How Should I Respond To Ads? Ask Anne, the Pro Writer

www.thegoldenpencil.com
Dear Anne,
How should I respond to ads for freelance jobs? In the past I have left brief explanations of why I am qualified for/perfect for that job, experience I have that is relevant, and then I generally ask them to check out my writing credentials, and samples at my website. Is this the best way to do it? Believe it or not, this is the one area of freelancing I haven’t found a clear answer for.

Thanks in advance,
Angie

Hi Angie,
Your question sounds like you’re talking about leaving voice mail messages. If that’s the case, I’d probably just say something like “Hi, my name is Anne Wayman. I’m responding to your ad in the (name of paper) for a freelance writer. My phone number is (xxx). Thank you, I’m looking forward to talking with you.” My thinking is that what you really want is to talk to a live person so you can get more details. This way, when they call you back, if they want a person who has experience writing about, say trucks, and you don’t have that, you won’t have eliminated yourself on their voice mail. In person you can tell them about your experience with transportation in general, or assure them of your interest in trucks. The goal is always to talk with the person who can actually hire you.

Do you have a question about freelance writing? Ask Anne, The Writing Pro – that’s me ;) Ask in the comments or send an email and put Q&A in the subject line so I can sort it out from spam and I’ll do my best. Meanwhile, you’ll find some Q&A’s here:

http://www.bizzia.com/category/ask-anne-the-pro-writer/

Write well and often,

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