Question:
If a company asks for a writing resume, what should I send them? What do
you put in a writing resume? Is it some sort of portfolio, or a list of
works published, what?
Answer:
- I don't know the answer, but if you ask it in misc.writing your chances of a
helpful reply are much greater.
- I agree on that point. If they ask for a resume, they obviously don't want a
portfolio, otherwise they would have asked for one.
- Yes and yes. Whatever you have that you think might show you're a
serious writer, bung it in. I'm assuming you're not spoiled for
choice, or you wouldn't be asking.
Have you published anything? In college, for example? In a local
paper, a freesheet or church magazine? That's the kind of thing.
Works in progress aren't terribly suitable, but if you're stuck for
other options, try this.
Get to know the publication(s) your company puts out. Rack your
brains thinking up new, fresh angles for work they might be
interested in. You've said it's a comics company, which is way out of
my field, but perhaps a couple of stories? They'd have to be
fully-developed, though not necessarily written. You'd have to be
able to pitch them to their fullest extent, so that when the time
comes where they say: I notice you haven't written very much, you go:
True, but I have been working on some new ideas I think might be of
interest to you.
This is second-class advice, in a way. Nothing you can do will make
up for the lack of actual, published material with your name on it,
in a folder ready to hand over.
- Here's a thought. Sit down and have an idea. They're a publishing company,
right? Looking for a writer, someone creative? Dammit, man, if you can't
show them why you should have the job, maybe you shouldn't. If they wanted
a form letter, they'd have put 'accountant' in the job description.
