Writing jobs: STOP looking in the wrong places

Are you looking in all the wrong places for decent writing jobs? If you’re not making more money than you know how to spend, you are, dear writer…

I’ve written about writers who work for peanuts several times on my blogs, and have pointed out that freelance jobs worth getting are unadvertised.

As » Not Earning Enough as a Freelance Writer? You Have Only Yourself to Blame : All Freelance Writing reports:

“A huge portion of the overall freelance marketplace is completely ‘underground.’ That means work comes to you through referrals. How do you get those referrals? You work your butt off building visibility and a solid professional network. You build a writer platform. Those who do that successfully are the ones who enjoy work coming to them. (I can’t tell you the last time I had to go out looking for gigs – when you get to that point, you’ll never want to go back).”

BIG TIP: PEOPLE HIRE PEOPLE THEY KNOW.

Here’s an article I wrote last year about unadvertised writing jobs and how to get them.

Writing Jobs – Get the (Unadvertised) Gigs You Want

Interested in a freelance writing career? If so, you want writing jobs, and lots of them. But did you know that the best gigs aren’t advertised, because they’re given to “name” writers?

The easiest way to get those jobs is to have people come to you and ask you to write for them, because they’ve heard of you.

You can make that happen. Here’s how. Try this four step process.

1. Get known as a freelance writer: publicize your name

There’s a big difference between a hobbyist writer and a professional writer whose writing pays the bills. The professional has learned the hard way that it’s all about his NAME – or “branding”, if you like business-speak.

While the hobbyist writer hunts for writing jobs and competes with other hobbyists, the professional scans clients’ enquiries each morning and sends out quotations. He then divides the rest of the day between writing, and marketing, that is, publicizing his name.

The professional writer never stops publicizing, because he knows that the more people who know his name, the bigger the payoff will be. He’ll be offered better writing jobs, by companies with bigger budgets, and more of them. He also realizes that when his current clients see his name here, there, and everywhere, they know that he’s busy, and sought-after, and don’t complain when he raises his rates once a year.

Most importantly of all, he knows he’ll get the unadvertised writing jobs: he’ll be contacted at an early stage in large projects, and will help to shape those projects. He’ll be approached because people know his name.

If you’re new to writing, or are a pro who’s not earning as much as you know you could, you may be squeamish about self-promotion. You’re shy, and that’s OK. Just promote yourself every day, no matter how you feel about it. You’ll soon see the benefits, and you’ll understand why celebrities hire media companies: it’s because publicity works. Over time, you’ll come to look on promotion as fun.

Promotion is essential, if you want to get highly paid, long projects.

2. Use press releases to attract clients to your Web site

If you don’t have a Web site already, get one. If you have one, add additional pages. Your Web site can never be too large – remember, you want people to find YOU, and to remember you.

Press releases are essential for you to start building your visibility online as well as offline. Again, it’s all about publicity and promotion. If you can, get some copywriting experience as you make your writing journey. It will help you to generate your own promotions, and of course, you can write promotional material for others too.

Press releases send people to your site; you’ll get known.

3. No credits? Write samples

If you’re a brand new writer, all this can seem overwhelming. It is – if you think you’re going to make the jump from writing beginning writer to pro overnight. But it’s simple: all you need to do is to start, and to keep going.

Start with a small Web site of just a page or two. Add pages to the site, and create press releases to publicize yourself. Write samples, if you don’t have examples of writing you’ve done for others to show to clients.

4. Write for those clients you want – send proposals

Once you’ve made a start, that is, you’ve worked for a few clients, you can start approaching the clients you really want.

Magazine writers do this constantly. A top magazine writer may send out 20 to 40 proposals over the course of a week or two. Most of these proposals are relation-ship building. He’s auditioning for jobs, if you like, so that the magazine knows his name and will call him when they have a job which suits his abilities.

If you follow the four-step process above; you’ll build your name.

Writing jobs will not only come to you, but you’ll be able to choose which writing jobs you want, and which you’ll pass on… and you’ll be offered plum jobs, which are never advertised.

So, dear writer, stop whining and start promoting… it’s the ONLY way to build your career.

Build your writing career, step by step

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