Gather in one sitting. Three columns: who they are, what they publish, and the specific gap you noticed. Best patterns: podcasters with no clip output or clips that stopped; creators publishing inconsistently; businesses posting raw unedited footage. Every prospect must have a publishing habit already.
| Who (name / channel) | What they publish | Gap noticed | Batch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect | Sample sent (date) | Reply? | Follow-up due (day 5) | Follow-up sent | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | |||||
| ☐ | |||||
| ☐ | |||||
| ☐ | |||||
| ☐ |
The sample is 30 to 60 seconds cut from footage they already published, in your best style. Expectations: send ten samples, expect two to four conversations, and expect one client from a good batch of twenty. Three batches a week for a month is the realistic cost of your first retainer.
"Watched your episode with the retirement-planning anecdote. That story deserved to be a clip, so I cut it: [link]. If it's useful, post it. If you'd want a batch like this every week, I do this for [client type] and I'll show you what that looks like."
"Following up on the clip. If it's not a fit, no worries at all; I'll keep watching the show."
Two touches total. Anything more converts you from helpful stranger into the thing you swore not to be.
"Loved working on this; if anyone in your space needs an editor, an intro means a lot."
Referrals from happy clients are the cheapest pipeline you will ever have, and most editors never ask.