Dollars and Deadlines’ 10 Essential Freelance Templates

By

Kelly James-Enger

Copyright 2012, Kelly James-Enger

All rights reserved. Smashwords edition.

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Dollars and Deadlines’ 10 Essential Freelance Templates

As a freelance writer, you get paid for your words. You also use your words to pitch articles with query letters; contact potential clients via letters of introduction, or LOIs; create contracts (unless your client or editor already has one for you to sign); and invoice clients, among other tasks.

Starting out, however, you probably lack examples, or templates, to follow and use. That’s why I created this e-book—to give new freelancers a leg up by giving you the essential templates you’ll need for your writing business. After 15 years of fulltime freelancing, I can write a query, LOI, or letter of agreement in just a few minutes. With the templates in this e-book, you’ll be able to do the same.

Keep in mind that there is no one “right” way to write an LOI, invoice, or contract. However, you’ll find that having a template as a guide speeds up the process, freeing up time for you get on with the business of freelancing.

The 10 essential templates I this e-book include:

1. The query letter;

2. The letter of introduction, or LOI;

3. The cover letter;

4. The follow-up letter;

5. The letter of agreement;

6. The simple contract;

7. The invoice;

8. The pay-or-die letter;

9. The interview contact letter; and

10. The thank-you note.

Each template includes a brief explanation of when it’s used, the template itself, and comments about the way it’s written. Remember that these are designed to use as examples; feel free to “tweak” them to fit your personal voice and style.

Template 1: The Query Letter

After 15 years of freelancing, I’ve written at least 1,200 query letters, or queries, and critiqued more than 1,000 for other writers. As a result, I know what works.

While the query letter, or query, is an essential tool for any freelancer who writes for print and online markets, it needn’t be complicated. I use a simple, four-section query for nearly all of mine that includes the following parts:

The lead. Here I catch the editor's attention, usually with a recent study or other time peg, a startling (or at least interesting) statistic, or an anecdote.

The “why-write it” section. Here I make the case for the piece, providing more details and basically explaining why readers will be interested in the story.

The "nuts-and-bolts" section. Here I explain how I'll approach the story, suggesting word count, possible sources, and format (i.e. will the piece include a sidebar, or a quiz?). I also like to include a working title, and I always suggest the section of the publication the piece belongs in to let the editor know I've read her magazine.

The ISG, or “I'm-so-great” section. Here I demonstrate that I'm uniquely qualified to write the piece and highlight my relevant background and experience.

Pretty simple, right? Here's a query template, with my comments in brackets:

***

Dear Pam:



It’s a common conundrum. You’ve actually stuck to a regular workout routine, but you’re still not seeing results. While “lack of time” is the number one excuse for not exercising, what’s even more frustrating is making the time to hit the gym—and seeing no change in your body. What is the deal? [Here's my lead. It's not bad, but I could have cited a recent study to back up my “number one excuse” for not exercising. However, this lead is aimed at the readers of Oxygen--they're women who are serious about their workout regimes and their physiques.]


The culprit may be multifaceted. Driven by a desire to burn calories and get ripped, women commonly overlook (or deny) the importance of refueling their muscles with glycogen by consuming carbs (and protein, too) within the “magic window” that closes 45 minutes after intense exercise. Without adequate refueling, your regular routine may leave your muscles chronically depleted, which affects your energy level, motivation, and workout quality. [My “why-write-it” section is pretty good. Note the amount of research I've done here--yet again, I could have cited a recent study to strengthen the query.]

“Dumb Fitness Mistakes Even Smart Women Make” will examine some of the most common mistakes, how they impact (or prevent) desired results, and most important, how to overcome them. I plan to interview experts such as Tom Holland, MS/CSCS sports performance coach, and author of The Truth about How to Get in Shape, and Nancy Clark, RD, author of The Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Fourth Edition, for this story. While I estimate 1200 words for this story, that’s flexible depending on your needs. [My nuts-and-bolts section is pretty good, too. Note I've told her the types of experts I plan to interview and provided a working title and word count. She can assign something different, but this gives her an idea of how I plan to approach the piece.]


Interested in this informative piece as a cover-lined fitness feature? I’ve been a fulltime freelancer for more than a decade; my work has also appeared in magazines including Redbook, Self, Health, Continental, Fitness, Woman's Day, and Shape. I’m also an ACE-certified personal trainer, which will help bring a unique perspective to this piece. [My ISG is strong, and includes that fact that I’m a personal trainer. Even if I had no clips yet, that fact and a strong query would give me a good chance of getting my foot in the door.]