This is the latest installment of Dear WordCount, an advice column answering your questions about writing, blogging and running a freelance business.
Dear WordCount:
A person I worked with in the past sent an email introducing me to a possible new client. But they got some information wrong in the intro, saying I wrote for a website that I don’t write for. The rest of the introduction was correct. How should I handle this tactfully?
Thanks,
Veronica
Dear Veronica:
Letters of introduction are a freelance staple and the fact that a former co-worker is willing to write one on your behalf says a lot about you and how highly they think of your work.
These days, a letter of introduction, or LOI, is typically an email of introduction, which by its electronic nature can come off as slightly less formal than the traditional snail mailed LOI. That means that it would be fine to wait and bring this up if and when the potential client contacts you.
If they do, and it’s via a phone call, wait until a break in the conversation and then say something like, “By the way, Simone said I’d written for Slate but actually I’ve written for Salon. I’ve done a dozen or so pieces on parenting issues and I’d love to share those clips with you.” Use some version of that if they get in touch via email.
Chances are an editor isn’t going to hire you based solely on one publication you’ve written for or on one clip. If the publications you have written for aren’t of the same caliber as the one your friend accidentally included in their LOI, let everything else about your interaction with a potential client show how professional you are. That means being able to speak concisely about your accomplishments, strengths as a writer and any subjects you cover. It also means having a couple story ideas to pitch if you’re asked, and a clear picture of your availability should the editor or client decide on the spot to assign you something.
In the end an LOI is just that, an introduction. It’s your foot in the door. What you do after that is up to you.
Here are a few other posts I’ve done on working with editors:
- 10 ways to make editors fall in love with your work
- Surefire ways to get editors to get back to you faster
- Why freelance queries get rejected
Do you have a question about writing, blogging or running a freelance business? Submit it to Dear WordCount by writing wordcountfreelance@gmail.com.