Sheila Olson is back and giving great writing tips

We’re pleased to have another guest post from Sheila Olson who wrote some months ago about the importance of getting enough “beauty” sleep. Today her post is about the steps to take to become a successful writer.

 

Writing Success Means Promoting Yourself

by Sheila Olson

As an up-and-coming author, whether you write short stories, poetry, or something else, your success depends on your exposure. Fortunately, there are many inexpensive ways to promote your writings that might just thrust you into the spotlight you desire.

Today, I share tips for new writers on how to get discovered doing what you love.

Launch a website.

The first and ostensibly most important thing you can do as a new writer is to create a website. You can do this yourself with the website builder; the Website Planet blog explains that you may be able to find a free trial until you narrow down what you like. Having a website gives you somewhere to share your words and collect the email addresses of your fans so that you can keep them in the loop with a newsletter.

Treat writing like a business.

No matter how creative you are, writing is ultimately a business endeavor. You have to treat it as such. That means being professional and establishing a business format that allows you to grow. Many new business owners decide between an LLC and a corporation. Choose an LLC if you plan to stay a solo endeavor. A corporation structure is better if you think you might take on investors later, as most venture capitalists tend to trust the corporate structure more than an LLC. Depending on which state you live in, you may be able to use a formation service instead of an attorney.

Provide professional contracts.

If you write on a contract basis, here’s a solution that allows you to create contracts that your clients can sign online. Utilize PDFs, which are easy to read and share across platforms. Your contract should include everything from how much you expect to get paid for the provided writing services to who the intellectual property being delivered ultimately belongs to.

Create partnerships.

No matter what type of business you’re in, you have to create partnerships and networking opportunities. According to the Better Up blog, building these connections is a great way to boost your career. Networking is beneficial not only professionally but socially as well. You’ll also have a platform upon which to bounce ideas. To network successfully, attend industry events, and join online groups and communities.

Use social media.

Social media is crucial to writers as it opens up an entirely new world where you can promote your website, books, or other platforms. Reedsy acknowledges the power of social media and sites that Facebook is the most popular platform in the world. If you do choose Facebook, create an author page and a Facebook group that allows your fans to communicate with each other as well.

Look for volunteer opportunities.

Volunteering is a great way to promote any business. As a writer, especially if you skew toward children’s books, you can offer to volunteer to read to elementary students. While your primary motive for volunteering should not necessarily be self-promotion, you may be able to work with the librarian to read your books to local students. Plus, if you have children in the school system, volunteering is a great way to be a part of their life while lightening the workload of the teachers and staff.

Promoting yourself as a writer means stepping away from the computer screen sometimes to create networking opportunities and build partnerships. But, you also have to treat writing as a business, which means having the right kind of contracts, promotional platforms, and business structure in place. Remember, although your stories may be your passion, you cannot just write and hope people find you. You have to put yourself out there so that your fans can support you throughout your career.

About the author:

A fitness trainer for five years, Sheila Olson created Fit Sheila to spread the word about her fitness philosophy. She believes the best way to achieve physical fitness and good health is to set and tackle small goals. You can find her here: fitsheila.com

And if you like Choices, please  Visit the blog often to get a glimpse into what other authors think about writing – and beauty rest.

 

 

Comments

  1. Nice article. Thank you for sharing

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