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Topic: How many clips do I need?
| Author | Message |
| instylegirl | Posted – 8/23/2007 11:31:20 AM | show profile I am an editorial assistant who eventually wants to branch off into fashion/beauty writing. I work for a newspaper weekly. How many clips would you say are necessary to start shopping around for freelance work, or am I being a bit too eager? Thanks for any advice. |
| enatalie | Posted – 8/23/2007 2:21:37 PM | show profile | email poster Clips, schmips. I would say that in my brief experience all you need to get an editor interested is a good and well-developed idea. I too have only newspaper weekly experience, and a few nationals have expressed interest in my queries. One asked to see magazine clips and that publication eventually didn't go with the story. The fact that I didn't have mag clips might have had something to do with it (who knows, though, really), but they did encourage me to keep pitching ideas. Depending on the pub, you might not need to send clips along with your query... They can tell a lot about your writing skills and ability by the query alone, and some are touchy about attachments. Even when eds ask for clips, you only need to send two or three. So as long as you have two or three good clips relating to the topics you want to write about, you're set. Hope this helps! |
| Linda F | Posted – 8/23/2007 2:49:56 PM | show profile instylegirl, when editors asked me for clips, I used to send four to five clips from different magazines to show off how many mags I write for. But I later learned that editors prefer to see more than one clip from any magazine just to show that the magazine liked you enough to hire you again -- in other words, that you're not a one-hit wonder, riding along on heavily-edited clips! That said, don't let your clips or lack of them hold you back from pitching any magazine you like. I know a woman whose very first assignment was from Glamour, and I know writers who keep amassing low-paying clips because "I can always use more clips," but never break into the biggies. If you have a nice clip or two, offer to send them in your query letter (that way the editor can specify if she wants attachments, mailed clips, etc.). If not, don't worry -- you won't get clips until you pitch magazines. Good luck! Linda -- New feature on the Renegade Writer site: Queries That Rocked: http://www.therenegadewriter.com |
| instylegirl | Posted – 8/23/2007 8:38:24 PM | show profile Thank You! Thank you both for your extremely helpful replies. I am going to get busy penning my query letter and hopefully I get some positive responses - smile. |
| editrixie | Posted – 8/29/2007 8:24:17 PM | show profile i'd send clips as a would-be freelancer i'm psyched for/inspired by the writer who got her first gig from glamour, but as an editor at a national magazine i have to be honest: i would never assign a story to a writer with no clips. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 8/29/2007 11:53:15 PM | show profile I offer to send clips. A few have asked for them. I've finally built up a good bank of published stories so I can send business pieces, education pieces, feature pieces, etc., depending on the publication. But what matters the most is that what's there is cherce, to paraphrase Spencer Tracy. |
| girlEmedia | Posted – 9/8/2007 1:36:27 AM | show profile | email poster instylegirl. Start a blog! I got my first clips from my blog, and then an online magazine approached me, so I added those clips to my portfolio. I leveraged those to get print gigs. These are all fashion sites and mags too. I just took the fashion writing class here at MB and the instructor was fantastic! She will make you work your butt off and you will have samples by the end of the class. good Luck Sandra |
| ItsAMysteryNY | Posted – 9/11/2007 10:06:19 AM | show profile | email poster I have clips, several from the same magazines, but they are specialty magazines. So if I want to do a cross-over and write about a health issue with no health clips, do I just pitch it without irrelevant clips that could hurt not help? |
| candylilacs | Posted – 9/11/2007 10:37:24 AM | show profile It's always good to have five good clips. That means, show a good range, well-written, look good, be something you are proud of, etc. Put them in a portfolio or binder and take them with you whenever you apply in person for a job. But if you're querying, probably send one or two clips. More and they really don't even look at them. ------ http://www.mswritesguide.blogspot.com |
