Will An Editor Judge You If You Don’t Have An Online Platform?

Yes. She is quietly judging you.

 

As a writer, do you need to have a website or blog?

It’s a question I’m asked pretty regularly by coaching clients, blog readers, and other freelance writers.

My response? Well, I can’t speak for all editors out there but, during my time fielding intern and blogger applications, and freelance queries, I always did the same thing.

If a website, blog, or Twitter URL did not appear as part of the writer’s email signature, I immediately googled their name so as to find it myself.

And if I didn’t find it?

I immediately questioned the abilities of the writer.

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Jenny Foss Reveals The Secret To Freelance Resume Success

Though this blog is all about freelancing, it’s become clear to me over the past eight years that freelancing doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.

In fact, my own career has taken on a variety of slash career permutations. I’ve done freelance writing and editing while working full-time in the book publishing industry. I’ve juggled part-time permalance gigs with freelance projects and internships. And now I’m a full-time freelance sex writing, funeral singing career coach to word nerds.

I love having that variety, but doing so many things has made it difficult to build one, cohesive platform.

Which is why I approached Jenny Foss — founder of her own recruiting agency, resume guru, job search consultant, and author of To Whom It May Concern: Or, How To Stop Sucking at Your Job Search — and asked her to give my resume a major overhaul.

After she created a resume for me that made me want to make out with myself, it occurred to me that she might have more insight to share in terms of creating a cohesive marketing platform as a freelancer.

So I put on mascara and interviewed Jenny (also known as @JobJenny) via Skype video chat.

You’re welcome.

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