Breaking into freelancing can seem like a koan. You can't start getting good assignments without good clips but how can you get good clips without getting those assignments? It can feel like trying to jump onto a moving carousel: you just need to grab that one pole that will get you on the ride, but it can be daunting watching it spin by in the meantime. Journalist Michael P. Geffner at Absolute Write has some good advice for freelancers of every level on how to make the best of your career:

Establish as personal a contact as possible with editors. Try to establish a phone connection at the very least, but face time is infinitely better and should without question be your goal. It's harder to reject a real live breathing person than a faceless name at the top of another letter. In fact, in your letters to editors, write a sentence about how you'll be calling on a specific day to discuss your "wonderful" ideas. This opens the door for your phone call. It won't be easy. It's like telemarketing at this point. But remember: Every rejection puts you closer to a sale. Though you'll have to pass some gatekeepers to get to the top editors, always be professional-- polite but pleasantly forceful. And if anyone asks what your business is with this editor, say it's personal. I mean, let's face it, your career is personal. Also, as a way around secretaries and assistants, you can call before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.-- when they aren't there. And prepare what you'll say if the editor actually gets on the line. Don't ramble. Get to the point and get off. Less is better. Make contact and leave on a high note. You want editors liking you enough to take your phone calls, not dreading the next one.

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