Promoting Yourself as a Freelance Writer

If you are new to the freelance writing world, it is important to promote yourself and showcase your talents.  Getting your name out there can lead to better pay and bigger jobs.

Website

Put up a website.  Even if you can’t afford a hefty bill for a professionally made site, these days anyone can throw up a template site in a matter of minutes.  Having a website will give potential clients a home base to contact you at.

Social Network

Join popular social networking websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Digg.  These are great ways to promote your articles, increase your readership and meet clients.

Join a Writing Forum

Joining a forum can help you to learn tips from veteran writers.  Many of these sites will have lists of Internet scams to watch out for.  You can also get legitimate leads and marketing ideas from these sites.

Do a Few Freebies

Small, local publications often will take articles from new writers but there is no pay.  Doing this can help you to gain some exposure and beef up your resume.  Giving of your time now can lead to a high paying job later on.

Get Out and Meet People

Don’t let your freelance writing career turn you into a hermit.  Make new friends and get new leads by going out to local writers groups or taking a writing workshop at a community college.  Always be supportive of other writers.  Writing is a challenging craft and other writers can be your greatest resource.

Social Networking Tips for Writers

If you’re going to be writing for the web, social networking can play a large part in your level of success.  Joining multiple sites and using them properly can help your career.

Twitter

Twitter is a great place to network with other writers, look for jobs and obtain readers and page views.  Always tweet links to your articles, especially if you getting money for page views or ad clicks.  But remember, it is important to also connect with your Twitter followers.  Have conversations with people, re-tweet others links and comment on others articles.

Facebook

Use your Facebook account to share your articles with your friends.  This can help you to gain a following and increase your traffic.  It is also a great way to let your friends know that you are transitioning into a freelance career, you never know who might have some connections for you.  There are also many fan pages on Facebook where you can find fans of the subjects that you write about.

Writer Forums

Going on writer forums can help you to connect with other writers and share feedback and tips.  New start up companies will also visit writer forums and post ads for employment opportunities.  Feel free to ask questions to others writers and share tips of your own.  Remember to promote your blog or website in your forum signature.  Be friendly and polite to other forum posters.  Putting down the work of others is never a good way to expand your online networking circle.