Post-Conference Networking July 23, 2007

I wrote recently about three great writers’ conferences, and wanted to tie that in with the benefits of networking at these conferences. I’m a two-time One-on-One veteran, and just sold an idea to an editor of a national magazine I met back in 2005.

The moral of that story is twofold: (1) yes, it’s worth the money to attend these conferences and (2) absolutely use the contacts you make while you’re there.

Here at D2D, we realize–especially for those of you starting out–how hard it can be to toot one’s own horn. Women especially aren’t socialized to do so, and writers are tenderhearted about risking ideas they’ve slaved lovingly over the laptop to bring to editors, praying they make the steep climb out of the slushpile. Our advice? Get over it.

How? We’ll cover networking in more depth throughout the week, so stay tuned.

Do you have a question about how to network with colleagues and editors, or would you like to share your experiences attending a particular writers’ conference? Post it in the comments section!

Marketing Your Business Online July 9, 2007

Check out this Fortune Small Business article on marketing your business online; it’s especially helpful if you have a specialty you’d like to market, like, say, green business, a humor column, or combining writing with raising kids.

Marketing Mondays on D2D July 2, 2007

It’s been a while since we’ve posted here, but we’re back with some fun new stuff, posted every weekday, that we hope you’ll like. So without further ado, let’s jump right in with Marketing Monday.

Wait, come back! Where’d you go?

I realize I said the "M" word, and your eyes are probably glazing over right about now. Which is why I’m saving the "Networking" word for another Monday.

Before you suddenly decide it’s time to run some errands or grab a latte, I’m going to state a couple of truths here. First, marketing is vital to your writing business. Second, marketing can and should be fun, or as fun as you choose to make it.

There, I’ve said it.

Marketing might conjure images of creative teams rolling out a sleek new campaign. It feels intimidating, beyond our capabilities and duties as writers. But once you accept that marketing is vital to the success of your business and decide that you’re going to make it fun – because hey, you’re creative already since you’re a writer – maybe the idea of marketing your writing business won’t seem so daunting.

More on the what’s and how’s of marketing your writing biz in future posts. In the meantime, stay tuned for tomorrow’s Tuesday Tip!

Monday’s Marketing Challenge: Think of 3 fun ways you can get the word out about your writing expertise. If you post in the comments, we’ll share your ideas next week.

–Toni