A Good Girls Guide to Being Aggressive

So I'm not really an aggressive person. Like at all. I am super self-conscious about being pushy or annoying or intrusive. My best friend and I spend way too long picking movies because I am so paranoid about picking something she even remotely doesn't want that I can't make any decisions.

But sometimes sitting back quietly isn't the right option. Lately I've been trying to learn the difference between confidence and pushiness. And it's been paying off.

So I've been looking for writing gigs in a serious way for a while. Before Christmas I contacted a friend who works at a magazine and she gave me the contact info for one of the editors. I sent him a message and he back to me within a few days, thanking me for getting in touch and letting me know he'd let me know if something came up. A couple months past and I didn't hear from him, so I sent him another message. I never got a response, which normally would have made me shrink like a violet. But instead I geared up my courage and sent him another message, this time a fully crafted pitch for an article idea. And guess what? He gave me the go ahead.

So yes. Maybe aggressive isn't the right word, but its okay to be persistent. Its okay to believe that you can do a good job, and that editors are smart for hiring you. Obviously there are all those creepy, inappropriate, stalkery things we hear about and want to avoid, but there is a difference between harassment and not giving up.

So don't give up. You can do it.

Sarah Allen

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