Pro Freelance Writer

Today, I sent out my first query letter for my first fictional novel, The Long Winter.  I’ve been told that the writing process is tedious, the editing process painful, and the submission process brutal.  Well, so far so good.  But then again, I’m only one submission in.

I finished my first two articles for scholarly publication around the same time in 2007, and went through simultaneous submission processes.   One was a Critical Race Theory paper and the other on Art Law, so different publications were selected for submissions of each.  I submitted in shifts to my first, second, third tier of choices (and so on).  In the end, I had submitted each article to one hundred (100) publications prior to signing a contract.  I could have wallpapered my room in rejection letters.  Despite the brutality, I felt like each of the articles ultimately ended up in the perfect publication for the theme of the piece.

I’ve been working at a law firm for about a year now.  I know, I know — fancy pants.  One nice thing about my job is that every day, without fail, I’m writing.  Whether or not I feel like working on a personal project, I still crank out thousands of words a day, consistently.  The practice alone, slowly, has improved my ability to communicate effectively via the written word.  Plus, my writing has actually helped people in measurable ways once or twice.

Sometimes, though, I feel like one thing dressing up as something else.  Like a little kid wearing her mother’s high heels.  I’m a writer, through and through, and its only by way of my abilities as a writer that I can muster up a decent career as a lawyer.  And should something happen, if I were to get laid off from my lawyering gig, or if I cracked from the stress of the job, it would be plain and simple writing that I’d return to.  No matter my mistakes, writing will always take me back.

I’ve still been busy with my freelance work.  I’m under contract to write for a monthly business publication, I still help out my friends at EcoBike regularly, and last month I wrote another company address for an executive.

Despite the reliability and variety of my work, however, I still have a desire to see my fiction take off.  The idea of sitting down every morning at the crack of dawn to churn out stories in the company of coffee and a sunrise really appeals to me.  And as those of you who know me know, it would be entirely in line with my fancy for homesteading.  I’ve still got the cabin in Alaska, and I could get a million more words out of that place no problem.  I’ve got a few things in the fictional hopper, and in the quiet moments, it’s those projects that I think about.

In any event, wish me luck with the submission process and I’ll keep you posted!

Write on… Kimberly

I have been so busy writing that I haven’t had much of a chance to update the blog recently, but I have been working on several interesting projects.

First, I undertook my first feature magazine article for Montel Williams’ Living Well magazine.  I think this went well but judge for yourself by reading the article here.  The subject of the article is on achieving happiness in your daily life.

Second, I have been hired to help a science writer tidy up his fiction novel.  This has been a very interesting process and it has given me insight into my own work.  It has also been motivating, and I have consequently gone back and started the editing process on The Long Winter.

Third, I have done a little more grantwork since I updated last, and received a wonderful compliment from my client the other day.  He said, “I REALLY appreciate your work.  You are always on time, do not require a lot of hand holding and the quality is great (research, writing and ability to adapt tone and style specific to the project).  Congrats!”  Isn’t that a great compliment?  I am going to put it on my reviews page.

Fourth, I have written a couple more articles for the local newspaper over the past few months.  Unfortunately, the paper only sporatically puts things online, so I’ll have to have the clippings scanned in to update them here.   In the process of writing an article on the recent Taos Archaeology Society conference I got the opportunity to meet some very interesting people, which is a great bonus.

Finally, I have been working in my more traditional job in the legal sector.  This has been a boon for writing (thousands of words a day on average), but it has posed a challenge to scheduling my freelance jobs.  My turnaround time has consequently suffered, in that it now takes me a week or two more than it did to get projects back to clients.  I think overall the jobby-job has been a good thing for my freelance business though, as it has forced me to more strictly schedule myself and has given me a broader range of writing experience to work with.

Write on… Kimberly

I did win, and a contest I didn’t even mean to enter!  Menuism awarded me $200 and a T-shirt for my review of El Paragua in Espanol, NM.

Here’s the Menuism article.  It even comes with a pic of yours truly.

Write on… Kimberly

I recently wrote a feature article titled “Thieves Take a Page Out of Rare Books and Manuscripts” for the Spring 2009 edition of the Art & Cultural Heritage Law Newsletter. The article focuses on book thieves who, rather than stealing whole books, cut pages from books right in the libraries. You’d be surprised at the relatively easy sentences imposed in light of the value of the goods stolen. So, it’s got crime, intrigue, and women. Ok, not really the women, but crime and intrigue are covered. Download the newsletter here; my article starts on Page 4.

Write on… Kimberly

Given the current economic climate, I have been asked by several friends to help with their resumes and cover letters. It seems my friends have gotten through up to graduate work with never having learned how to compose a cover letter. Here are some tips that I whipped up so that job-seekers know at least the basic structure of a decent cover letter.

Use letterhead. It doesn’t have to be fancy something-weight stock. Just open up Word and create something simple. I recommend centering it at the top, and putting the candidates name, address, phone, email, and website (if appropriate). Use the same letterhead for your resume and cover letter. Looks nice, right?

Find out who you are sending the application to and address it to that person. Most people are lazy and want to skip this step, but it takes only one to two minutes, usually just a call to a secretary, and it personalizes the letter (and shows you aren’t just blindly sending out resumes). If you really can’t find the person’s name or committee title, then please do not resort to “To Whom it May Concern.” At the very least you can put the department (e.g., “Dear Human Resources”).

My recommended first paragraph contains two sentences. Start with, “Attached please find my resume in application for the ______ position as advertised on _______.” If the job announcement asked for writing samples or references, mention those as well. Do not send an application packet out without everything they requested, or it’ll go in the trash. If the references are in the resume, you can say “resume with references.” You want them to know, first thing, that you are doing what they asked.

First paragraph second sentence is a thesis as to why you are qualified and interested in that position. That’s it. This is a hard one, but its important, so spend some time to make it clean and powerful. Here’s an example, “I believe that my strong academic credentials and demonstrated commitment to scholarly research make me a strong entry-level candidate for this position.”

In the second paragraph, briefly describe your background and accomplishments. (e.g. “I graduated from ___ cum laude in 200_. I went on to _____. As part of my work there, I _____[accomplished something]. I am currently _____.”)

Third paragraph is happy, something about how you will contribute to their organization. (e.g., “I would like to join the ___ department at the ___ because it would allow me to ___. I believe that ____ would give me the opportunity to make a positive contribution to _____ while working in an area that I find intellectually stimulating.”) Obviously this is very specific to the job you are applying to. This lets the reviewer know that you actually looked at the job description and thought about it.

Your final paragraph should be an enticement for them to call you. (e.g. “If you are seeking a motivated, experienced _________ [modify to your special circumstances and the job], then please contact me by phone at ____________.”

A girlfriend of mine had already applied for another job in the same company. I recommended she add a sentence to the last paragraph. “I have also applied for ____________, as I am flexible and very interested in working with your organization.”

So, that’s it. A decent cover letter. Yes, it takes a good twenty minutes to write, but it’s a necessary investment in your future.

Good luck, job hunters!

Write on… Kimberly.