Just received your email and responded. You’ll be my first writer neighbor.

LS,

I feel the same way you do on the ghostwriting issue, although I can see where there would be cases in which people would need to be able to show ghostwritten samples. I suppose if I were in a situation where all my samples where ghostwritten, I’d feel differently. I think I’d still get my clients’ permission to show the samples to potential clients. I suppose it depends on who you work for and what sort of agreement you’ve signed. Some clients might be fine with the issue while others wouldn’t.

Don’t forget guys the actual email subject line has to be very eye catching too!

The ghosted materials I mentioned aren’t written for other writers, but for firms or execs who wouldn’t be seeking writing positions (they would be seeking CFO, CEO, tech, or other non-writing positions). Releases are blinded in such a way that name of firm doesn’t appear and I mention that they’re blinded to protect identities of clients.

We are neighbors…I’m about 10 miles east of you. I’ll e-mail you separately.

I find listing links to my articles works well and a simple high point list of my two columns and blog help.

It’s getting into another niche that I find difficult.

This is a great topic and I am learning alot from everyone.

I live in Tinley Park. Feel free to email me. It would be nice to know a local writer.

Let’s see…I started out my career with ghostwriting and it’s only recently that I’ve been published as, well, me.

When I was very new, I submitted ghostwritten clips but I did include a “This piece is only for sampling purposes, don’t use it bla bla bla…” When I began gaining experience though, I knew better, built a portfolio and submitted those for clips.

Freelance writing is a business. What I would carry away from this letter is that the author is self-absorbed, and carries a lot of personal baggage. In fact, it sounds like someone that is going to be trouble — late, and more interested in expanding her horizons than delivering copy.

That’s counterproductive. Write a cover letter that explains why your potential customer is being clever and safe by hiring you to write for them.

This letter needs a focal point, and it shouldn’t come in the closing line or the reader may not get that far.

What burb are you in? I just noticed that we may be neighbors.

We just finished the hiring process for a top-level employee for my NGO(actually, we’re making the final decision today…trying to hire someone from abroad for an international job is really tough). Reading so many cover letters, I found myself doing something similar to Deb’s old boss. Frankly, I only cared about someone’s personal story/motivations if I already had the feeling that s/he was right for the job. First and foremost, I wanted s/he to say “I’m a fit because of ABCD” (huge fan of the bulleted list, I am). I want to be assured that s/he is talented, and I want s/he to prove it. Then, if relevant to the position (like many said above) I’d like to hear more about what makes the person even more committed to the project, i.e. being a parent, gardener, masochist, o que sea.

However, I’ve never been on the hiring end of a writing job. I have used the same format to get freelance clients for whom I write. Any thoughts on the fundamental differences between “professional” (for lack of a better term…I’ve been thinking in Spanish all day) and “freelance” cover letters? I think that would be a really helpful distinction as we see more letters from writers who are possibly transitioning.

I don’t write press releases, but I can see how it would be difficult if you weren’t allowed to send samples you’d written for clients. I can’t see how a client would complain about that, but I suppose it would depend on the agreement.

Robin,

I agree with you. If a client doesn’t care enough to tell a writer his terms or have the writer sign a contract, it shouldn’t be an issue.

To be honest, I haven’t read that deeply into the minutiae of these agreements — yes, maybe I should have, but neither side typically is interested in going this route. I work for some PR firms, but that use these, but they typically have different client bases and seldom go after the same clients (these are smaller agencies, not the big guys).

So if I was writing a case study for PR 1 and trying to get work from PR 2, I would send the draft (so no PR firm name is on it) of the press release, case study, etc., but would blind the end client. For example, a release involving P&G (I’ve never done one for them directly or indirectly) would say “a major consumer good company” rather than P&G in any forwarded material. In this instance, I would also blind the name of the product or any other identifying info.

By the way, I almost never get involved in consumer goods, like P&G, so I think this provides a good example without violating any written or “understood” contracts.

You probably have a better handle on legal issues. If I was trying to operate my own pr firm while subbing for others, this could be an issue. But I stay with the writing, not in distribution of releases.

Since I have not signed anything for these third party clients nor have I signed anything for the person I worked for, I don’t feel under any obligation to not use the articles I write as samples. I would assume if the client wants it differently, he would make sure he got it in writing. I would be more than happy to adhere to an agreement. But if there’s no agreement, I have no reason to think the client would have a problem with it.

I’ve never signed a non-compete agreement either.

I’m just curious, in the cases where you’ve signed an NDA but have blocked out the name in a sample, did the contract say you were selling all rights to claim the work as your own or performing work-for-hire? I liken ghostwriting to work-for-hire, but maybe I’m wrong?

I have same NDAs in some cases. I don’t mention name of client, just that there are other (type of firm), and offer a “blinded” article…”blinded” enough that name of end firm or even industry are indistinguishable. I mention that NDA prevents providing more detail.

I’m not saying you’re wrong in how you go about it. But I’m comfortable enough in how I handle it.

Additionally, with your background, you’d know this but other readers might not: An NDA is different than a non-compete. I will agree to limited non-compete clauses (I don’t want to steal clients), but unless someone is going to pay benefits, I won’t agree in writing not to work for a competitor, that’s a one-sided agreement — they don’t agree not to hire other writers. However, I typically don’t work for DIRECT competitors unless the relationship sours.