By C. Hope Clark

Don’t ask an editor what you can write for him. Writers aren’t just about putting words together. They are about bringing fresh material to the table. Writers are a dime a dozen. New ideas are a dime a dozen. Writers who can write and produce fresh ideas hit the sweet spot.

Don’t ask questions like:

1) What can I write for you?
2) Is this the sort of thing you publish?
3) What are your guidelines?
4) Are you accepting submissions?

We’re talking ANY sort of writing whether you pitch magazines, apply for copywriting gigs, write nonfiction, or create novels. Your job as a writer is to make an editor’s work easy, not add to their pile. Come to them with solutions, not more work, and yes, answering inquisitive emails is work when you multiply it times a hundred each and every day.

At the risk of being repetitious, the golden rule for any writer attempting to earn money is this: Don’t make work for an editor (or agent or publisher).

Approach the editor/agent/publisher with a proposal that makes them eager. . . makes them feel like you are more than worth their time. Make a proposal strong. State what you can do for the other party and demonstrate how you can do it. Of course, a pitch for a freelance story is different from one for a novel, and nonfiction requires the book to be outlined with sample chapters while fiction must be polished to the hilt. But the recipient must open this package and marvel at how print-close it is.

But the goal of any proposal/pitch/query is to show the person on the other end that:

1) You know how to write,
2) You have a fresh idea,
3) Your work fits THEIR goals of reaching readers, and
4) You are capable of following through.

You might be a fantastic writer, but if you cannot pitch it properly and show how much value you can add, nobody will ever learn how great you are. And to ask someone to help you figure it out, not appreciating how full their plate already is, is like putting in your query, “You’re not interested in buying my work, are you?” Trust me. The answer will always be no.