Applying for paying writing jobs - is it worth waiting ages for a reply?

That's how long I waited for a reply to a writing job I applied for back on the 31st October last year. Now maybe Hallowe'en had something to do with it - I don't know. But I applied for a blogging position someone was advertising, I had a reply - a very nice one as it happens - and that was it. After a couple of emails back and forth I didn't hear back from them again.

Now I have a strict policy in place with myself that says once I apply for a writing job I never think about it again. Since plenty of the ones you apply for will stay as that - applications and no more - there is no point wondering and hoping and using up your energy on wishes. Instead I focus that energy on applying for the next job, and so on. You get the point.

And that is probably why this particular instance took me by surprise last week.

That's the feeling I got when I first had contact from the guy I originally applied to. It had been so long I couldn't place the contact. Luckily he had replied to my email so I had all the original information attached to the bottom of it.

And this was, ironically, the quickest job I've ever got. I wrote five blog posts for him last week, sent them, he loved them, he paid, and I'm doing more going forwards on a weekly basis. How's that for quick off the mark for a job that took four months to get?

I am currently planning some future blog post ideas for him too, so this could be a regular and long running gig if I play my cards right.

UPDATE: it did. Nearly a year later I am still writing regular posts for him :)

This is really what I want to say to everyone out there who is frantically applying for online writing jobs and getting discouraged when they don't get results straightaway. Firstly try applying the rule I always put in place - namely to forget about every single job once you have applied for it. But think about these things too when you are wondering why you haven't heard back:

• the job may already have been filled
• the person who posted it could be overrun with replies
• they may simply not have time to even send a standard email to everyone who applied

Whatever the reason might be for not getting a reply, you should get used to the fact that you probably won't get one - unless you get the job. And as I found out on this occasion, it could be a long wait until you find out for sure.

That's the beauty of online writing - you never know what will happen next. I've added a comments capsule below so if you can beat my four month personal record, go right ahead and let me know! I've got a strong feeling that someone else out there can knock my record into a cocked hat.  Am I right?