Jan 24 2009
Getting Noticed As A Writer
I’ve had quite a few people ask me how to go about getting the word out about their writing skills and talents to the rest of the world. I’m probably not the most qualified to answer this question, but I’m going to give it a shot. I won’t tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, I’ll just tell you what I’ve been doing and go from there.
Of course, it’s all going to depend on your level of writing and in what genre you write. For those who write fiction, I’d say to join in several of the writing groups that cater to this style. Though I love to write my short stories, I don’t make a ton of money from it. I’ve made a little, but not much. Sites such as Writers Weekly offer market listings for print magazines that accept submissions for fictional stories. Another site, called Duotrope.com , sends out a weekly newsletter filled with listings of sites and print magazines looking for submissions.
I know more about writing articles and other forms of non-fiction, but again, I wouldn’t call myself an expert. Again, Writers Weekly is a wonderful resource for finding markets for your articles, no matter which topic you write about. Another great place to look is a website called Freelance Writing Gigs . This site has new listings for writing jobs every day, mostly online. However, they do post gigs for Internships and print publications as well.
The one thing that has worked best for me, however, is simply through word of mouth. When I first started writing online, I joined forums, writing groups, and anything else where I could let it be known that I was a writer. And from there, it just kind of snowballed. I wrote a couple of articles for one person, and the next thing I knew, I was doing more writing for other people than for myself. Which is why I haven’t been updating this site as often as I should. But, I won’t complain.
There is no right or wrong way to get yourself noticed as a writer. Just remember these few things:
a.) There is always someone out there who writes better than you
b.) There is always someone out there who writes worse than you
c.) Quality is more important than quantity
And most of all, it’s your creativity that makes you who you are.
