| To get writing work, you have to let people know you | | | | could be cleaning up your writing. So it never hurts to |
| exist. Setting up a Web site is the best way to start, | | | | show a few clips in an unaltered state. This may |
| no matter where you are. If nothing else, it makes your | | | | sound like extra work. But it's really an opportunity for |
| work visible and accessible to a large audience. | | | | you to write some original material that you can reuse |
| Today, every working writer absolutely must have a | | | | later. |
| Web site. The reality is editors expect you to have an | | | | 4. Your complete contact information, pricing or |
| online presence. Editors are your customers, so you | | | | payment policies, and if you are collecting email |
| need to meet their needs to get published. With a web | | | | addresses, your privacy policy. |
| site, you can prove your writing is good by putting your | | | | Along these lines, many writers start an ezine or |
| portfolio online. Plus, because the site is accessible 24 | | | | newsletter. Yes, it's a commitment. But it's also the |
| 7 in all time zones, it can be promoting your work even | | | | easiest way to start developing content and promoting |
| when you're asleep. | | | | it directly to your niche writing markets. An ezine is |
| People who work in publishing are extremely busy. | | | | certainly one of the lowest cost ways to promote |
| Deadlines are a constant pressure. They don't want to | | | | your writing talents. |
| wait for a 500K file of your latest article to download. | | | | However, starting an ezine is a bit of work, so first get |
| Or worse, a poorly scanned version of a press | | | | your Web site up and functioning. Then once that is |
| release you wrote. It's a lot easier for them if you give | | | | working for you, decide on a focus and a format for |
| them a list of links and let them read online at their | | | | your ezine. Write a few articles ahead of time. Then |
| convenience. | | | | get an autoresponder or list mailing service set up, and |
| A Web site may seem like a daunting task. But a site | | | | begin promoting. Of course that's the bare minimum, |
| doesn't have to be complicated. Think about what your | | | | but there are many resources online on starting up |
| customer wants to know (i.e., those editors you want | | | | ezines. As a writer, you're probably also a researcher, |
| to impress). Then make pages to answer their | | | | so this is a great opportunity to learn. |
| questions. | | | | One classic writer question is, "how can I get published |
| All writer Web sites should contain: | | | | if I don't have any clips?" It's the chicken and egg |
| 1. Concise information about your writing specialty. | | | | problem recast for writers: you can't get work without |
| What do you do? It's not a good idea to try and be | | | | any clips, but you can't get clips if no one will give you |
| everything to everybody. It's a recipe for confusion, so | | | | work. |
| pick a specialty and focus on it. | | | | Creating your own Web site content solves the |
| 2. A list of writing credits. Now that a lot of magazines | | | | problem. Write your own articles and publish them |
| are online, you can often link directly to your articles. At | | | | yourself online in your ezine. If you're concerned that |
| a minimum, you can usually link to the main publisher or | | | | these "self-published" clips won't be as impressive as |
| client home page. | | | | published clips, don't be. Remember what editors want: |
| 3. Samples of your writing. Some editors want to see | | | | articles that are original, easy to read, accurate, and on |
| articles that haven't been edited by a pro. Why? A | | | | time. Your Web site proves that you can at least |
| really good editor can make bad writing almost | | | | deliver on the "original, easy to read, and accurate" |
| unrecognizably good. Editors know that someone else | | | | parts! |