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Dear Anne
I have subscribed to your Writing Jobs listing for a few months now. I find the listing interesting and useful to see just what is available on the job market out there. I also find your articles on various aspects of writing informative and readable.
For some time I have had the suspicion that there was something wrong when I have replied to the links in the listings. I have applied for several jobs in your listings and have never heard a thing from the person advertising. Whilst I am sure this is normal if I was unsuccessful in my application, I have had a growing idea that the emails have not got through. Today I have tried again to apply for a job and the application has been rejected for a long list of reasons.
Is there some way I can apply for these jobs without clicking on the link to the Craigslist address? I have tried copying and pasting the address to yahoo but still get no reply. If I had had an acknowledgment from at least one employer, I would know that I had got through, but to hear from no one points to a problem!
Can you offer any advice please?
Many thanks,
PL
Dear PL,
Glad you find the listings helpful, or at least hopeful.
Often the advertisers don’t respond to every writer who answers their ads. It would be great if they did, but it just doesn’t happen that way. You’re not the first to ask me about this, so don’t feel alone.
Nor is there, in most cases, any other way to locate the ad than the link I provide - if there is it will show up in the ad itself and you can go from there.
Now, I have no idea exactly how you’re responding, but in your email to me there were three misspellings (which I corrected). So double and triple check your email and any other documents you send. If you need to get someone else to check your spelling for you, do so.
Make sure you’re responding to the ad itself… to what they say they want. If, for example, they want you to write about cats, make sure you tell them why you think you can write about cats… in a single short sentence or two.
It will really help if you have your own website where you can post samples and your resume or credit list. That won’t mean you don’t send clips or specific links, but it adds professionalism, which is always a plus.
Finally, keep at it. More than one writer has told me they got no response for months, then, as they learned to hone their responses, began to get multiple responses.
Good luck!
If you’d like your question about freelance writing, send an email to: anne@annewayman.com with Q&A in the subject line. No promises, but I’ll do my best.
Write well and often,

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