An Easy Solution For All Of Your Writing

One approach that might help you with your writing, whether it is your story, your query letter, your synopsis, your resume, your cover letter or anything else is actually a fairly easy think anyone can do. No, it does not involve A.I. No, it does not involve learning some advance forms of grammar or writing skills. No it does not involve some amazingly long course that you would have to pay a ton of money for and invest a huge time commitment. It is really VERY easy.

Read it as a reader.

When I teach resume writing, I always remind the participants to look at their resume as if they are an employer. They have no clue who you are. They have never met you. They have no idea how amazing you are (because of course, in your head, your the best thing ever). Look at that resume and ask if you would hire yourself just from what you have on that piece of paper.

The same goes for a query letter. 

This last weekend, I was reading a stack of new submissions. I am wondering what these people would have thought if that came across their email. Let me give you some idea of what I saw.

Dear Mr. Greyhouse...

Dear Scott, I know I am not a great writer but I figured, what the hell, let me take a stab at this anyway.

To whom it may concern [and in the TO portion of the email was a list of 40 other agents it was being sent to]

Emails with no signature, no name and nothing telling me what the project was about.

Dear Scott, Attached is my story. It's good. Read it and sign me.

You might think I am joking but this is just a sample and yes, these are the extreme end of the spectrum. Still, if you were to read your material as if you did not know you, would you hire you?

If you read your first three chapters of your story, which happened to just be laying on a table somewhere, and you had no clue who had written it, would you keep reading?

See how easy that was? It was so easy, this post was that short! Now, I am off for a cup of coffee!