I had the great pleasure to speak to a dynamic group of writers today at the “Writers – Push the Electronic Envelope” conference sponsored by American Independent Writers. I’ve summarized my notes from the session and have listed the resources below.
Over the next week, I’ll be sure to further explain some of the points that were discussed during the session. So if you are a writer, please be sure to subscribe to my feed.
I hope that everyone that attended the conference took home some helpful nuggets and perhaps a little inspiration. PLEASE feel free to contact me or participate in this conversation if you have any questions at all. As you may have noticed, I love to talk and love helping folks even more! Enjoy!
Promoting Yourself Online (Freelancers and Staffers)
- Understand what you’re passionate about and pursue projects that are complimentary
- The more you write online – the more you build a reputation
- Over time, brand yourself as an expert within your space or company
- Manage your personal brand (don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, in the online space -use your real name but don’t forget to manage your presence; be yourself)
The Pitch (ChrisBrogan.com – Example of a Great PR Pitch)
- Consider pitching to niche e-zines or media firms
- KISS – simple and concise is key
- Use keywords – even in your pitch
- Bulleted lists
- Be personable
- Remember that online users are typically looking for information/references; not novels
- Know your target audience and steer your pitch toward that group
Finding Others Who Need You
- Twitter – reach out to other folks in your space (feel free to follow me – www.twitter.com/gooddogzbeth)
- Facebook – promote your work, find groups in your niche
- Blogging – integrate blog into Twitter and Facebook, guest blog
- Reach out to niche e-zines and media firms (I’ve found reaching out to niche cable channels like Lifetime, Bravo, Discovery, etc. effective)
Resources for Finding Gigs
- Freelance Switch – Website with great tips for all freelancers.
- Freelance Switch Job Board – There are always several good writing opportunities listed here.
- Blogger Jobs – I’ve found good blogging opportunities here. Try subscribing to RSS to receive the latest jobs in your feed.
- Freelance Writing Jobs – Website with regular writing opportunities as well as tips.
- Guru.com – OK, Guru, as a whole, is not one of my favorites. But from time-to-time I have found decent writing projects.
Twitter Tools
These tools will make your life on Twitter easier and more efficient.
- Twitter – Set-up your account and start tweeting!
- Twhirl – Great desktop client that makes using Twitter very easy.
- Tweetscan -Allows you to search postings or “tweets” for specific terms. Great for finding people to follow in your industry.
- TwitterLocal – Helps you locate other folks using Twitter in your area.
- Twitterholic – Find the top 100 most followed users on Twitter.
- Twitter Grader – See how your tweets rank among other folks – I’m a 61!
Blog Directories (I had a special request after the session for a list of blog directories – here you go!)
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Great Post!