5 Reasons Freelance Writers Send Urgent Info Requests
I’m trying hard to eliminate excess apologies from emails and daily life, but sometimes I feel obligated to include a “sorry!” when I request something for a story with a quick turnaround time. It’s not fun to be on the receiving end of those emails—and that old adage, “Failure to plan on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on mine” holds true—but it can be unavoidable at times. Here are some reasons why a writer’s request might be due yesterday, to help you understand our side of things.
1. Another writer fell through.
About once a month I’ll receive a last-minute assignment from an editor when the original writer they assigned to the piece falls through. If I can handle the extra work on short notice, I accept, as I want to continue to develop my reputation as a go-to dependable writer. That means I’m also counting on PR teams to be responsive to help me meet a tight deadline.
2. An editor is behind and/or disorganized.
Pitching editors as a freelance writer is unpredictable. Some weeks I get an assignment from a pitch a few hours after I send an initial email, while others can take months. For example, a national magazine editor accepted a pitch I sent in March in September and gave me only a week to turn the story around. I had moved on from the idea after three follow-ups thinking he wasn’t interested, so accepting the quick assignment meant some fast research and source finding on my part.
3. A source fell through.
I can have the perfect three sources lined up for a health article, for example, but then discover after a phone call with each that one of them isn’t the best fit, or doesn’t have the right expertise on the topic. That can result in a mad dash to find a replacement who’s also available very quickly for a phone interview, which I understand isn’t always easy to orchestrate. Responsive PR teams with eloquent sources who are able to respond to questions via email in a case like this are wonderful to have in my back pocket.
4. We only need one thing.
One of my pet peeves is when I email a request for a photo link or a single detail, such as a starting room rate, that my editor is asking for after I’ve submitted a particular piece, and PR immediately responds to ask how soon I need it, or if by end of week, etc. is OK. What am I missing from the other side about why these easy requests can take more than a day or so to turn around? I usually expect a same-day turnaround (usually) when asking for items such as this.
5. I’m behind.
As much as I try to avoid it, there have been weeks with 10-plus deadlines during which I simply fall behind on everything that’s not writing, including emails and responding to potential sources. If you submit a source idea or angle to me and I don’t get back to you for weeks, but then need a next-day turnaround, I might be *that* writer after all. Let’s hope this never happens again…
So, tell me: What percentage of media requests have a 24-hour-or-less turnaround time? How do you track and balance short-term leads with longer-term leads that may require more information gathering? Any anyone up for helping me out on No. 4?