Don’t just write what you know! (Just know what you’ve written)
Chapter Six from 'Confessions of an Adequate Hack: How fearless self-promotion took me from zero to sixty (clips) in under a year
By Connie L. Jones

Although I’ve probably come to know a whole lot more than the average person, I am by no means an expert in the field of cybernetics, biotechnology or health food. However, these have been staple markets for me over the years. Understanding the natural evolution of your markets is the key to maintaining your income. Again, it only starts with one good clip.

My newsletter writing for the Canadian nutraceutical industry may not have evolved into ongoing work with a disability dot-com, had I not had experience working with people with disabilities.

After gaining a bit of confidence in myself and my writing, I sought out ads in writer’s e-zines and found one that sounded perfect: a dot-com seeking writers who were in some way familiar with the disability community. I’d been working with people with intellectual disabilities for years. I pitched myself to the managing editor, and promptly received my first online assignment.

Getting in on the ground floor of a start-up Web site offered me a bit of leeway in what I produced while they figured out their writer’s guidelines and content standards. Soon after I received a set of their newly decided upon writer’s guidelines, I discovered the art of online writing.

The point is, you must tailor yourself to meet the needs of your publisher. If you can write, you can probably write anything. Once you’ve proved that you can write about one certain topic, what’s to stop you from writing about a new one?

And once you understand what this new market wants from you, give it to them every time. If they want an expose that debunks the theory of evolution in 300 words, don’t give them 350. If they require interviews with three experts, interview three, not two and a receptionist. Not only is your writing ability paramount, but your ability to conform to their standards is a must as well.

Discovering your hidden expertise

Remember Cliff Claven from Cheers? The man was a self-proclaimed expert on all kinds of topics, and that can really come in handy when you’re pitching yourself to a potential editor.

Now granted, it doesn’t take long for people to realize just how big a boob the Clavens of this world really are, but we can learn a little something from Cliff, the civil servant who was all headings and no subtext. He is the extreme example of someone who claims expertise in a myriad of subjects. We don’t want to swing the pendulum all the way over there, but we can learn a bit from his artful self-promotion.

Well, whaddaya know?

Take some time to think about what areas you can claim expertise or experience in, and make a list of all things Claven in your life. Do you have kids? Have you renovated your bathroom? Planted a perennial flower garden? Have you taken a second language? Do you do needlepoint? Are you a computer geek? Do you own your own business? Have you ever taught a class of any kind? Do you take vitamin supplements? Can you build a shelf? Do you sew? Can you change the oil in your Fiesta? Do you know a little something about sex?

Now, how can you use these little morsels of knowledge to your advantage?

I know how to keep a perennial flowerbed blooming summer after summer in the middle of the Canadian prairies. I’ve learned American Sign Language, taught beginner’s ASL classes, and interpreted for people with hearing impairments. I’ve worked with people with intellectual disabilities. I have renovated many rooms in my house, I have three kids, and I own a cat and a dog.

With these life experiences, combined with writing skill and a few clips to prove it, I can pitch myself to all kinds of different markets.

To a publishing house catering to parenting, home and garden, my query would include a sentence such as, “I’m an accomplished freelance writer with years of experience in the areas of parenting, horticulture, sex and relationships, cooking, and pet care.”

To an editor looking for content in home building supplies, renovation and carpentry, I would say, “I’m an accomplished freelance writer with years of experience in home renovation and woodworking.”

For an ad seeking educators for at-home learning materials, I’d say, “I’m an accomplished freelance writer with years of experience teaching American Sign Language and interpreting for the hearing impaired.”

You must understand your inherent ability to write for your target audience, and then confidently promote your expertise. I knew that I could write, and therefore I knew that I could write articles for the disability community. I knew that I could write articles, and therefore I knew that I could write pieces on animal health for pet owners.

Your job as a freelancer begins before securing regular contracts. It begins with convincing people that you can do this.

Who do you know?

I must credit my esteemed relative, my sister, Roxanne Willems Snopek, for introducing me to the wonderful world of animal health. As an owner of veterinary clinics on the Canadian West coast, Roxanne has all the background in animal health necessary to be a great writer in the field. When one of her editors asked her for references for other writers who may be interested in writing for certain animal health publications, she referred them to me.

Although I didn’t have any experience writing in the animal health industry, I was experienced in human health and disease. This was an easy transition for me, and I would probably have never thought that there was money to be made writing about canine and feline diseases. There is, and I have Rox to thank for a significant chunk of my income.

In turn, I’ve introduced Rox to some of my steady editors, who have used her talents as well. With her background, she has written articles on pet therapy for the disability community.

Networking with other writers not only gives you the opportunity to commiserate about those lousy editors and wicked deadlines, but you can give each other a leg up into markets that you may not have considered before. Again, the key is self-promotion, not only to the faceless editors and publishers out there, but also to fellow writers who may be able to place you with a new editor.

Writers often know when their editor is looking for new writers. Editors will often take a person who comes well referred over spending the time and energy it takes to put out an ad and go through the subsequent responses.

Put your best writing foot forward to everyone in the business. It pays off.

Connie L. Jones is a freelance writer from Saskatchewan, Canada, and co-presents a freelance success workshop at the B.C. Federation of Writers' annual conference, A Writer's World. Her e-book, 'Confessions of an Adequate Hack: How fearless self-promotion took me from zero to sixty (clips) in under a year' is available here.

Copyright © 2001 by Connie L. Jones.  Reprinted with permission.

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