| One of the easiest ways to grow your freelance | | | | and contact info. for your local small business |
| writing business is to broaden your professional | | | | association. Then, call or email to find out about |
| network. Here are seven ways to do that: | | | | their next meeting. Attend that meeting. Be sure |
| 1. Join several listservs for writers. Over the | | | | to take your business cards and promotional |
| years, I've gotten writing assignments, invitations | | | | materials with you. But don't be pushy about |
| for school visits, and other information from | | | | distributing these items to everyone at the |
| writers I've met via listservs. I've also made | | | | meeting. Just have them available if anyone asks. |
| some great friends. You'll find all sorts of listservs | | | | 5. Check out Use the craigslist for your city to |
| for writers at | | | | find a writer's group in your area. Or, place an ad |
| 2. Set up a page. And then "work your page." | | | | on your city's to start a group. |
| MySpace is a super way to broaden your | | | | 6. Take an online writing workshop or class. You'll |
| network, but you can't simply create a page | | | | meet other writers there and probably form |
| there and not do anything to promote yourself | | | | some ongoing friendships that will last long after |
| and widen your circle of friends. You need to visit | | | | the workshop has ended. |
| other MySpace pages and send requests to | | | | 7. Find another professional online whom you |
| become a friend of someone who looks like he | | | | would like to include in your network. Then, |
| she might be a great contact and "friend" for you. | | | | instead of asking this person for help, figure out a |
| 3. Network off line as well as on line. One of the | | | | way you can help him, then email with your offer. |
| ways I network off line is through I know - it | | | | For example, if you see authors who are offering |
| sounds like it's an online way to network. And, in a | | | | workshops or online courses that don't compete |
| way, it is. However, the actual Meetups occur off | | | | with your own, offer to post this information to |
| line. | | | | your site for these authors. |
| If there isn't a writers Meetup in your neck of the | | | | These are only a few of the ways you can |
| woods, then create one. | | | | broaden your professional network. Now...come up |
| 4. Join your local small business association. Other | | | | with some additional ways yourself and it won't |
| small business owners need the services of a | | | | be long before you have a wide professional |
| writer. Check your phone book to find the name | | | | network and a booming freelance writing business. |