by Ngozi Obanye-Stephen

Created on: February 05, 2009

Promoting yourself as a freelance writer is important if you want to increase your workload and attract new clients. You may have played around with the idea of becoming a freelance writer for a while. Perhaps you have been writing stories and articles, attending writing classes, or even subscribing to writing courses. Now you feel ready to take your writing to the next level, so where do you start?

Social Websites and Forums

Take the time to become well known on social websites of your choice. Introduce yourself and participate in active discussions. There are many social websites for beginners, but start at the ones with a large following such as Warrior and Digital Point. Once the formal introductions are out of the way, you can start promoting yourself using subtle advertising. To do this, add a signature link at the end of each post you write or reply to. Your signature link should take readers to your point of contact, preferably your website or your email address.

Website or Blog

Deciding whether or not to set up a website or blog to promote yourself and your work is a matter of personal choice. The main difference between the two is that a blog needs to be updated frequently to keep readers interested, whilst a website only needs updating from time to time. Decide whether you can commit to a few hours a week maintaining the site. Either way, your website or blog should showcase your credentials and provide samples of your writing. Naturally, you will have to do some work promoting your website through Blog Directories, either free or paid.

Writing Agencies

On the positive side, finding work at writing agencies is a fairly easy process. It is even easier if you can produce quality work, adhere to certain working practices, and work to deadlines. The responsibility lies with the manager of the writing agency to deliver the work to the client, eliminating the hassle of finding clients.

On the negative side, rates tend to be lower than private jobs. This means that as a newcomer, you may not be able to command the rate you desire. Also, if you are seeking wide exposure as a writer, agency work will limit this, since you will be working as a ghost writer. The only person able to give you a reference is the manager of the writing agency.

When you start promoting your work, try not to limit yourself to one sector of writing. Have the flexibility to try out different subject matters. This gives you a diverse range of experience, ensuring that your career choice as a freelance writer remains exciting and engaging.

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