Guest Post: Your Competition Stinks – Isn’t it Great!
August 13, 2008 by Lillie
When I wrote a guest post at Poewar: Writer’s Resource Center, John Hewitt promised to reciprocate. John’s site is a great place for writers of all kinds—I’ve been a subscriber and a fan for a long time, and I’m delighted to host John’s guest post. I hope you like the post as much as I do and that you will show John your appreciation in comments.
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There are a lot of people out there competing for freelance jobs. A freelance posting on a popular job site such as jobs.problogger.net or freelancewritinggigs.com can easily generate 400 responses. Numbers like that can be intimidating. You may wonder why you should bother applying if you have to compete against that many people. How can you possibly win?
I’m here to tell you it is easier than you think. The truth is that your competition stinks. They’re terrible. They’re awful. They don’t know how to apply for a position. They don’t know how to write a decent e-mail query. Many of them can’t write their way out of a wet paper sack. Just reading their e-mails is painful. Ninety percent of the people applying for these freelance positions can be eliminated within a sentence or two — a paragraph at the most. That is because their writing is terrible and it shows. The first 90% can be eliminated immediately because they have made one (or more) of six mistakes:
• They use informal language
• They make an obvious grammar or usage error
• They talk about their personal problems
• They don’t know what they are applying for
• They don’t give their qualifications
• They don’t send samples or links to samples
These very basic mistakes take that 400 person applicant pool down to a manageable 40 people. That is still more competition than you would like, but even at this point, many of the applicants aren’t serious competition. They have their own series of mistakes that they make. These mistakes are less obvious and less deadly, but they still keep most of these candidates from moving forward.
• They fail to cite relevant experience
• Their samples are not appropriate (or they point you to their web site instead of specific pieces)
• They don’t provide full contact information
• They don’t discuss why they are the best writer for the job
Once you eliminate the people who make those mistakes, you would be surprised how dramatically the pool of applicants shrinks. In the end, out of 400 applicants, there are perhaps 10 that can withstand even this level of scrutiny. That doesn’t mean there are 10 great applicants, just that there are ten who didn’t already blow their chances because of an easily correctable mistake. Competing against 400 people is daunting, but competing against 10 is a reasonable challenge, especially if you think you are the right person for the job. Just follow these eight simple steps and you will get yourself into the top ten most of the time:
• Write in a professional style
• Check and recheck your query to be sure that the language is correct
• Discuss your qualifications, not your needs
• Know exactly what you are applying for
• Discuss your relevant qualifications and experience
• Provide relevant, specific samples
• Provide full contact information, including your phone number
• Give at least one reason why you are the best applicant for the job
That’s it. Those eight things will rocket you to the top of the pile. There are plenty of ways to improve your chances even further, but these eight will keep you from being lumped in with the idiots.
Good luck.
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John Hewitt is the publisher of the writing site, poewar.com. If you like this article you may also enjoy reading, How to Write a Query Letter and 10 Ways to Make Editors Hate You Before They Even Know You. He also knows all about Writing Your Way Out of a Wet Paper Sack.
This is really like taking candies from a baby, John.
So I suggest for writers who are as skilled as you to apply directly to high profile jobs and leave the low paid positions that are usually posted in the portals you mentioned to the beginners. We all have to start somewhere, don’t we?
Mihaela Licas last blog post..The Weekly Startup Review: PageTiki
John, if you were standing near me I would hug you! I have personally seen these mistakes and they are not limited to freelance inquiries but committed by job applicants as well. It is this lack of quality that has contributed to the lack of professionalism attributed to writing. Thank you for writing this post, I only hope that aspiring, new and seasoned writers take note and raise their game.
Mig,
You’re right—the competition who makes these mistakes deserves those low-ball jobs writers complain about.
Hi Lillie – this is wonderful and encouraging advice. And I’m betting that 90% rule applies not only to freelance writing, but just about any career you can think of.
Cath Lawsons last blog post..Frugal or Flashy In Business – Who Wins?
Cath,
I agree. John’s advice applies to just about any career or business there is. Only a few people put forth the effort to get the basics right.
This is such a beautiful website, I particularly appreciate the layout. I love writing but would be afraid to try and compete in the marketplace. My partner on the other hand is a very skilled Senior Copywriter. These tips are so spot on – it’s great to see quality advice in blogs!
Magic Mummys last blog post..Pirate Poem and Treasure Map
John,
Thanks for these helpful tips for keeping our queries out of the slush pile! And thanks just as much for the encouragement of knowing that the majority of our competitors don’t constitute competition at all! That makes the prospect of competing against so many other applicants seem so much less formidable!
Jeanne
Jeanne,
I’m delighted that John shared this helpful and encouraging post here.
Magic Mummy,
Thank you for the compliment on my blog. If you love to write, I encourage you to write … whether or not you ever intend to compete in the marketplace. You can decide later on if you want to sell your work, but I believe that if God gave you a love of writing, he also gave you talent to be used. That may mean writing for pay or it may mean writing stories for your children, recording your family history, or writing poetry for your own pleasure.
@ Mihaela Lica
I never have and never will compete for the lowball jobs. I just don’t have the time. You are welcome to them.
@ Karen Swim
Thank you for the virtual hug. I wish I had enough influence to put a stop to these terrible applications, but I am only hoping to give the friends of Lillie a leg up.
@ Cath Lawson
The problem does spill over into many industries, but it is particularly embarrassing when people who call themselves writers make these mistakes.
@ Magic Mummy
I’ve done my best to eliminate the fear. My only other words of encouragement are that rejections aren’t fatal. “Just keep swimming”
@ Jeanne
I’m glad I could help.
John Hewitts last blog post..08/14/2008 Writing Jobs and Links
John,
Thank you so much for the great post that encouraged and educated at the same time. And thank you for taking the time to come over and respond to comments.
@ Lillie
I’m happy to do it. I would have been by sooner but I have a major project on deadline. Do you know what goes great with deadlines? Meetings!
John Hewitts last blog post..08/14/2008 Writing Jobs and Links
John,
Meetings are bad enough any time … but combined with deadlines? Ugh!
Great post. The advice seems so simple and obvious, but clearly it needed to be said.
Helen Gingers last blog post..Q&A with Author L.J. Sellers, Next Thursday
Most of people can make mistakes easily in their applications for job if they are not serious with the freelance job.So what we should do is pay attention to those tips John lined out and we will get the job.
denver,
Following John’s tips will certainly give us a far better chance of getting the job because most freelancers don’t.
And your readers are, as well!
Jeanne,
I’m glad you appreciate it. This was my first experience with guest posting—my guest post for John was the first guest post I’ve done, and this was the first guest post I’ve hosted. I may need to do more.
Lillie,
Guest posts are a great way to add variety to a blog — and they give a blogger a bit of a break, too, which is always nice!
Jeanne,
The flip side, though, is that it takes time to line up guest bloggers—I read blog posts advising bloggers how to ask to guest post on another blog. But no one has ever asked me … and I don’t exactly have the kind of traffic that would have bloggers lining up to be part of my blog.
Lillie,
You never know until you try! Judging from the number of comments you receive, I’d venture to guess that you’d get quite a few “takers” if you were to post a call for guest bloggers–even if no one has thought to ask you whether they might guest post here in the past.
Jeanne,
You’re probably right. The number of comments I get is a big surprise—I might be just as surprised at the response I would get to a call for guest bloggers. And when I asked for readers for my novel, I got many more responses than I expected.
This was a great post. The amount of people who are trying to find freelance jobs has made me question why I should apply sometimes. It is very nice to see that I have a better chance than I thought I originally did.
Dianes last blog post..Robin Hood: We Are Robin Hood Episode
@ Helen
I am constantly amazed by the number of people who want to be freelance writers but who don’t take the time to research the career or work on their skills.
@ Denver
These tips are just the basics, but they will get you into contention.
@ Diane
I’m glad I could convince you to give it a shot.
Diane,
It’s great to know the competition isn’t as stiff as you thought, but on the other hand, it’s sad to realize how many unprepared freelancers are out there giving writers a bad name.
John,
My readers and I appreciate your taking the time to respond to comments.
LIllie,
Your recommendations are great! I got my jobs easily from freelancewritinggigs.com where I was able to stand out from the pool because I followed up on my applications. Now I write freelance full-time and I love it!
Very useful information, thanks. Freelancing is a tough biz as steady paycheck may be just a dream.
Suz,
The credit for this great advice goes to guest blogger John Hewitt. His blog is a great one for freelancers—in fact for writers of any kind. I’m glad you’re having success as a freelancer and that you’ve learned that following up makes a big difference.
Jane,
Freelancing and steady pay checks don’t go together … but John’s advice will help make the paychecks more regular.
good common sense tips, the little things do add up so its best to take your time to get things right before you apply to anything.
In an ideal world, these tips wouldn’t be needed. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world, and people applying for freelance gigs—or jobs or other opportunities—often don’t use common sense and attend to details.
This is an excellent blog. The advice is great! Thank you so much for sharing it. I will certainly check out John’s blog!
Tammy,
Thank you for visiting and commenting. I’m sure you’ll find John’s blog both interesting and informative.
[...] he gives great advice on how you can easily beat hundreds of people to the best blogging jobs in: Your Competition Stinks – Isn’t It Great. So, if thousands of companies enter the blogging arena over the next few years, it looks like there [...]
I just received an (unsolicited) email that demonstrates exactly the kind of submissions I typically get. Please note, I do not have a writing team and I am not advertising for writers. Despite that, I still receive emails like this at least once a week.
iv been trying to get published by a good writing magazine an i was wondering if you guys could give me the time of day to apply for your team. im a young creative writer striving for great things. please give me a chance.
thanks for your time
In case you needed any more proof, here is a link to Darren Rowse at problogger.net. His blog is one of the largest and most respected blogs on the Internet and his job board is probably the best source on the web for blogging jobs. Unfortunately, the companies advertising for bloggers on his site are complaining about the exact same issue.
Applying for a Blogger Job? Treat it Seriously
http://tinyurl.com/55c9f8
Some excerpts:
It staggers me that bloggers would not work hard to communicate clearly when applying for a job that is all about communicating clearly! While I understand not everyone has an amazing command on the English language – those looking to hire bloggers for commercial positions will take your abilities in your application as a hint as to how well you’ll perform on their blog.
Let me say that I get a variety of feedback from advertisers on the job boards. Most tell me that they get great applications and generally quickly fill jobs (some end up hiring more than one blogger because they get so many good applicants) – but mixed in with them are always blogger job applications that they immediately disqualify due to poor quality.
John,
This is appalling … and I imagine that “writer” goes around saying how unfair the publishing world is, how no one will give a beginning writer a chance …
John,
Thanks for sharing this. I think Darren sums it up quite well with “take it seriously.” I can’t imagine someone applying for freelance writing gig (or anything else) without putting a little effort into it.
Those are excellent observations. Speaking as someone who has screened and interviewed thousands of job applicants over the years, I can say with certainty that similar principles come into play when applying for almost any job. The hiring executive will be grateful for anything you do to make his job easier. Following the tips given here and tweaking them for your specific situation to create a quick, easy to read summary which showcases why you deserve an interview will increase your odds of making it to the next step.
Teen Job Finder
Jobs last blog post..Jobs for Teens at Amusement Parks
You’re so right that these tips apply to any job situation. Some of them are quite similar to the advice I gave in my job search series.
You are correct! These are great tips! thanks for sharing =)
Jessica,
I’m glad you found the tips helpful and hope you come back often.
I would love to be lumped from the other idiots! I printed your article and will send to my friends if you don’t mind!
Eve,
John gave some excellent advice. Following it will certainly help your chances of getting the gigs you want.
Great post! I think a lot of people shy away from even applying to freelance jobs because they are intimidated by “professional writers”. What they don’t understand is that if they have ever been paid for writing, then they, too, are a professional writer who is worthy of work.
Jen Bristers last blog post..Snarky Editors and the Art of Negotiation
Jen,
John did write a great post. Your point is also good—that anyone who has been paid for writing is a professional writer. And for those aspiring writers … every professional writer started out as a nonprofessional.
How true Lillie, It is this lack of quality that has contributed to the lack of professionalism attributed to writing. You can’t enter the freelance writing without putting a little effort into it.
Yes, what John said is very true. It’s amazing how many people want success without effort.
Sad but true !! But one thing I believe in.. If you don’t put much effort, success won’t ever come.. it’s like an “easy come, easy go” sort of thing.