Jump Start Your Writing Career- Week 3

Article by Wendy McCance

I hope that if you are participating in this month’s series, Jump Start Your Writing Career that you were able to complete the last 2 weeks tasks.

If you are just joining in, or want to review last week’s schedule, I am putting up a page specifically for this topic. Each week, I will add the latest writing career information and by the end of the month, all of the material will be available to view at any time.

Week Three List

Continuing to Prospect for Clients

Look at want ads. When you see a company that interests you and that is hiring, take the contact information such as the name of the hiring manager or address and send an email like the one you used the last week for LinkedIn connections. Try to send out 30 emails.
Think about what topics you like to write about. We will use fashion as a topic example. Find local businesses (using a basic web search such as Michigan Clothing Stores or Michigan Clothing Designers) that would fit your choice in topic. Try to send out 30 emails.
Join some networking groups. They provide an easy way to get in front of a variety of people. Networking events are everywhere. There are meetup groups in most cities (just Google meetup groups). You can go to some Chamber of Commerce events or find some great local groups by typing in your city and the word, networking into the LinkedIn search for a nice list of some professional groups in the area. Also, don’t forget that any group activity you get involved in is another opportunity to connect with others. Mention what you do for a living. Who knows who might be interested in hiring a writer. Aim for 2 groups and go to a meeting this week if available.
Continue to expand your connections on LinkedIn. Aim to send out as many requests to connect as you can in a one hour period. If you would prefer, you can use the same tactic with Twitter.
Pick one of these choices, or both if you are ambitious. There is no better way to gain some attention as a “real writer” than to find avenues where you can have your work published. *please note that there is no or very little payment. This is just a way to move up the ladder more quickly.

You can try a local paper. Most of the papers have an online presence and are looking for people to fill positions online with their blogs. It’s worth a try. When you have your blog in a newspaper, you are looked at in a new light. Trust me, it’s not hard to do. Look around and see what types of local magazines circulate in your area as well. People like to read a story from someone who lives in the same area that the paper is circulated. It also helps when connecting to local businesses because they will be familiar with the paper.
Yahoo was the first place I got some articles published. They were just articles I had written on my blog that I submitted to the Yahoo site. I ended up getting most of my articles approved for Yahoo Voices. Here is the link: https://contributor.yahoo.com/signup/

One more week to go. I hope this series has helped you along. If you have any questions or would like to see something specific addressed, please leave a comment below. I’d be happy to help where I can.

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Wendy McCance

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 6 local papers online, including the Oakland Press.The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]