Back to school means back to work

When the new school year starts today, I’m not sure who’ll be more excited, my eighth grader or me.

I work from a home office, so summer means saying goodbye to the tranquil workspace that’s all mine from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. nine months of the year and hello to my three kids – middle school son, college-aged son and boomerang daughter – and their friends coming and going through all hours of the day and night.

No wonder I’ve turned into an early morning person – in summer, it’s the only time it’s quiet enough to think.

Back to school isn’t just a date on a calendar for students. It also signals the ime of year people return from vacations ready to plunge into new projects and start planning for next year. Those projects and plans that often include hiring freelancers.

As we head back to work after Labor Day, here are a few things writers and other self-employed creatives can do to get ready for the rest of the year:

1. Research  new markets.

If you took it easy over the summer, finished a long-term projects or lost a client due to budget cuts, it’s time to find out what else is out there.

Good places to investigate include professional organizations such as the Specialized Interest Publishers Association, which represents subscription newsletters, Custom Content Council, whose members include content marketing agencies and brands, and the American Society of Business Publication Editors, an association for trade magazine editors.

For new magazine markets, check out Mr. Magazine, the website of Samir “Mr. Magazine” Husni, founderr and director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism and New Media, and the author of an annual guide to new magazines.

2. Submit queries.

If your New Year’s resolution was to pitch some new-to-you publications but you haven’t acted on that yet, now’s the time. Just make sure your queries are appropriate for the publication.

Read more on what to do to make sure editors get back to you.

3. Send letters of introduction. 

Some editors prefer receiving a letter of introduction (LOI) to a query. In a LOI, explain who you are, the topics you cover (if you specialize), the type of writing or other work you’re seeking, why you’re qualified, and a summary of your relevant experience.

Include links to clips – I use Contently to create a free portfolio of recent clips. Keep your LOI concise so an editor doesn’t have to scroll through more than one screen to get to the end of your note.

4. Follow up.

Don’t let queries or LOIs fall into a black hole. If a couple weeks go by and you haven’t heard anything – less time if you’re pitching a story that’s time sensitive – follow up by email. If you know the editor, pick up the phone. Ask if they received your query and whether you can provide them with additional information.

Don’t take no for an answer. If they pass on your pitches, use it as an opening to ask if there are specifics subjects they’re looking for stories on, if they have assignments without writers attached to them, or if you can get an editorial calendar to help craft future pitches.

Use a spreadsheet to track the status of pending queries, and put reminder alerts on your calendar or use an app like Timeful or Due to help you remember to follow up.

5. Attend a conference.

Nothing gets the creative juices flowing like attending a conference or seminar. Fall is conference season, and from Labor Day to Thanksgiving, you can take your pick of writing and media industry conferences.

This fall, the American Society of Journalists and Authors is hosting two two-day conferences, starting with the New Avenues in Journalism Oct. 10-11 in San Francisco, keynoted by re/code founder and former Wall Street Journal staff writer Kara Swisher. I’m moderating two panels at the conference, one on online marketplaces such as Contently that match publishers with writers; and another session titled “What do I do after I leave this conference?” that will help you map out next steps in your own new avenues in freelancing.

ASJA is hosting its second annual Content Connections conference Nov. 13-14 in Chicago.

6. Clear out your inbox.

I love an empty email inbox as much as the next person, but it’s easy to let things pile up if you’ve been preoccupied with deadlines. Be ruthless; ask yourself, do I really need this? Can I get this information somewhere else if I need it? If you can’t part with old emails, at least consider saving them in an archive folder or to a back-up hard drive so they aren’t cluttering your inbox and depleting your mental energy.

Read how one Washington Post writer went from 23,768 emailx in her inbox to zero, in two weeks.

7. Toss old notes.

Check the policies of publications you write forconcerning saving old notes, and dump anything you’re not required to keep. Some news organizations and magazine require writers to hang onto interview notes and research materials for three years, others longer. Once you’ve past the expiration date, shred or delete them – or move them onto external hard drives so they’re not taking up valuable electronic real estate.

8. Update your LinkedIn profile.

By now, most freelancers have figured out the importance of being on LinkedIn. If you’re still holding out – now’s the time. I interview plenty of recruiters for my Orange County Register jobs column and Workforce Management stories on workplace issues, and one constant in their advice is the need to be on LinkedIn.

If you aren’t, create an account and fill out your profile and work experience. If you have an existing LinkedIn profile, make sure it includes your most recent freelance gigs. It’s also important to include skills and specialties, since publishers search for those terms when they’re using the service to find writers.

Here’s more on how writers can use LinkedIn.

9. Give your blog a makeover.

Blog stuck in 2009? It’s time for a makeover, especially to appear to all the people who now read digital content on smartphones and tablets.

It could be that all you need are a few plugins to make it easier for readers to leave comments or subscribe to your blog feed. Maybe you  need a whole new look and feel. Here’s a great list of WordPress themes, plugins and more.

10. Refresh your email signature.

Got a new column, book or blog? Link to it from the signature you use on your outgoing email messages. Don’t use an email signature? You should.

Here’s some tips for what to include in an email signature.

11. Update your headshot.

Spring for professional photos if you can. If you can’t, update the photo you use on Twitter, LinkedIn, and your Facebook page. Followers like it when people change up their online appearance. I recently updated the photo I use on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn: what do you think?

12. Try a new social network.

If you normally hang out on Facebook, sign up for Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, Storify, Pinterest, Instragrarm or another social network.

Not sure whether a new network is worth it? Read more about how writers can use Twitter, why you should check out Google+, how easy it is to get started on Tumblr or why writers need to use Pinterest.