The Professional Writer: Part Three - Looking the Part

(Last week's article is still available. Part Two - The Customer).

Think your writing speaks for itself?

Think what you wear, the layout of your portfolio and how you speak doesn’t affect the decisions made by people with cheque books?

Think formatting and layout are minor details that cramp creativity?

vIf you answered yes to the above three questions, you’re not alone, but you’ll also never achieve your goal of being a professional writer.

Let’s get rid of one myth straight away.

Never Judge a Book By Its Cover? Balderdash!

It may be a lovely sentiment, but it is completely false. Human psychology is built on our perceptions of the world around us. We make assumptions and judgments based on the slightest impressions we receive, and are quite comfortable making important decisions based on this little information.

When we meet someone for the first time, we take in as much information as possible and determine a wealth of conclusions. In a few seconds we make assumptions on background (both financial and cultural), sexuality, attitudes, intelligence, ethics and more. And, to the dismay of many, these assumptions can usually be very accurate.

Before becoming a professional copywriter last year, I worked for a decade as an office manager in the employment industry, case managing long term unemployed people. Despite my years of experience, I would always have clients argue with me that presentation should be irrelevant to an employer if they could do the job.

But employers are just like the rest of us and will use the ten minute interview to create an impression, filling in any gaps with assumptions. Allow them to make the wrong assumptions because you forgot to wear a tie that day and it’s too late.

If you think you’re above making judgments like this, test yourself. Next time you are on a bus or train or in any public place, look around at the people near you. You will not be able to prevent yourself from making assumptions about them. You may sit a little further away from the young men in gang colours. You like the look of the pretty girl in the smart business suit and can imagine her having a decent job. You can spot the single mother struggling to make ends meet. It is possible you could be wrong on all counts, but the impression will still be there and will guide your actions and reactions to them.

Personal Presentation

Personal presentation is about more than ironing your Iron Maiden t-shirt before that meeting. It means reaching and exceeding the standard of presentation of the people you will be meeting.

I always advised jobseekers to dress one step above the potential employer. The rule applies just as well to writers in professional settings. This means if the environment is relaxed with staff in jeans and t-shirts, you should dress smart-casual in sharp jeans and a collared shirt. If the people you are meeting with are likely to dress in suits, make sure you are also in a suit with a decent silk tie and maybe throw on some cufflinks.

What you are doing is indicating that you not only fit in with the people you are meeting, but also fit in with their aspirations. If you dress a step below them, you appear from a lower rung of success. A step higher, and they feel more comfortable associating with you. Psychology.

Cliched perceptions of appearance can help here as well. Just as we expect a successful businessman to wear an expensive suit, we have visual clichés for writers. Sports jackets, smart jeans or slacks, etc. By looking like a successful writer, you are more likely to be treated as one. Give them what they expect and you won’t have to work so hard convincing them of your writing credentials.

Dressing to impress doesn’t need to be expensive. I may slob around in shorts and t-shirt at the weekend, but I have a wardrobe of suits, fine shirts and a variety of sports jackets, casual slacks, smart jeans and silk ties. Although I can dress a million dollars, it never costs me that much. I make a point of kitting myself out with a few choice items at every half yearly sale. Just a few weeks ago, I snagged a couple of very expensive sports jackets at 75% off. Perfect with a pair of smart jeans, I look the image of a successful professional writer, and it cost me as much as I would normally spend on my regular wardrobe.

If you don’t trust your own sartorial skills to choose the right wardrobe or dress with style and taste, (and let’s face it – not all of us are clothes horses) ask someone to help. My fiancé and daughter are often the final judges on which shirt to buy and which trousers should be burned.

The appearance of success can beget success. If you look successful, people are more likely to trust you with their commissions.

Grooming

Grooming may seem obvious, but after ten years of dealing with people, I learned never to take any of these things for granted.

Do you really want the lack of deodorant to be the reason your script doesn’t get made? Do you really want your beard stubble to make a potential client think you’re not used to dealing with corporate customers? Do you really want people to feel uncomfortable taking you out for that expensive business lunch?

Grooming may be so far off your list of daily priorities you think the word only applies to pets, but it has an immense effect on the people you meet.

Here’s a tip. I have long hair. It’s a hangover from my nightclub DJ days and my fiancé would stop talking to me (and other things) if I ever cut it off. But it has never prevented me from getting work or networking in high business circles. Remember, I worked as a successful office manager dealing with corporate clients for ten years.

The point I am making is that my hair looks like it came out of a salon instead of the mosh pit. If you have long hair because you can’t be bothered doing anything with it, cut it. Now. I’ll even lend you the scissors. If you’re not going to groom that beard and let your hair just hang where it wants, don’t be surprised if people don’t trust you to look after their projects. They see someone who can’t be bothered to groom themselves and use that as an indicator to how you will approach their job.

Written Presentation

If you were a producer or book editor and happened to bump into me in a pub, would you think I was capable of being professional about my work if I scrawled my details on the back of a beer mat? Take the time to print decent quality business cards with all your relevant contact details. You could also include a couple of bullet points of your key achievements or areas of expertise as a memory jogger. When so much of professional writing is about networking, not having a good looking business card can keep you on the outside looking in. I have a handful of cards in my wallet, my bag, even my laptop case. I don’t know when I’ll bump into a potential contact and I never want to leave them with a soggy beer mat.

Also, any hard copy submissions you make should be beautifully printed and presented. Make sure you have a decent quality printer at home or use your local Kinkos. Card covers, brass brads, single sided sheets, there are a lot of established conventions in how professional writing submissions should be presented. But even if you are not submitting a manuscript, short form writing also needs some gloss.

Some of my copywriting jobs may only be a hundred words or so. Regardless how long or short the piece, the client always receives it on a specially designed form and never just slipped into the body of an email. The form has the company letterhead, the details of the brief the date, my name and contact details, formatting suggestions for the copy and the copy itself.

This formal layout provides clear instructions for the person who may be typesetting or coding the copy into a print or webpage.

When sending your completed writing to anyone, solicited or unsolicited, consider the packaging. Does it convey the impression of an organised industry dealing with many clients or an amateur side project?

Formatting

All areas of professional writing have particular and strict conventions of layout and formatting for submissions. These need to be adhered to fanatically.

You may feel double spacing or dialogue indenting is unnecessary, but if you deviate from the expected format, you may find your potential Oscar winner is binned unread. I cannot stress enough the importance of researching the formats expected in your chosen area. Failure to do so betrays you as an amateur from the very beginning.

Some amateur writers protest that if the words are good, formatting shouldn’t matter. But it is precisely because you want the reader to focus on your brilliant words that correct formatting is essential.

If a script reader is going to read ten scripts in succession, it can be jarring to move from one format style to another. If a reader has to think about how to interpret the formatting, they are not giving all their attention to your words.

By standardising all scripts to one format, the script reader is always focussed on the words and not the layout.

Presenting… The Professional Writer

There is one last important reason for caring about your presentation.

You.

It is a psychological fact that if you know you look good, your confidence rises and you perform better. I’m sure most of us will have experienced that feeling of an evening out, dressed in great style, and feeling fantastic because of it.

Personal presentation is fantastic for self esteem. It is not only the people around you that will become convinced of your professionalism, you will find your own opinion of your abilities will increase.

Sounds ridiculous I know, but dressing well and having a strong business card makes me feel I belong in the room with the moneymen and that carries across in their attitudes towards me.

Go on. Write to Impress - Dress for Success.

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