Add One More Of These To Every Assignment.
Add One More By David Geer
In order to get more assignments and get paid more, add one more
of any of the following.
Add one more expert to queries.
Provide their name, title, affiliation, expertise, and why they
are appropriate. I have consistently garnered more work by
offering more sources than required. You are only adding a
little extra work in order to get an almost certain guarantee of
more assignments. I recently got an assignment from a magazine
that I hadn't worked for in a while, in part I'm sure by adding
more experts.
Turn in work one day earlier.
If you turn in work on time, turn it in a day early. If you turn
it in a week early, make it a week and a day. The sooner you're
done, the sooner you can start work on another project, maybe
from the same, newly impressed editor.
Add one more edit before an editor ever sees it.
By tightening up your work, you'll please your editor even more.
I am never as satisfied with any of my work as when I make time
to write it four times - that's a first draft and three proofs,
edits or rewrites.
Add one more rewrite to queries.
I am finding out that a well crafted query letter with all the
elements, that is itself a sample of your writing mastery, is a
minimum requirement for getting better paying projects.
Add one more graphic.
If you ask sources for graphical elements, get all you can. You
can forward several to your editor as easily as you can forward
a few. This will give the editorial department more options
during layout. It will also make you more attractive for the
next assignment.
Add one more genre.
Take a look at your clip file. Articles cross more than one
format or subject area. Pitch to all types of publications. We
all do more kinds of writing than we think we do. Do you write
letters, make up jokes, console friends with words of wisdom?
Bring all your talents to the bargaining table.
Add one more risk.
Add one more beneficial risk that you are willing to take in
order to reach your goals and fulfill your writing dreams. The
benefit should be clear, the risk should be justifiable, and the
only thing that should have any chance of ending up broke at the
end is your heart, not you ($).
Add one more way - each day, week, month or year - of improving
your writing.
Think workshops, classes and things with interaction first,
books and other resources second.
Add one more way to market yourself.
Whether a website facelift, e-zine ads or approaching new
markets, sell your talents in some new way. Look around the
industry. See what works and decide which methods you'd most
enjoy, and which might work best for you.
Add one more way to reward yourself.
An editor or publisher won't always amply reward you. So, save
some rewards for yourself. Look around your office. Is it time
for a fresh bouquet of flowers, a painting or a coffee mug?
Maybe it's time for a vacation. Even a cheap, working vacation
can be taken to reward yourself. Take that laptop to a getaway
spot that offers broadband in your hotel room along with the
room service. Have plenty of work lined up that can be done from
your new, temporary paradise. Have your calls forwarded and
arrange to check your email remotely. Work all day, play half
the night (or vice versa) and return home with more cash than
when you left and no guilt.
All these add-ons have one thing in common. You'll have to try
them to see that they work.