17 June 2010
by 
A writing friend of mine recently turned down a relatively low-paying assignment for a well-known print publication widely distributed on newsstands. Until now, she’s only written for the Web, and it stung a bit to say “no” to an actual “printed-on-paper” clip.
But the topic just didn’t appeal to her and she realized it would be a lot of work for a very small amount of money. Since she really doesn’t want to write for print in the future, a clip holds very little value for her.
Since the majority of my writing experience has been in print publications, she asked my opinion about the concept of “clips.” What are clips? And do you need them?
What is a “Clip?”
A writing “clip” carries the broad definition of any writing sample that has been published anywhere (including on the Web.)
The word “clip” comes from the days when writers would use scissors to cut (“clip”) their article from a newspaper or magazine, glue it on a sheet of white paper (for uniformity), make a clean photocopy and send it to their favorite magazine along with a winning query in the hopes of getting an assignment.
Nowadays, most writers scan in their clips and attach a PDF to their e-mailed query. (Am I showing my age?)
Do You Need Clips?
Some prospective clients today actually request “samples” rather than clips. There’s a big difference. A writing sample is simply something you wrote. It doesn’t have to have been published. A clip, however, has been published and implies experience. It can give you the leg up over the competition when you apply for a job or submit a query.
Ideally, you will accrue a variety of the clips in the fields you want to work in. A well-rounded magazine writer, for instance, wants to have clips of:
- Q & A interviews
- News items
- Feature stories
- Personality profiles
- How-to articles
Many beginning writers ask me, “I don’t have any clips, and they ask for clips. What do I do?” Easy — send a sample. Don’t let a lack of clips hold you back from applying for your dream job or submitting to your dream publication. If they say yes, Voila! You have your first honest-to-goodness clip. Now what do you do with it?
What Should You Do with a Clip?
Scan it in to your computer and save it in a folder titled “Clips.” If it’s already electronic, then do a screen capture and, again, save it on your hard drive. Just because your article is on the Web now, don’t assume it will be there forever. Whether it started life digitally or on paper, also put it on some sort of back-up source, too… an external hard drive, flash drive or CD.
To easily find your clips on the Web, set up Google Alerts for your name. If your name is frequently misspelled, set up Google alerts for alternate spellings, too.
Then, when you need a particular type of article to showcase your writing skills, you can go to that folder on your hard drive and pull out an appropriate story. You can choose to sort your clips by date, publication/industry or style of story. You might even want to cross-reference them so you can find what you need easily.
Remember, only include an attachment if the client/editor says it’s okay. Otherwise, copy and paste the text in the body of the email, including the name of the publication where it originally appeared, and the date (if it’s less than one year old).
It’s totally okay to use older clips if they’re relevant, especially if you can’t see the date on the clip. It’s also okay to use a clip with no byline, or a clip with a pseudonym. (Although you may want to point it out in your query or cover letter.)
For my friend, who really has no aspirations to write for print magazine markets in the future, it was smart to turn down the assignment. Clips are worthless if they can’t help you achieve your writing goals.
Learn from My Mistakes
The answer to the question, “What should you do with clips?” is very different from the answer I gave when my friend asked me: “What do YOU do with clips?” I have clips dated from 1990 and on piled in Rubbermaid containers in my attic. They are, essentially, acting as home insulation.
No one told me back when I got my first clip to start scanning them in so I’d have a digital archive forever. But then I guess I’d have to buy fiberglass insulation to keep the upstairs offices warm all winter, so maybe I’m ahead of the game?
What do YOU do with clips?
Great article! As you mentioned, it’s important to scan your clips if they’re stacked in a box. You could scan them to a “jumpdrive” or to a CD. This way you’ll have them readily available.
Make sure you ask for clips! Some people forget to ask or don’t bother asking. What if the publication changes editors? Who’s to say the new editor will make time for you. When you complete an assignment, get your clip and file it accordingly.
Travel-Writers-Exchange.com shares: NEW Feature at TWE: Under The Microscope
One of the things I try to remember to do as I wrap up Web work I’ve done is to capture screen shots. The internet is so transient that what is here one day could be gone the next and there have been a number of times when I wished I’d had a copy, a clip, of the work I’d done.
One of the things I love about scans or screen captures is potential clients/publishers can see the publication as it appeared. Our basic text files aren’t as pretty as the final layout and formatting that comes together on publication.
The trick is getting into the habit of doing it. And, Dawn, assuming the silverfish aren’t breeding in your attic you still have time to scan those old magazine clips.
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