Note from Jennifer: Today’s guest post might seem like it has a sensational title but it’s all true. Davina van Buren is a blog reader who transitioned from journalism in content marketing, and she’s one of the freelancers who has taken me up on my (standing!) offer of a free coaching session. After putting my tips into practice, she emailed me with this incredible story and I wanted all my readers to hear it. She’s based in Denver and covers a range of niches – be sure to check out her website after you read her story!

by Davina van Buren

As a journalist-turned-content-writer, I glean tons of useful information from Jennifer’s blog, which I’ve followed for about a year. Back in January, however, I saw an offer I couldn’t refuse: a free 30-minute coaching session with the woman herself—for anyone who asked! One thing I have learned in my four years as a full-time freelancer is that when respected, high-earning writers offer to give you free career advice, you take it.

The Backstory

Last year a local agency that produces content for airlines and hospitality brands contacted me about writing an article about Denver—a city I’ve written about extensively—for one of their clients. They found me via my website (which, by the way, is my strongest marketing tool). Although I replied within a few hours, they’d already assigned the article to another writer. However, the editor did share a spreadsheet with some content ideas they were working on for the client—a national hotel chain—and encouraged me to pitch him directly.

I got busy with other things, but this year I decided to go after more content marketing clients, which is what I wanted to ask Jennifer about on our mini coaching call. She suggested that I reach out to some local agencies, which got me thinking about the engagement I’d had with the editor last year. Our coaching call was on Friday, January 26. The following Wednesday, January 31, I put our plan into action.

(Re)introduce Yourself

If you have a personal or professional connection to an editor, use it. I’d saved the email conversation with the agency from last year in a folder I call “Relationships.” The folder has emails from people I’ve met at conferences, editors who’ve rejected pitches, former colleagues, and so on. I reached out to the editor on the same email chain from last year to refresh his memory.

Here’s what I wrote:

Hi Editor X,

We were in touch last year about your [HOTEL GROUP] project. You ended up assigning the piece to someone else, but we exchanged some emails back and forth.

I’ve come across job ads for [AGENCY NAME] sporadically since then, and just saw another one today. Although I love being a freelancer, I wanted to reach out and offer my services if you’re ever in need a contractor to fill in the gaps between hires.

Let me know if you need me – thanks, Editor X!

The very next day, the editor wrote back:

Good morning Davina,

Thanks so much for reaching out!

I actually may have an assignment for you shortly. We pitched an idea to [Hotel Group] that’s similar to one of the articles you did a couple of years ago: [LINK TO ARTICLE ON MY WRITER WEBSITE].

If we get approval, I’d be interested in having you write the new one for us.

I’ll be in touch soon!

Editor X

Six days after that, the editor contacted me with an easy-peasy listicle assignment about Las Vegas. I reached out to some of my PR contacts there in search of new and exciting shows and activities, and honestly, the article practically wrote itself!

The project took two hours total—including email correspondence with the editor and PR people—so the job broke down like this:

Pay: $250

Words: 500-700

Time to research/write/edit: 2 hours

Average hourly rate: $125

Not too shabby for writing a fun article that was done before noon! I stayed well above my minimum hourly rate of $100, got some fabulous travel tips for my next trip to Sin City, and nurtured my relationships with PR contacts on the ground. It was an all-around win.

But wait, there’s more!

The day after I turned in the Vegas article, I was handed two more similar assignments: one business-focused; the other about travel-focused fitness tips. These assignments also took about two hours each to research and write. When I turned those articles in, I was assigned two more. For this batch, I conducted a short interview with a professional angler (fun!) and crafted the copy from his advice, quotes, and some web research.

By The Numbers

Total assignments: 5

Word count for each article: 500-700 words

Time period: Six weeks

Earned: $1,250

Hours spent on project: 10

Average Hourly Rate: $125

All from one 87-word email.

The Takeaway

Never underestimate the power of checking in. My “reconnection” email was polite, yet short and direct. You don’t need to ramble on—in fact, most editors and marketing people are too busy to read an LOI that is longer than a few sentences. Just let them know that you want to help and how specifically you can/will do that.

Making the first move can really set you apart from the competition, so don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to a business and offer your writing or marketing services. It could just be the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership!

What do you think about Davina’s approach? Do you know what your highest valued email is worth?