to the movie matinee instead of paying full price. Plus, I’m not buying as many convenience foods and I don’t have to pay for dry cleaning or commuting costs anymore. Which makes me wonder why I didn’t leave my job sooner.

2. Diversify. I’d love to spend all my time writing magazine features, but with advertising dollars down, many of my editors just aren’t handing out as many assignments as they used to. Fortunately, I also do copywriting, which offers a decent hourly rate and steady work while I send out queries. I also picked up some extra cash proofreading marketing materials and writing for a local guidebook. Though I haven’t had to rely on it yet, I also contacted some creative staffing firms about picking up extra work through them. Other writers tell me this is a great way to fill the gaps between assignments.

3. Use those contacts. When I told my boss I was going full time freelance, I softened the blow by offering to complete some projects remotely and train my successor. He gladly accepted my offer, so now my old company is one of my new clients. I also ran into a friend of a friend at a networking event and mentioned that I’d just gone full time freelance. She publishes a local guidebook I mentioned above and invited me to contribute. Give people examples of the type of work you do and they might know someone needs you.

* * *
Here are other WordCount posts on freelancing in a down economy:
Freelancers strategies for prospering in bad times
Taking my own advice for beating bad times
Marketing your freelance writing in bad times
What me worry? Magazine startups venture into an uncertain economy