SiteWe Ask, YOU Answer: Should I list copywriting creds in a query?
I just finished my first free teleclass for writers, and it was a blast. I was nervous at first and I got kicked off the line once, but all in all I think it was a success. I’ll try to post the recording here in the next few days.
I got some great questions from writers. One of the questions stumped me, so I thought I’d post it here and let savvy Renegade readers answer it.
One of my callers is a corporate writer looking to break into magazines, and he’s wondering if, since he has no magazine clips, it’s okay to list his copywriting credentials in his query. He points out that many copywriting skills translate into magazine writing: Meeting deadlines, keeping clients happy, writing in a clear and concise way. However, I’m reluctant to suggest listing corporate writing creds because when I was starting out, I did that and an editor told me she was rejecting my pitch because she thought the main source in the article I was pitching might be a client of mine. So there’s that perceived conflict of interest we magazine writers want to avoid.
Can you help clear up this conundrum? Please post in the Comments below. And thank you for sharing your wisdom! [lf]
10 Responses to “We Ask, YOU Answer: Should I list copywriting creds in a query?”
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Shelley DuPont
Said this on October 13th, 2009 at 11:51pm:Enjoyed the class tonight, you did a great job moderating. The first thing I thought about when the gentlemen asked this question was how we adjust our resumes to fit the job we’re applying for. I may not include all aspects of teaching if I were applying for a management position, but I may include classroom techniques and the administrative end of it.
Then again, he said that he had no other background to share. Isn’t copy writing merely providing fresh content for a website? Does this include research, analyzing, and synthesizing information? I’m sure that could be considered a skill towards article writing.
Ryan King
Said this on October 14th, 2009 at 2:53am:I think that he should absolutely add it. His copywriting credentials clearly show that he has an ability to write, and specifically that his ability is a good one. The lack of magazine experience means that he has to fill a gap in his skill set, and doing so with a well known form of writing is the perfect way. I understand the trepidation of a conflict of interest being present, but not everyone out there will immediate assume that you are doing work for a client and thus reject your proposal. Also, it is very easy for a company to check and see if I person has done work for a specific client or not. There are plenty of chances for accountability out there that don’t require both the client and person to be forthcoming regarding previous work. I say use it, and if he gets rejected, just keep trying. It’s most likely his best chance of getting his foot into the magazine door. Eventually someone will hire him, and then he can switch out the copywriting credentials with magazine clips.
LindaFormichelli
Said this on October 14th, 2009 at 11:58am:Thanks, Shelley and Ryan, for your advice! I’m still a little gun-shy about listing corporate writing creds in a query since I was burned way back when. This is great advice!
Kristen Fischer
Said this on October 14th, 2009 at 1:04pm:I do copywriting and magazine writing, so it is a conundrum. Until he has some clips established so he can reference publications he has written for, it’s always good to mention that he is an editorial professional. Dropping a few client names isn’t horrible but I would stick to simply letting the editor know that he is currently a copywriter. I always include an “A bit about me” graph before my closing paragraph….
LindaFormichelli
Said this on October 14th, 2009 at 1:08pm:Thank you, Kristin! Looks like my original advice (before I decided to ask people who actually KNOW) was wrong…so far everyone says that he should list those corp writing credits.
I also posed the question to a nice editor of mine. He’s on vacation now but I hope to hear back when he returns.
Kate Harold
Said this on October 14th, 2009 at 2:35pm:I do corporate writing and am branching out into magazine writing. Recently I landed my first story in a regional mag — I just went back and checked my credentials paragraph I used in my query. I was a bit vague (intentionally). In doing corporate writing, I’ve been published in a lot of local and regional publications, so I said so…I just didn’t say that I did it for a corporate client. Here’s my wording: “I have written dozens of stories for regional and local publications. You can view samples of my work at xxx.” It worked in this case!
Nancy
Said this on October 14th, 2009 at 8:54pm:Ugh, I can’t believe I missed this teleclass–it is exactly what I need!! Here’s to being a day late and a dollar short.
You folks generously offered advice re my previous newbie question, and I’ve run into a couple more conundrums since then and was hoping for a little bit more advice.
So I sent my first query off to a national mag(I’ve been published several times in regional pubs, though a while ago). My question is: Do I really need to wait 4 to 6 weeks to hear from them?!?!? Can I send another query (or two) in the meantime to the same mag, esp if it’s to a different editor at that mag? I’m just going to get a reeeeeally slow start if I have to wait a month and a half to send another query to the handful of pubs I’ve identified as my main targets.
Also, this might sound strange, but are there national mags (I’m looking at parenting/family mags) that don’t really WANT new writers? There’s kind of a fortress feeling I get when I even try to call and get the name of the person to query (I’ve placed a few calls and have not heard back and I have no other way to contact them). It seems silly that I could’t query them just bc I can’t get an answer on who to direct my query to, but then it occurred to me that maybe some mags really have all the writers and ideas they need and that they just plain don’t want newbies bothering them.
Btw, Linda, I bought your books on Amazon and am loving them. Thanks!
Sarah
Said this on October 14th, 2009 at 11:31pm:Thanks for providing us with the opportunity to participate in the teleclass, Linda! I really appreciated all the helpful and informative advice!!! You have given me the confidence to write my first query letter…it’s going out tomorrow. Thanks again!
LindaFormichelli
Said this on October 14th, 2009 at 11:43pm:Sarah, thanks — and congratulations! Let me know how it goes.
Nancy, keep reading The Renegade Writer…we talk about the value of doing simultaneous queries instead of waiting (months) to hear back from each editor. I also follow up on queries via e-mail after about two weeks, and via phone about two weeks after that if I don’t hear back.
All editors are looking for the next great article…and if it’s someone new to them who proposes it, that doesn’t matter. Great is great. However, most editors at the glossies get TONS of queries, and they’re busy actually putting out a magazine on top of that, so they can be hard to reach. Heck, I’ve been writing for the glossies for 10 years and sometimes *I* have trouble getting a contact name, so it’s not just newbies. One trick is to figure out the magazine’s e-mail format (such as firstname.lastname@magazine.com), which you can often suss out from the magazine’s advertising page, and use that format to e-mail the likeliest-sounding editor. You can also often call after hours and use the dial-by-name directory to leave a voicemail for the editor so you don’t have to go through the receptionist.
Good luck!
Elizabeth Kricfalusi
Said this on October 21st, 2009 at 4:51pm:I had several years of professional corporate writing experience when I decided to try and break into magazines. This was what I wrote in a pitch to Real Simple. (The “getting started” reference is there because that was my proposed topic.)
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After more than ten years of working full time as a corporate writer and editor, I am now “getting started” myself as a freelance writer. Examples of my work, available at xx, include software user guides and tutorials, so I do have experience writing how-to content. I don’t have many published journalism clips yet, but I was recently hired to cover the San Francisco City amateur golf tournament. Here are links to two of the articles…
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I got the assignment–my first ever! So, yeah, I recommend including it.