Q. I have a question that I haven't seen answered in your columns yet. I am ready to send out cover letters, clips and resumes in the next week or two. I've been told that I should
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attach, to each clip, a one-or-two paragraph explanation of each article. Each explanation should detail the difficulties of the story, whether it was written on deadline, the different types of research it involved, etc.
I'm not sure if this is sound advice. It is from someone whom I respect and trust, but runs contrary to what I've learned from recruiters and editors: they have little time, and that extra page could just be wasted paper as far as they're concerned.
I'm not sure what to do at this point.
PeteA. I agree with the advice you have heard -- to a point. I recommend adding a brief note attaching difficulties that might not be apparent from the clips themselves.
Putting a note on each and every story is overkill. And it will not play well with editors, who are looking for reporters to be clear and concise. Use these attachments sparingly.
Coming Tuesday: After two years of economics, this student fell in love with journalism and is now trying to calculate a new internship path.
