#ChroniclesOfAWriter – To succeed as a writer, this is what you need to know

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Welcome to this week’s #ChroniclesOfAWriter post. I hope you  found last week’s post useful. I talked about how you can make money as a writer. Writing can be profitable if you know where you to look and you are able to plan properly. If you haven’t read the post, I’ll suggest that you do so now and then come back to read this one.

Just to refresh your mind, I told you last week that to make money from writing, you need to:

  1. Have a plan
  2. Find ways to develop yourself in the areas that can fetch you money
  3. Develop great research skills

I’ll add a few more points.

Don’t be afraid to market yourself. Jobs will not automatically fall into your laps. Don’t you wish the high paying briefs will come just like that? Well more often than not, you have to go after them.

Let people know what you do. This is where you can harness the power of social media. I spoke at an event a few months ago and at the end of my session someone asked me how she can make money off editing and proofreading because that’s what she loves to do and she does it for free. The first thing I asked her was, “Who knows you are great at proofreading and editing?”

You must put yourself out there. Talk about what you do. Find a way to create valuable content you can post on social media. I love what Joy Ehonwa does with #YouNeedAnEditor. She posts grammar updates that everyone can learn from. I have learnt several things from her posts. When someone asks me if I know a good proofreader, she comes to my mind because she has been consistent.

Stop posting random things on your social media pages. Talk about writing, editing or whatever niche you’ve created for yourself. Become an authority. People will gravitate towards you faster when they believe that you know what you are doing or saying.

Tied to this point is the ability to network properly. This was something I struggled with because to a very large extent I am an introvert. I do not really like social gatherings. They are just stressful. However, I have discovered that my major clients came as a result of attending one event/ seminar or the other. Every time I go for these events I meet someone who needs my services or knows someone who needs my services. Every time.

So go out more. To industry events. To hangouts. To seminars that may not be related to writing. Network with people. You’ll be shocked when you discover how many clients you will gain when you do that.

There’s one more that I am going to add – develop what you do into a business.

It is very tempting to work on an ad hoc basis when you are a freelance writer. This is not the way to be successful. Build a business around what you do. Register your business name. Have a blog or website. Put the right structures in place. There are certain clients that won’t do business with you if you do not have the right structures in place.

You need to think beyond doing local business. Think internationally. There’s money to be made by harnessing your writing skill.

I hope these tips were useful. If there is something you need me to clarify or explain further, just leave a comment or send an email to [email protected] and I’ll be more than happy to answer all your questions.

See you next week!

 

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