Cold-Emailing Publishers
I know how daunting it can be to start as a freelancer or someone trying to get their foot in the door within the publishing industry, especially when you have no clue where to start. I was incredibly fortunate enough to have a friend within the industry who was able to offer advice on how to get your name out there.
In terms of getting the attention of publishers, and later, the opportunity to work with them, cold-emailing has been my biggest success so far! To put it simply, cold-emailing, similar to the concept of cold-calling, is an easy and effective way to pitch yourself to a publisher by offering insight into your experience in the field and the relevant qualifications you might have.
How to formulate your email
By choosing to cold-email a publisher, you are directly reaching out to them with the hope of being considered for their freelance roster (if they have one), or even for work experience/internship.
Scour the website of the publisher in question and try and find the relevant email address as different departments may use different email addresses – if you can find the specific name of the editor at the company then even better but don’t worry if you can’t.
Try and be as specific as possible in your subject line, I use ‘Freelance Proofreader’, that way the person receiving your email knows exactly what you are approaching them about.
Start by introducing yourself, state your name, what you do and where you are from (if it is relevant). Follow up by asking if the publisher takes on freelancers and express that you wish to be considered.
Follow up with what relevant experience you hold: what degrees you have, what other qualifications you have, where you did your training, etc
Also describe which genres/media you are most comfortable/experienced working with, including any specialist subjects/topics you could provide insight on – if you are planning on working with non-fiction, the more specific the better
Remember to be as professional as possible, and thank them for their time and consideration.
Important things to note
It is important to link your relevant social media profiles (your website, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc) and to have your CV ready to send if they request it.
It is also important to know that you won’t receive a reply straight away, some may get ignored or tossed out, and they might keep your details on hand for future reference. If you eventually get a reply, great! But don’t stress if you feel like you’re getting nowhere, just make sure you’re consistent! Also, don’t constantly spam the same publishers with emails if you don’t get a reply, give it a few months to a year before trying again.
Make sure you are emailing from a professional email address that matches you or your business.
Have a template but tailor it to the specific publisher you are emailing, I have accidentally sent an email intended for one publisher to a completely different publisher by accident – be vigilant!
Keep a spreadsheet of all the publishers you contact, what email address you reached out to, and when you emailed.
Where to find publishers
Lauren Ternent | The Editorial Geordie