Your
freelancer's bio is a vital job-hunting tool. While traditional
job hunters have CVs and resumes, independent writers and
other independent professionals have biographies, because
as an independent, you're working *with* your clients as
a consultant, rather than working *for* them as an employee.
Yes,
bios, plural. You need at least four bios of various lengths:
200 words, 100, 50 and 25. Over time, you'll create dozens
of bios, as you emphasize your various strengths to suit a
situation. Many
writers find it excruciating to write about themselves. If
you feel this way, don't despair. You will get over this shyness
in time. Until you do, force yourself to write at least three
bios. I promise, after you've created your fourth and fifth,
writing a bio will be a breeze. =>It's
not about you, it's about them Self-interest
rules. So before you write a word, ask yourself about the
client and the client's needs. You must approach your bio
from your client's perspective. If
you're answering a job ad, this is easy. You know what the
client wants, because she's told you. Make sure that you slant
your bio towards the requirements expressed in the ad. Usually
you'll introduce yourself to businesses without a job ad to
guide you. The most effective way to do this is with a mini-
proposal. You send a mini-proposal, because you should never,
ever send out a naked bio; you must have a reason, other than
self-interest, for contacting a business. (More on naked bios
below.) A
mini-proposal is a single page, with: *
a description of a problem (or need) you perceive the business
has; *
an outline of the solution; *
why you're the person to solve this problem --- what skills
you have (your bio). Mini-proposals
are easy to write, and once you've written a few, you should
be able to write two an hour. And
because your mini-proposal is focused on your prospect, it
will be kept by the business you send it to. I often receive
calls from companies I sent a mini-proposal to three or more
years ago. Did
you notice how the mini-proposal focused on the client and
the client's needs? After saying who you are, you talk about
the client, not about you. That
said, you should start your letter or email message with a
very quick statement of who you are. Like this:
Dear
Mr Jones I'm
Cindy Cooper, of Cooper Copywriting. I write for business.
I found your Web site, and ... (here's where you describe
the problem or need you think Mr Jones has that you could
solve). After
this super-fast introduction, the bulk of the letter/ email
message will be taken up with your outlines of the need the
business has, and your proposed solution. KEEP THE FOCUS ON
THE CLIENT. Finally,
after presenting this information, comes your bio, and your
bio should be no longer than a quarter of the length of the
entire letter. So let's say that your need/ solution outline
takes 200 words; in this case your bio will be no longer than
50 words. *Your
letter MUST focus on the client and the client's needs. Your
bio needs to be short in comparison.*
==> Don't send a naked bio! I
can't emphasize this enough: keep the focus on the client's
needs! Don't send a naked bio - that is, a bio on its own,
which you've simply decided to send a business, hoping that
the business will have work for you.
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Veteran multi-published author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts
words for your business --- words to sell, educate or persuade.
E-books and e-courses on Web site. FREE ezines for writers
and small biz: http://www.digital-e.biz/
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