To ensure a steady flow of work and income, a
writer should promote himself constantly. Not everyone knows you are a
writer and the competition for work is very high. Not only do you
compete with publications regular staffers and commissioned writers but
with more learned and skilled freelancers.
Marketing should be on top of your priorities
after production of your writing. You need to adopt various strategies
to get your name out there and display your prowess.
Here are a few useful ways to promote yourself and
achieve success:
WEBSITE PROMOTION
In this information age that we are in, it is
necessary for every business person to have a web site to display
his/her wares as well as communicate with potential customers. You
should consider yourself in business and adopt appropriate business
practice in order to succeed.
You need a web-site where you explain what writing
services you offer, your writing credentials and samples of your
published work is essential not only to provide information to would-be
clients but to show them your writing competence. Of course there are
other add-ons such as auto-responders, ezines, etc to supplement your
site. Your website should be optimized for better search engine ranking
and its URL displayed in your business documents so that people are
informed of its presence.
ARTICLES SUBMISSIONS
This is a good strategy for publicizing yourself
and its effects may last for quite a long time. This strategy works
best online.
In this strategy you select subjects and topics in
your area of specialization and post the complete articles to article
submission websites for free publication. Each article will contain the
writer’s byline at the beginning and a brief bio at the end. The bio
will include your name, email address, website URL and what you do or
who you are.
If your article is good it may be accepted for
publication on the website and read by hundreds, if not thousands of
people on line. Among these people are editors and ezine publishers who
will republish the complete article in their publications.
The interest that your article generates and the
information you provide in your bio will market you as a good writer
and people will click on your website URL. The multiplier effect of
this will be increased enquiries on what you offer, orders for your
services or more visitors to your website. You will also have earned
credits for publication of your article, which you can send to
prospective publishers.
Some of the websites that accept and publish
articles submitted are: -
ADVERTISING
“Advertising pays” is as true today as it was
decades back. As we said earlier, nobody knows you are there or you
offer writing services. Your website is online. You can advertise your
services in the many free classified ads sites and safe lists. You can
also put paid ads on high traffic sites, writer’s sites, job boards,
ezine ad networks, etc.
SIGNATURE FILE
A one or two line reference of what you do
together with your website URL can be added in a special section of
your e-mail address so that all e-mail messages you send out will
contain the “signature file” is another good way to promote yourself
especially if you are sending out many e-mail messages to newsgroups
and online communities. After reading your message, people would want
to know who you are and what you do. When they click your website or
auto-responder address they will be led to what you do or offer. Set up
a signature file in your e-mail, participate in discussions by sending
e-mail messages and watch enquiries grow. However, be careful not to
advertise directly when you post to newsgroups as that may offend
others and that is not the main purpose of newsgroups.
SENDING OUT QUERIES
Sometimes, even after using other means to promote
yourself you have to use this one also. It may be considered the most
common way of finding work for freelance writers. Querying is an art in
itself and there are many do’s and don’ts. Some publications accept
e-mail queries while others don’t. Some do and others do not accept
work from freelancers. You need to read market guides such as the
Writers Market or submission guidelines from publishers’ websites as
well as practice writing query letters.
The more queries you send the better as they
increase you chances of acceptance.
OTHER
Word of mouth promotion/networking are also other
ways to promote yourself within your locality. Attend seminars on
writing or your area of specialization and inform others that you are a
writer and you can assist them in their promoting their businesses in
one way or another. Put your name, your occupation and contacts as a
writer on business cards, calendars, and diaries and distribute freely
locally. Ask your friends to recommend you to others. The possibilities
are many and are only limited by your ability to explore them.
Writers need to market themselves in order to keep
the business coming in and ensure a steady flow of income throughout
the throughout the year.
This article was posted on February 17,
2004
