Easy Ways for Writers to Approach Editors, Agents and Publishers with Greater Confidence
A recent study showed that most freelance journalists dislike calling editors more than any other part of the job. Whether you’re selling your ideas to editors, agents or publishers, these simple steps will give you confidence boosting tips and ideas you can start using immediately.
KNOW THAT YOU’VE DONE YOUR BEST
When you approaching an editor with a query / proposal or completed article or an agent or publisher with a book proposal or completed manuscript, make sure your writing is the best it can possibly be.
Author Julia Bell confessed that when she was an aspiring writer, she would hope that the postal system would magically transform work she knew, deep down, wasn’t good enough.
START AN ACHIEVEMENTS LOG
Spend 30 minutes to begin with listing everything you can think of. From your first sale to a national publication to learning how to cartwheel when you were 7, creating a list of things you are proud of yourself for (even if, to begin with, you don’t honour them as worthy achievements) will help boost your core esteem.
THINK OF A TIME WHEN YOU FELT SUPREMELY CONFIDENT
Your Achievements Log will have got you into a better frame of mind for this. Have a look at what you have so far and think of a time when you felt invincible.
Take a few deep breaths and remember all the details of this moment. What were you doing? How did you feel? What could you see and hear and smell? Create an anchor in your mind so that anytime you feel insecure, you can remember this moment and boost your confidence instantly.
STAND UP STRAIGHT!
Your parents were right. Posture matters. Not only does slouching damage your spine if repeated overt time but it has a negative impact on your self-esteem.
Even on the phone, standing up will lend your voice more confidence and authority.
STOP DOING AND START BEING
We spend so much time in Doing Mode (problem solving and generally trying to keep up with the frantic To Do lists we set ourselves) that our cerebral cortex becomes more developed than the sensory cortex.
Even if you only spend a couple of minutes a day, you will reap benefits as you learn to reconnect on a regular basis with your calm, positive, whole centre.
FLEX YOUR POSITIVE THINKING MUSCLES
It’s a well known fact that we achieve what we think we can achieve. Without self-belief, humans would never have discovered fire, let alone the internet!
For example, if you are worried that your reader (editor / agent / publisher) won’t like what you’ve written, imagine them loving it. These positive thoughts will make you feel better each time you visualise your happy outcome.
IDENTIFY ALL YOUR SUPPORT
Many writers buy into the “it’s a lonely life” propaganda and miss out on all sorts of support because they simply don’t acknowledge it.
Take some time to appreciate the support you already have. It might be great to add an agent, publisher, sales team, entourage to this list but who do you have right now?
Some e-forums will also help you gain advice from more experienced writers (see www.applecoaching.com links page for some suggestions)
STEP INTO YOUR POWER
Yes, the editor / agent / publisher you have identified is your # 1 choice but she or he is not all powerful.
If rejected (or ignored), do something nice for yourself to honour your disappointment but don’t wallow. Get into a resourceful state so you are ready to try again with more success!
© Eve Menezes Cunningham. All rights reserved.
Eve Menezes Cunningham is an accredited life coach who helps writers set and reach writing and personal goals. Eve uses a wide range of business performance coaching, life coaching and NLP techniques and you can choose from a variety of packages to suit your needs and budget. For more information, please visit http://www.coachingwriters.co.uk or call 01277 632085.
If you would like to read the full report, please send an email titled FREE Confidence Report to reports@coachingwriters.co.uk
Eve is also a freelance journalist / writer and has written for a wide rang of trade, national and international publications including: eve magazine, Yoga Magazine, Yoga & Health, Nursery World, Introducing Animals, Retirement Today, Embody Professional, Confetti, The Morning Star, Start Your Business and Executive Woman. Eve is also working on a novel and personal development book about turning setbacks into success.
