Sell your Writing: Get the Writing Gigs You Want

Are you happy with the freelance writing gigs you’re taking on? Many writers aren’t. They’re trapped in a freelance ghetto, with low-paying, stressful projects.

They feel that there’s no easy exit from the ghetto, because they’ve become labelled as a generic freelance “writer”, and not in a good way.

Here are a couple of reasons writers become trapped in ghettos:

* Inexperience – they’re new to writing, and have no idea of the range of writing opportunities, and how to classify purchasers of their writing;

* Lack of confidence – while they may be aware that there are differences between writers, and that the top level of freelance writers is earning some ten times what the bottom level earns, they lack the confidence to approach the top tier of purchasers.

If you’re inexperienced, you need to remedy this. Educate yourself. There are many opportunities to do so, in fact I’ve written a range of writing manuals to help you; some even come with coaching.

A lack of confidence is particularly common and pernicious; I’ll address this in future articles.

Get the writing gigs you want

There are many ways to get the writing gigs you want; here are three easy steps to follow:

1. Target the Right Markets for You

Writing is about information and entertainment. The type of information you can provide in your articles, books and other writing depends on your knowledge and experience.

Your own knowledge counts when finding the right markets for your writing. What knowledge do you have? Make a list, and then target the markets which need that specific knowledge – these are the right markets for you.

For example, if you’re a keen amateur photographer, then you should be targeting photography magazines and Web sites – your experience in this area means that you can write with authority, you’ll also find research easy.

2. Create a Web Site Promoting Yourself to Those Markets

Target the markets for which you write (or want to write) in your Web site.

If you don’t have at least one Web site or blog, create one today. You must promote yourself as a writer. If you fail to do this, you stay in the ghetto.

If you’re writing about photography, post clips of your writing on the topic, and describe your expertise.

You’ll be amazed at the number of buyers who will approach you to write for them, once they know what you do because they’ve found your Web site via the Web search engines.

3. Make Contacts in the Industries You’re Writing About

The old saying applies: it’s who you know.

I’ve written in many areas: copywriting, novels, nonfiction books, business, technology, and health. In each area, I have contacts. The thing about contacts is that once you become established in any area – people contact you to write for them, or with tips for stories.

Your contacts are gold. Writing is a small world, and once you become known, you’re part of this world.

A word about social networking sites. These sites, like MySpace, Facebook and similar are a waste of your time if you use them just to build up your “friends”. Unless each friend is a real friend – that is, someone you know who knows you – it’s all just clutter and you’re wasting time you could spend writing. Use these sites wisely.

If you want to break out of the freelance writing ghetto, follow the above three steps. None of the steps is particularly difficult. Follow them, and you’ll build a writing career beyond your dreams.

Want more writing tips?

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