AMOM: Day 9: Exchange Info
Ask your writing friends to suggest their best (well-paying and easy to work with) clients in exchange for giving the names and contacts of yours.
Things to note:
* Do this with people who’re at the same rung of the ladder as you or a little higher or lower. If you’re used to writing for $1 a word pubs, there’s no point asking a friend who writes her column at $25 a piece to share her favorite markets.
* On the other hand, if you’re writing for $250 a piece, don’t ring your friend who works for four times that to share her contacts. Since what I’m suggesting is a mutual give-and-take, make sure you have as much to give as you have to take.
* Unless you’re given explicit permission to, never use someone’s name as a reference when contacting an editor.
May 14th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Hi Mridu,
A question: You’re pitching a new foreign publication and you have a copy of their latest issue (or two) - so you have the editor’s name, the section editor, masthead etc. But you only have a generic email address. If a personal email address is not available, would you pitch the common email or would you phone the offices for a personal contact?
Does emailing the general email address with a “Please forward to x person ” help? I’ve tried that approach. It hasn’t worked. On the other hand, perhaps it got through to the editor and it was just the pitch that was rejected.
What’s been your experience? Any tips?
May 15th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Apologies for the delayed response, Chryselle. Been traveling.
As for your question, I’ll usually go to great lengths to get the actual e-mail address for the editor. It isn’t always that difficult, really. I’ve been known to e-mail people on their gmail addresses when I couldn’t find an organization one. I don’t always recommend this though– it could really work against you.
But in those rare cases when a personal address is not available, I typically just put my pitch in the generic e-mail address, address it to the editor, and let it be. Asking someone to forward it doesn’t work. Sometimes they do. Usually, they don’t.
There really is no good alternative to finding a personal e-mail address. I’ve never really had a problem locating one in the past few years, come to think of it.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Thanks, Mridu. Helpful, as always. Off to find those email addresses now…
May 15th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
E-mail me, Chryselle. I’ll help if I can.