How to Respond to a Letter Asking for Creative Work

Keep a neat file of all requests received.

If you are pursuing a career as an artist, writer or musician, there will, hopefully, come a time when you are faced with a request for your creative work. A written invitation to submit your work is not a guarantee of acceptance, publication or employment, but it is an important step in the process of building an immediate and long-term partnership. Treat the occurrence like an interview; be polite, personable and professional but do not forget to look out for your own best interests.

Instructions

1. Read the letter carefully and make sure your understand what services are being requested. Look for information regarding copyrights, trademarking, use, ownership and compensation.

2. Decide if you will provide the services.

3. Look for instructions regarding routes of communication in the interested person's request --- e.g., if he concludes the letter with a phone number, it is okay to call him regarding this matter; otherwise, adhere to a written format.

4. Format the letter, using the written request as a guide; if the interested person's missive is formal, follow suit. Place the recipient's name, title and contact information at the top of the page left justified.

5. Press Enter twice to place the cursor two lines below the contact information.

6. Type a greeting, such as "Good afternoon." You can type the recipient's name followed by a comma --- e.g., "Mr. Hall," --- as your saluttion.

7. Begin the note by thanking the sender for his request --- e.g., Thank you very much for your kind offer.

8. State your interest or lack thereof --- e.g., "I am humbled by your request and excited by your project. I would be pleased to offer whatever material I have" or "At this time, I am unable to make donations to educational institutions."

9. Consider introducing stipulations or a counteroffer, if the agreement does not meet your needs. State any applicable rates, if you will charge for your material; also, explain any restrictions that may apply to the interested person's request. Address any questions he posed in his initial request. Tailor this information for the potential client; e.g., "My standard rate for private, noneducational galleries is $500 per night; however, given the nature of your project, I am able to offer a 50% discount."

10. Close the letter with warm regards; e.g., "Again, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude for your generous offer. I hope that we will have a long and fruitful partnership." A warm closing should also apply even if you rejected the person's offer.

11. Press Enter twice.

12. Type "Sincerely," and then on another line, enter your name. Include your title after your name separated by a comma or new line.

13. Print the note on your business or personal letterhead. Type your contact information in the upper left above the recipient's information separated by a blank line, if you do not have a letterhead.

14. Mail the note. Consider the time frame of the request when selecting a mail service. If you are interested in the offer and the person extending the invitation needs a reply within the week, send the note overnight.

References

• "How to Write Better Business Letters"; Andrea B. Geffner; 2007
• Purdue Owl: Writing the Basic Business Letter
• "2011 Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market"; Mary Burzlaff Bostic; 2010