10 Ways to Stand Out As A Freelancer (Part 7)

This is now the last part of this article series. You may have started using some or most of the suggestions I have presented here. I'm saving the last two for the conclusion of this article because they require the most amount of effort for the freelancer.

Here they are:

(9.) Offer to teach your expertise to others.

Why not do another thing that will beef up your resume and add "Trainer" among your skills? You can do this by facilitating seminars or workshops where you can train aspiring freelancers, or talk about an aspect in your career in greater depth, and then charge appropriate fees to the participants.

Since you have the credentials and experience needed to offer such classes, you have the right to award certificates at the end of the seminar as proof that every participant did what was required from them.

You can come up with a variety of activities where participants will be divided equally and work as a team. But make sure to provide exercises where each one can hone their individual skills, regardless of the level of their aptitude.

The ideal size for each seminar is between 15 to a maximum of 20 students. The prerequisite to conducting a class is to do some research and see if your topic would stir up enough interest with the public so you can gain the ideal number of participants during enrollment.

(10.) Write ebooks.

More and more people these days are trading their business suits for the laid-back look they can sport anytime at home while still concentrating on their careers.

They value alternative learning more than anything else as the best way towards advancement. "Alternative learning" is merely a broad term that I will use to refer to any form of education that doesn't require the student to be confined within the four corners of a classroom. 

These people are the type that you would like to entice whenever you write and sell an ebook. If you have given authorship a serious thought, take time now and do an online search for courses that will teach you to write about a subject and present it to your audience in the form of ebooks.

Regardless of your topic or area of interest, there are specific techniques that you would need to master to make your ebook a success. In general, ebook readers are savvy with technology and have short attention spans, therefore preferring to learn through short yet frequent bursts of time.

Online courses also deal with other aspects like how to format an ebook-ready manuscript and the types of software that can be used. It's crucial to know all these things to increase your chances for success as an author. 

10 Ways to Stand Out As A Freelancer (Part 6)

(8.) Think network, not competition.

Some freelancing professionals have reached fever pitch when it comes to scoping for clients. They think it's necessary to make a lot of cold calls on most days of the week or write a ton of pitches through email, hoping to generate a few responses that would turn into clients.

Although I, for one, is an advocate of marketing one's self in order to shorten dry spells and quickly establish regular cash flow, there are several less aggressive and less subtle ways to promote your freelancing services. (Read related article for more details.)

You may think that advising you to team up with your fellow freelancers and forming a network counteracts all my other suggestions on standing out in your field. After all, if you want to land lucrative projects, why should you join and help your competitors?

The thing is, freelancing professionals differ from their salaried peers in the workplace in a sense that their salaried peers have no choice but to strive to get along with their colleagues and superiors. 

There is a positive side to this situation because they can easily get support should they be fortunate enough to have the kind of work environment that's conducive to their career growth.

But peer support is not easily made available to freelancing professionals. While we may enjoy the privileges of setting our own schedules and working at our own pace, and avoid coming across The Boss From Hell, we need to go out on our own and find freelancers like us from whom we can get tips and garner valuable lessons.

So instead of thinking about your fellow freelancers as your competitors, think about them as partners in building your business.

10 Ways to Stand Out As A Freelancer (Part 5)

The next item in this article series may require shelling out a little bit of money and setting aside a considerable amount of time. But many a freelancing professional's earning capacity has been improved just by doing this:

(7.) Be an eternal student.

Make yourself indispensable to potential clients by never running out of skills to offer. You can do this by signing up for short-term courses that award certificates, or attending one- or two-day seminars about anything that is relevant to your work as a freelancer.

You may have prepared yourself for the long haul by identifying your core competencies and turning them into marketable skills. You may have paid for training in order to be fully equipped to take on work from clients.

But our modern times have been introducing innovations here and there at break-neck speed, to the point that what you have learned just a year or two ago may no longer be relevant to potential clients today.

For example, working at home as a virtual assistant can pay up to USD900 monthly. But nowadays assisting entrepreneurs with administrative tasks go beyond filing and encoding. All virtual assistants are expected to have their own computers and Internet connection, and would need to be proficient with the use of software.

I strongly recommend updating your skills every six months, and there has to be at least a couple of hours in your working week (or the weekends, when you have more free time) when you read about news in order to keep tab about what's hot and what's not in the world of freelancing today.

Since we're not "cookie-cutter freelancers" that fit into the same mold, what may have worked for a few freelancing professionals may not have the same positive effect on you. That's why it's always good to keep your mind open to new ways or systems of doing things, yet remain discerning to tell the difference between what may or may not work for you. 

10 Ways to Stand Out As A Freelancer (Part 4)

My last article installment was about customizing your letterhead and invoice. Now I'll encourage you to take one more step, go the extra mile, and make your interactions with clients as personal as possible.

Take a look at the following:

(5.) Show your clients how much you appreciate them by making phone calls or writing a letter of appreciation.

Let's say a client has paid your fees in full and he sent you a message that money was already sent through your PayPal account or deposited in your bank account. Take time to call up your client, thank him, and tell him that you appreciate his promptness.

If your client lives or is based abroad, a short email will do. Also, several freelancing professionals are making an extra effort by keeping a stock of blank envelopes and notecards, so they could quickly pen a short message and mail it at the post office.

Mailing your clients a greeting card on their birthday or Christmas is one of the best ways for you to remind them, in a pleasant and unobtrusive manner, that you're keeping them within your radar, and you're welcoming the possibility of working for them again. 

(6.) Upload a video of yourself in your blog or website.

Nothing could win the favor of potential clients more than going out of your way and putting a personal touch in your blog or website.

Be informed that including videos in your blog or website has existed for several years as a technique in online marketing. And it has been so effective because you don't look like you're doing hardcore selling, but merely making your readers comfortable with the feel of your blog or site.

Your video can serve as your welcoming message to your readers. Keep it short -- just around 90 seconds to two minutes -- but make sure everything you say is relevant to who you are and your work as a freelancer. 

10 Ways to Stand Out As A Freelancer (Part 3)

In this next installment of this article series, I'll talk about customizing two important documents for freelancers. Here they are:

3. Pay attention to your letterhead.

At an age when email is the preferred method of correspondence, a good number of freelancing professionals still keep a supply of stationery and stamps to send LOIs (letters of introduction) as well as replies to promissory notes.

Collection letters to prevent delinquent accounts may also be sent through snail mail. Freelancers make several copies of such letters and file them for quick reference.

It's not necessary to go to a commercial printer to have your letterhead custom-made. All you have to do is create a template in your home computer, either by using built-in publishing software or Microsoft Word. 

Keep a supply of letter-size paper (white or cream is preferable) and legal-size envelopes handy. Paper and envelopes can be bought in bulk at reduced prices.

4. Take a good look at your invoice.

Your invoice will serve as your document for collecting payment. It's the one you present to your clients after they have expressed approval over the finished project.

You must lend uniqueness to your invoice as a way to stand out among the numerous freelancers out there. While I believe in keeping it simple and fuss-free, you can spell out your name in enlarged, bold fonts for emphasis. 

Provide your snail mail address, or, if you're renting office space, use that instead. Make sure that your contact information (e.g. Skype ID, telephone and mobile phone numbers, and email address) are spelled out accurately.

10 Ways to Stand Out As A Freelancer (Part 2)

In the first part of this article series, I talked about the importance of polishing your elevator pitch. Here's the next way to stand out as a freelancer:

(2.) Take a good look at your business cards.

Your business card is a handy piece of marketing material and should be a part of every freelancer's marketing strategy.

I strongly recommend that you have your business cards printed on white or cream card stock. If you're a man, light blue or gray would be suitable, too.

If your skills and competence lie in the arts, it's perfectly all right to be as creative as possible in coming up with your card's design. You may want to include a small logo of your initials, or even a caricature or illustration.

Make sure that the fonts or text are readable. Since you'll include your contact information, potential clients need to know right away how to get in touch with you.

Don't just spell out your title after your name. I once made my own business cards using Microsoft Publisher, and instead of stating --

RONALI G. dela CRUZ

Freelance Writer/Proofreader

Here's what I did:

RONALI G. dela CRUZ

Article Writing/Rewriting * Proofreading

Web Content * SEO* Resumes

By citing the services that I offer, I have made my business card a dead give-away about the type of freelancing professional that I am, and potential clients will have an idea of whether or not I can meet their needs. 

Also, it would be a good idea to give your clients terrific bargains in the form of "teasers." If you bait your clients with the promise of a free 30-minute consultation or discounted rates, you may want to include them in your business card. Simply state --

Avail of first 30 minutes

of consultation -- FREE!

Or --

10% to 20% Discount 

for An Article Set!

10 Ways to Stand Out as A Freelancer (Part 1)

If you don't want to find yourself stuck in a "dry spell" due to a lack of clients assigning projects that pay competitively, you need to work continuously on your marketing strategies.

By consistently tweaking the ways you present yourself, your skills, and your services to your target clientele, you will learn the value of branding and identity.

Immerse yourself in your career with the mindset that you are unique. Although we can learn from each other's example and work ethics, the fact remains that no two freelancers are alike.

If you want freelancing to be fulfilling, be as imaginative as possible in coming up with several ways to give you an edge in this business. Take a cue from any of the following:

(1.) Polish your "elevator pitch," and practice saying it until you're comfortable with it.

Your elevator pitch is your stock reply whenever people ask, "So, what do you do?" Whenever you attend events for the sole purpose of networking, the elevator pitch alone could make or break who you are as a freelancer. 

Elizabeth Ong, a Filipina freelance writer, advises, "[Your pitch] should be short enough to last an elevator ride but long enough for people to get the complete picture."

To illustrate, try this exercise. Listen to yourself as you say the following words out loud:

"I'm a freelance writer."

"I'm an illustrator for children's books."

"I blog for a living."

These statements hardly pack a punch when you offer them to a new acquaintance that may turn into a potential client. Why? Because they sound generic and stale, and they hardly leave a clue about your competence and skills.

Consider the first statement. Everyone knows that plenty of people already make a living from writing. But the question is, do you write novels, screenplays, or poetry?

And what about entrepreneurs who hire copywriters to help them with their print ads? And SEO is now incorporated in blogging for blogs to get more traffic and build readership.

Illustration is a very broad aspect in freelancing, too. Marketable skills in the arts include graphic and multi-media design, painting, and pen and ink drawing, among others.

Now, compare the previous statements to the following:

"I mostly cater to entrepreneurs who put up an online store. I engage potential customers by writing valuable content and encourage interaction through Facebook and Instagram."

"I team up with authors of children's books by providing illustrations rendered in Microsoft Paint." 

"I blog about being a stay-at-home mom, and I often accept guest blogging stints where I get to write about scrapbooking and DIY projects."

Have you noticed the difference in impact? If you're a writer or blogger and you introduce yourself in this brief yet pertinent manner, no one will just assume that you're a novelist or newspaper columnist. And as an artist who utilizes Microsoft Paint, potential clients get to know immediately that Microsoft Paint is your preferred medium in rendering artworks.  

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 5)

Here's the last way to bait your hook effectively: 

Web stalk potential clients, and align yourself according to their most pressing needs.

If you aspire to capitalize on social media and make it your specialty, you should start along this line. Since more and more entrepreneurs are realizing the limitless potential of social media, simply logging on to Facebook and creating an Official Page or having an account on Twitter and Instagram to promote their brand or services can be appealing to a mobile and tech-savvy clientele.

And yet, having a Facebook Page, Instagram, or Twitter account doesn't guarantee long-term success. Putting out a Facebook Page to advertise one's products or services or getting the right type of audience to follow you on Twitter takes careful planning and preparation. 

In the March 2012 issue of Entrepreneur Philippines, it was stated that people are more likely to trust information that comes from friends and those with whom they're connected or affiliated, like colleagues at work.

This is why entrepreneurs need not just showcase their brand or services through photos shown on a Facebook Page or a Twitter or Instagram account. They should also create meaningful content that will mostly likely spark the interest of their target market.

And optimizing a Facebook Page isn't limited to SEO specialists. If you're freelancing as a copywriter, you can broaden your range of skills by engaging online users and get them to post comments or allow them to initiate a discussion over the pros and cons of the brand or services. 

Also, the success of a business or an enterprise doesn't necessarily lie in having more and more customers or clients in the long run, but to keep the clients that they already have loyal to their brand for the longest time possible.

This is the main reason entrepreneurs make innovations, or formulate new or better strategies, to keep their clients or customers happy.

As I round up this series in my next article, I'll cite several ways on how you can attract the attention of entrepreneurs who'd like to generate sales or have more clients by advertising through social media. 

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 4)

After dealing with the importance of baiting the hook through business cards, print ads, and websites, here's the next effective strategy:

Selectively give away freebies.

After years of checking out numerous blogs over the blogosphere, I now understand why plenty of freelance writers give online users access to a free ebook. These authors need subscribers to keep their blogs alive.

They might make an initial offer of subscribers getting a free ebook. If they teach correspondence courses about writing or other topics, a free ebook would be the perfect bait to inform their subscribers about the benefits they can get should they finish a course. 

And such deals aren't limited to freelance writers. In recent years, life coaching has become an extremely fulfilling and lucrative career, to the point that even men and women who have experienced remarkable success in the workplace found it worthy to jump ship and get themselves retrained. 

Now, having a platform is one of the determining factors to a life coach's success, and putting out a website and blog are just a few ways to show that he's serious about his game.

The key to remember when giving away freebies is this: provide just enough information to satisfy the curiosity of your subscribers, but leave out the rest of "the goods" that they'd want more of what you have to offer.

I believe the reason certain companies are hell-bent on programming and brainwashing consumers is this: it's very difficult to make people part with their hard-earned money unless you appeal to a legitimate need they have, like raising their self-esteem, or appealing to their jolts of vanity or sexuality.

Whether advertising is good or bad has never been the point. If it works, who cares about the way I got you to spend your money?

The good news is, you don't have to be a slick-sounding salesman or write a lot of "marketing fluff," like those generic-sounding, pie-in-the-sky promises that do nothing to your credibility.

If you already know how to write quality content, or if you outsource paid writing jobs to competent writers for your website or blog's content, then you're already halfway done when it comes to getting noticed by your target market.

If you can win subscribers to your point of view, and make them see the benefits that they can get from your services, you'll stir up a desire in their minds and hearts.

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 3)

The third way to bait the hook may be a tad too complicated for newbies, but taking the necessary amount of time to learn the ropes until you're fairly comfortable will, in the long run, yield better and better results.

Here it is:

Be aware of the benefits that an informative and engaging website can bring.

In this mobile age when the Internet is not just recognized as another form of media, the importance of having an online presence cannot be stressed often enough.

And yet, websites that are an apparent hodgepodge of information with no sense of cohesion are a dime a dozen over the World Wide Web. As a freelancing professional, you'd want your site to get you more clients in the long term.

A website can be a cost-effective way to land you better-paying clients. You'll come across as tech-savvy and abreast with the times, provided you know how to utilize your site to achieve maximum benefits. 

To get you started, since your Home Page will serve as your landing page, or the first thing that potential clients will see when logging on to your website, this is where you should sum up who you are as a freelancing professional and the types of services you offer. 

Use graphics sparingly and keep your text to no more than a three-font scheme. It's best to use black-colored fonts over a white background.

Include a professional-looking photo of yourself (a shirt and tie or a collared shirt is appropriate for the men, while a blouse in a conservative color is just right for women).

You should have a Page dedicated exclusively to your clips or portfolio, and make sure you keep it up-to-date. Exclude anything that you've done more than two years ago, with the possible exception of any clients who were willing to give you a glowing testimonial. 

Your contact information (e.g. mobile number, email address, Skype I.D., etc.) should be accurate. If you entertain inquiries through phone, provide the best hours to contact you.

Also, think about the various ways you'd like to get paid for your freelancing services. If you have a PayPal account, set up a PayPal badge to inform clients on an international scale that you prefer to be paid through your account.

Other freelancers accept payment through Xoom[dot]com . In the Philippines, you need to open a savings account in banks like Banco de Oro and Metropolitan Bank of the Philippines and be able to present a valid I.D. in order to claim payments transferred to you by clients.

If you cater more to local clients, you can choose to get paid by having the exact amount deposited straight to your bank account, or through check or credit card. Have several modes of payment so your clients can have a variety of options before choosing the one that's most convenient for them.

Lastly, do not neglect SEO to get your site on top of search engines. Think about all the keywords or key phrases that are related to the type of work that you do. For example, "freelance writer" is too vague a term, but "freelance copywriter" or "corporate resume writer" lends a level of specificity in an online user's search. 

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 2)

By now you may have figured out how baiting the hook, or dangling an attractive bargain in front of potential clients, can make them sit up and take notice of your competence as a freelancing professional. Here are several other ways of doing it:

Harness the possibilities of built-in publishing software.

Home computers usually have built-in software, like Microsoft Publisher, that enables you to create marketing materials like flyers and brochures. The good news is you don't need to invest in expensive ink-jet-friendly paper. White typewriting paper of good quality will do (A4 or 8 1/2" x 11" is ideal).

While a business card can be handy whenever you attend any of those networking events or conventions, a three-fold brochure that concisely states the type of services you offer is more effective when you want clients to remember you should the need to hire a freelancer comes up.

And even in this mobile generation, when most start-up businesses and enterprises in the stage of growth and expansion are realizing that an online presence is essential, it's still apparent that advertising through print hasn't completely gone kaput.

Now, when it comes to creating your brochures (or even flyers), you have to keep your costs low while maximizing the potential of print ads. Think about this: strategically giving away 25 brochures that would generate two to three clients each is more effective than having a hundred brochures printed and getting only several clients in the long term.

Start with a definite plan. One of your best bets would be to get in touch with small companies through snail mail. Small companies do not have big budgets to spare in the way huge companies do. Huge companies can pay for a 30-second TV or radio commercial and launch campaigns through billboards and magazines, and organize events at upscale venues.

What keeps most small companies afloat is carving out their own niche in a huge market, or by consistently meeting the needs of a select group of clients or customers. 

And yet, even small companies can get swamped during certain times of the year, like tax season and the holidays. Outsourcing projects to freelancers has proven to be an excellent alternative in order to keep their workforce small.

In the Philippines, it was reported by the website Entrepreneur[dot]ph that huge companies only make up four percent of the country's industries. What keeps the local economy vibrant, aside from remittances from OFWs, are the profits generated by SMEs.

You can obtain the contact information of most SMEs through Entrepreneur magazine, and any networking event or job fair. You can try "cold calling," or mail them a letter, where you can conveniently insert your three-fold brochure in a legal-size envelope.

In your brochure, an attention-grabbing announcement can look like this:

== Huge Discounts! ==

Make an Appointment

From December 1 to 31, 2014

and Get 20-30% Off Our

SEO Copywriting Services!

Remember that fancy-looking fonts are distracting, so keep it to a two- or three-font scheme, and it's best to use black ink over a white background. Simplicity has more impact on potential clients. No one has the time nor patience to wade through marketing fluff.

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 1)

In my previous post, I mentioned the fact that all of us loves a bargain. As a freelancing professional, you should capitalize on the "feel-good" vibes brought by getting more than what you paid for to build your career and eventually end up making a five-figure or even a six-figure annual income.

Even if you're already charging competitive rates, it wouldn't hurt to tweak your marketing strategies even more in order to land more clients, or maybe end up with less, but better paying, projects.   

The following is not an exhaustive list, but just some ways of baiting the hook:

Provide a "teaser" in your business cards.

To illustrate, if your specialty lies in writing business plans, advertising copy, or resumes, you can inform potential clients that you're offering an initial session of 30 minutes for free. 

Imagine what 30 minutes of free counseling can do to a potential client. You can immediately nail down the reason he wants to hire you. You should be able to pinpoint his goals, or at least get a good grasp of his desired results after your meeting.

And should your client decide to stretch your meeting for another 30 minutes, or even go one full hour or two, you can just mention that you'll bill him for the session once you've submitted the finished project and you'll proceed to prepare an invoice.

Be strategic with your website.

For graphic artists, designers, and web developers, a functional website exhibiting your previous works is essential.

According to envato studio, a popular site for freelancers, a web developer can make an average of USD185 to USD400 for a single landing page for a website, provided it would help the entrepreneur garner more sales or more clients for his business.

Now, regardless of one's specialty as a freelancer, most workers operate on the standard number of free rewrites or revisions, which is a maximum of two. In envato studio, a web developer in his early 'twenties posted in his profile that he can have the finished project delivered to the client in five days, and he's allowing up to five revisions. If websites are your thing, your bait could mean allowing more than the standard number of revisions to potential clients.

Bait Your Hook, Make Your Clients Happy, and End Up With a Fatter Wallet

We all love bargains. That's a fact.

And one of the best ways to get more clients and increase your chances of earning more is to offer bargains that are so good, potential clients can't help but take notice and inquire about your freelancing services.

And how do you do that? By baiting your hook.

To illustrate, if you've ever tried fishing, you may have figured out that if you want to catch trout, you can't use shark bait. In freelancing, attracting the clients that you want means putting the right type of bait to your hook.

Your "hook" could be anything, from an email query to the managing editor of a niche magazine, a sales pitch in your website, or a three-fold brochure advertising your copywriting services.

Now let's take the case of writing feature articles. Magazine editors know the importance of keeping their readers up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations, and they have to make sure that the tone of their articles are slanted appropriately to their readership. There's a huge motive behind this: their magazine's success depends on the number of readers they acquire in the long term. Therefore, managing editors are always on the look-out for freelance writers who not only do their homework, but aim to exceed their expectations as well.

The right type of bait for a managing editor can be offering additional facts or tidbits of information to serve as a sidebar, or filler, for their magazine articles. Sidebars brighten up the pages of a magazine. They stand out without being too distracting, and they often make readers want to know more about the article's topic or theme.

Now, let me give an example as a freelancer. As a professional who provides resume writing and editing services, I fully understand how a neat and well-written resume can help an applicant land that dream job or a much-coveted position.

The truth is, potential employers, over the years, have become more and more stringent with the way they screen applicants. Submitting a resume that is devoid of misspelled words, awkward sentence structures, and misplaced punctuation marks is no longer enough. Modern resumes, in addition to being concise, need a well-defined career objective and keywords for better and faster online screening.

And what's as important as a well-written resume is a cover letter, where an applicant should briefly introduce himself, mention his key qualifications, and convince a potential employer why he's the best man for the job.

Over the past few years, writing cover letters have become a lot trickier. And it doesn't matter if an applicant sends it through snail mail, email, or hand carries it as a walk-in applicant.

So in order to give potential clients a good bargain, I offer to write a cover letter for them at no additional charges.  

A resume that's flawless or faultless may document your educational attainment and past achievements, but only the right cover letter can open up doors of opportunities for you.

And in one resume writing website, an article was published that in some instances, resume writing fees can be declared as a tax deductible, and if you want to focus on resume writing as a specialty, this can be a good reason for you to charge competitively.

How to Pitch Your Ideas to Magazine Editors (Part 3)

Today I'll round off my article with the remaining two items in the list of guidelines for pitching ideas to magazine editors. Here they are:

(6.) Attach two article samples.

It would be best to include articles that have been published in other periodicals. This is proof that you've done the hard task of brainstorming, writing, revising, and pitching. Check your hard drive and upload the PDF files of your published articles from your computer. 

If you have articles published online, provide links so the editor can gain easy access. However, make sure that each link is working properly. You wouldn't want to arouse the curiosity and excitement of an editor over your article proposal only to turn him off by directing him to dead or inaccessible links.

(7.) Mention the articles or links you have provided, and end your query with a call to action, but do it politely.

Phrase the closing paragraphs of your query this way:

"I have attached two samples of my previously published articles for your perusal. As soon as I get your go signal, I can have the finished manuscript emailed to you within (insert your time frame).

Thank you for your time. I'm looking forward to hearing from you."

Sincerely,

Your Name

In my next few posts, I'll talk lengthily about one of the most common problems experienced by newbie freelance writers: having no published articles to show editors. 

How to Pitch Your Ideas to Magazine Editors (Part 2)

In my previous post, I provided the first two ways in the list of guidelines for pitching your article ideas to editors of magazines and periodicals. Here are three more ways:

(3.) Hook your editor in the first few sentences of your query by asking a thought-provoking question, mentioning a well-known fact, or raising an issue that might seem taboo or controversial.

Let's say you're targeting a magazine catering to health and health-related issues. You're aware that there have been many valid arguments made about losing excess weight to be in better health. So an excellent introduction might be to state a fact.

Take a look at the following example:

"Certified nutritionists and dietitians have always abided by the rule of individuals staying within their ideal Body Mass Index (BMI) in order to benefit from maximum health."

You're sure to catch the editor's attention because most health professionals believe in this. But imagine how his curiosity will be raised if you mention this as a follow-up statement:

"However, during the past few decades, web sites like Body Positive, in an effort to empower women with large bodies, promoted the philosophy of HAES, or Health at Every Size."

If that's the first time the editor has heard of HAES, then he would want to continue reading to find out what you've got up your sleeve. 

(4.) Mention your planned article proposal.

Remember to keep it brief yet concise:

"I would like to propose a 1,000-word article where I'll bring up the two sides of healthy living regarding weight."

(5.) Cite any relevant credentials you may have for writing the piece.

A query is not the place to be modest about your accomplishments as a freelance writer. Mention your experience, and since you're writing a piece about health, you may include credentials like:

"I've been a full-time freelance writer for three years, and my articles about health, nutrition, and weight loss have been published in (state titles of magazines). I have also been commissioned by So-and-So web site for their marketing campaign on the benefits of juicing."

Stay tuned for my next post about pitching ideas to magazine editors.

How to Pitch Your Ideas to Magazine Editors

The career of a features writer for magazines usually involves mining ideas, developing an idea to a full-length article, and looking for a suitable publication for his work.

And yet, the most important part of getting published in a magazine is pitching, or selling your ideas to magazine editors. Before an editor agrees to publish your article, you would have to convince him by writing a query letter.

Time and again freelance writers who contribute magazine features have found it tricky to compose the perfect query letter. Even the most seasoned freelance writers still get rejected occasionally.

Now, if you're just starting out, it's better to increase the chances of an editor reading your query and getting him to take action.

I recommend doing the following:

(1.) Remember that accuracy is key.

Be sure to address your query to the right person in the magazine's staff, which is either the managing or associate editor. To find out the name of the appropriate editor, turn to your target publication's editorial page, which is usually located among the first few pages of the magazine.

Regardless of whether you're planning to write a snail mail or email query, double check to see that you got the magazine's postal mail address and web site URL correctly. 

(2.) Know what to include in your query letter.

If you're sending a query through snail mail, write your address and the date in the upper right-hand corner of your letter. And then, in the left-hand portion underneath the date, write the following:

Name

Managing Editor

Title of Publication

Address

Dear Sir/Madam:

I'll mention the three remaining guidelines in my next post.