Recently I posted a set of “don’t hire me” traits new freelancers sometimes display, so I figured it was time to throw out some advice in the opposite direction. What makes an editor take a chance on new writers? What makes them ask some writers back for more? I don’t claim to know what works for every editor, but here’s what I look for;

10. A good cover letter. I recently put out a call for writers requesting three writing samples and links to online work. The worst responses I got included those things and nothing more. While some of the writing samples were decent, they were outclassed by the ones I got that had good cover letters. The good cover letters were the ones where the writer introduced themselves, listed some relevant qualifications and gave some background. The worst cover letters all said the same things. “I believe I am qualified for the position you advertised,” but did NOT ELABORATE.

9. Relevant writing samples. One joker sent me a cover letter, resume and a copy of his college thesis. I advertised for a writer who could do research and writeups on consumer electronics with a slant towards bargain hunting. What that guy SHOULD have done was to send me any writing at all that had something to do with what I asked for. Always at least try to include at least one sample of your work that is tilted towards the job at hand. Some editors will disagree with this next bit, but I’d rather see two published clips of any published writing and one unpublished clip that is relevant instead of nothing but samples of work that has nothing to do with my needs. I just want to see whether you are capable of writing in my niche.

8. Flexibility and reliability. A writer who can demonstrate the willingness to learn or go the extra mile is pure gold to a busy editor. There are plenty of writers out there, but not as many who have the ability to think on their feet, roll with the editorial punches and can take a few curveballs. The easiest way to establish your flexibility in the early stages of an editorial relationship is to simply decide you won’t say no to ANYTHING. Some writers don’t have this luxury, especially those who still work day jobs, but it is in your interest to say yes to as much as possible from a new editor in the early stages. It endears you to the editor and makes you the go-to person–status which gets you more work and higher pay. Reliability is a valuable trait in a freelancer.

7. Honesty. Don’t learn the hard way; reliability and flexibility doesn’t mean you can do EVERYTHING. When you hit the end of your current abilities, don’t try to fake your way through a topic if you don’t have the chops or the know-how. Tell the editor if you legitimately can’t take on the challenge. You’ll find that the honest approach works better towards building trust than if you take on something you know is really beyond your reach and turn in work that’s not up to par. I was once asked if I could handle doing an annual report for a large corporation; the money was massive and I had dollar signs in my eyes. But I also knew I’d never done one before and I had to force myself to tell the editor I didn’t think I could deliver the polished results the client was looking for. I missed out on a few thousand dollars that way, but the relationship actually got better and I took on more work as a result of my honesty. In the long run, I wound up making much more because I took the transparent approach.

6. Promising (and delivering) on-time work. I make a habit to turning in work to a new client at least one full day early, if not more. The benefits of doing this are obvious, but most people don’t shave a day off their deadlines. You get a competitive edge by doing so.

5. Turning in clean copy. This one may seem obvious, but it is an important detail. Clean copy is defined largely by where your material is being read. Are you writing for the web? Use short paragraphs and avoid lengthy blocks of text. Writing for print is much different than for the Internet, but some new freelancers don’t make adjustments. Clean up your copy for the ‘net and your marketability factor goes up a notch or three.

4. Sell yourself. Your new editor knows nothing at all about you, so it’s always good to drop (subtle) hints about your experience. When discussing a project with a new editor, I sometimes throw out a reference to previous work. “This project reminds me of something I did when I wrote radio copy, except this is much more in-depth. It’s great to tackle this subject again but in a more detailed way.” You can’t be too overt when doing this, but if the opportunity arises in a natural way, throw out a tiny mention of your previous work.

3. Give the right impression. It’s a fine line between making a new editor think you’re so swamped you can’t take on new work and giving the impression that your new editor is the only person you work with. I usually tell an editor if I have a deadline that might clash with the new work, but if there’s no conflict I will say something along the lines of, “I just wrapped up a project so my calendar is free. The timing on this assignment is great!”

2. Ask questions. When the editor asks if you have any questions, always ask SOMETHING, even if it’s just a recap of the assignment and the due date. This lets the editor know you are invested in the project and you are actively planning, even at the earliest stages of the work. Don’t forget to ask the editor what format documents should be submitted or whether attachments are acceptable.

1. Be available for follow up. Once the project is turned in, you will probably be asked to tweak or alter some minor part of the finished project, so be sure you make yourself available to the editor or project manager. Make yourself easy to track down for those first couple of assignments and you will likely be asked to work again. The harder you are to find after the project is completed, the less inclined a busy editor might be to contact you again. Be available and ready for anything; it’s the icing on the cake for a successful project.