Last week I set a personal record. I sent out a batch of LOIs and within two hours, I had landed a new assignment worth over $1,000. Even better, there is a high probability that the new client will have ongoing work for me. While I know that my carefully crafted LOI, updated content marketing writing website and focused niche helped me get the job, the real reason that I landed a new client was sheer luck and timing.

When the custom publisher called me, he told me that—five minutes before he received my email—he realized that he had two more stories to assign for an upcoming issue and all of his regular freelance writers were already busy with assigned stories. He said that he got emails from very qualified freelance writers every single day, but that my email just happened to arrive that he was looking for someone with experience in technology and legal writing. He even said it was lucky and serendipitous (one of my all-time favorite words in the English language, but I digress). So while it’s essential to have all of your ducks in a row, you should also keep in mind that there really is a lot of luck and timing when it comes to getting a gig.

Why Luck and Time are Even More Important in Content Marketing Writing

While this is true to some extent when writing for consumer and trade publications, I think that the element of luck plays a greater role in getting a content marketing gig. Many consumer publications give assignments based on the merit of a specific idea and if an idea is excellent then they will most likely find a place for it among their glossy pages. But with content marketing writing, brands and agencies are hiring you for your industry experience and your writing skills, not for a specific idea. Most of your potential clients have a pool of staff writers and freelancers that they use for their content. But sometimes life happens and a regular writer is not available so they are looking for a new writer. And they usually need someone who can start yesterday.

In the case of content marketing companies, each time they get a new client, they have to quickly ramp up a stable of writers specializing in the new client’s target market. With traditional publications, their need for writers typically doesn’t go from zero to ten with a single phone call, but that often happens with content marketing agencies. And if you happen to send an email just when they are looking for new writers in finance or health or whatever your niche is, then you very well could end up with a new gig.

Three Things to Remember about Luck and Timing:

Here are three lessons that I took away from my $1,000 afternoon.

1. If you don’t hear back, it’s mostly likely not about you. Just because you heard crickets doesn’t mean that the company doesn’t use freelancers or doesn’t think you are qualified. It just means that at this exact time that they don’t have a need for a freelancer with your skill set.
2. It’s a numbers game. Since luck and timing plays such a large role, you increase your chances in getting a gig, the more LOIs and connections that you make. If you send out three emails, then your chance of getting lucky is low. But if you send out 50, then the odds are more in your favor.
3. Follow up. Follow up. Follow up. Each time you follow up with a potential client, then you increase your chances of your email landing in their Inbox at the exact moment they are looking for a freelance writer. I am a firm believer than many times following up is the difference in not having work and landing a lucrative gig.

What has been your experience with luck and timing in content marketing writing? How do you increase your odds of getting lucky?