Answering A Job Posting.

I have read many articles and blog posts dealing with this subject, but now that I am offering small jobs here and there, I am surprised at the lack of...well...something that writers who are responding to these ads have when writing their emails.

I tried to be clear in my ad, say exactly what I was offering and for how much. I'm still getting people asking me how much I am paying and what the job is for. Or even emails that have no welcoming speech in them.

I am not the queen of all writing knowledge, but I just have to say something here. If you are going to answer an ad, don't ever, ever forget to address the person who placed the ad. If you do not know if they are an Editor or not, still assume that they are. I would prefer to see 'Dear Editor:' over nothing at all. Even if I am a webmaster, it is still nicer than 'Hey I am replying to your ad'

If you are writing me, I know you are replying to my ad. Easy enough, huh?

It's all about manners and careful reading of the ad. Give me a catchy subject line or just make sure to put the position title in the subject line. No subjects and snarky ones are likely to get deleted. No subjects might get a look, though, because all of us have made that mistake before.

If you are sending multiple emails, state 'resend' in the subject and WHY in the very first sentence. The first sentence shows up in most emails, giving the editor a chance to scan their email and see what catches their attention. That also means, make your first line in a cover letter SNAPPY. Get that editor to open your email!

Always, always send a nice cover letter. Your email is selling yourself and no matter what someone else tells you, the email answering a job post IS a cover letter. Whether you paste in your resume is another question. I only do it if the job calls for one or is tasty enough to make me really, really want to give that extra OOMPH.

So, give it your best when you send an email answering a job ad. It might well land you that job everyone else wants.

Oh, Please. Check Your Links.

Ok, here's my tip of the day, week, millennium.

If you are going to blog and have links for other bloggers to pick up jobs or that offer great opportunities for other writers, do us all a favor and CHECK YOUR LINKS.

Yeah, I yelled that.

Just stopped by a blog which will remain nameless (no it's not deb's, i don't want to be torched and killed) and nearly every link in one post to some sites that offer jobs went to broken sites, empty sites, or whatnot.

A good blog or website checks links occasionally and doesn't post without first checking the links. The ones I am referring to had been just placed to sites that have been dead for months, in some cases years. I know this because I visited the sites when they were still open.

So...take the time to check your sources before cutting and pasting links from an article you read. Can save you some grief and not waste your readers' time.

Excited!

I heard back from Western New York Family magazine today and my article about my daughter and her special needs will be in the April 2008 Special Needs Child pull out. The pull out is like another magazing inside of the WNY Family. Amber will be the feature child! If I can get a great shot of her before it goes to print, she might even get on the cover!

I will also be writing a submission for the Halloween edition for this year. I really hope she likes it as much as this one.

I've been thinking about what tips I can put in this post for writers who are trying to break into print. I have two.

1. Don't ignore your local magazines or papers. Some have a large circulation and pay well. Plus, a clip is a clip.

2. Never quit. That is my mantra. Learn all you can, then never give up on sending out queries. You are better than you think and someone will notice that.