Life has shifted gears and you can no longer count on face-to-face contacts, meeting someone at a conference, or even attending a writer’s event to hand out your business cards. Getting your name out there now depends entirely on your Internet marketing skills.
Your Online Calling Card – Once upon a time, writers used to ask, “Should I have a website?” Nowadays, a website is imperative. It’s a visual resume for all to see – no in-person meeting required! You can brag about yourself all you want by posting links to your best articles and features. Have you been published on the cover of a magazine? Post the cover (with permission from the magazine, of course). Provide an easy to use interface that allows for one-click access your published clips, magazine covers, and your bio. You should also have accounts on the most popular social media platforms, like LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. Self promotion has never been so easy!
Handy Success – On your website, keep an updated, ongoing list of your published work, and other industry related achievements. Keep updating it by adding the newest accomplishments to the top. I have an ongoing full resume which lists everything I have ever published with the title, link, and date, which is handy whenever an editor asks for published credits. They can see those immediately when I give them the link.
Twitter – Speaking from experience, I can tell you that the writers’ platform on Twitter is huge. Not only will you meet and interact with other writers and authors of various genres, but this is the place to post announcements, book launches, publisher calls for submissions, and manuscript wish lists. Editors of magazines and websites put out calls for submissions for editorial content to meet deadlines and, of course, there are popular pitch events where you get to pitch to a host of agents and editors. All of this equates to getting your name out there. The more you interact, the more people know your name. Soon, getting work get much easier.
Networking Ideas – Spread your wings as you gain more experience. You can start networking by offering to write a free review for another writer’s book, boost another writer’s work, and even just follow or like a fellow writer’s page or Twitter account. Soon, your followers will start growing via your interaction and, thus, the serious networking begins. Then, someone else will be promoting your work which gives you more credibility, success, and exposure.
Put Your Expert Self Out There – Present yourself as an expert in your field by offering advice. Guest blogging affords you the same exposure as networking, except you are seen as an expert on someone else’s blog. Sometimes, these blogs have newsletters so, beyond being seen on the firm’s website, your guest blog post will actually land in someone’s inbox so you get special attention. Another great way to market yourself is by agreeing or asking to be interviewed. It is another great way to get exposure and, if you do get this opportunity as an author, a give-away sweetens the deal, and goes a long way.
With most freelancers being encouraged to work from home, freelancing and getting your name out there is even more important. Since you are now competing with an upsurge in remote workers, your online presence and marketing has never been so important.
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Nadia Ali is a Freelance Writer and Author. She has been published both online and in print. You can follow her on Twitter at @NadiaAwriter
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I admire any writer who wants to tackle a blind character. But so many writers take up this challenge and FAIL. They research blindness by reading other fiction books, by observing their blind colleagues and acquaintances, and by tying on a blindfold and pretending to be blind themselves.
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