3 Essential Keys to Marketing Yourself as a Professional Writer

If you’re a writer, there’s never been a better, or more challenging, time to be among the ranks of professional wordsmiths.

The increased reliance on digital platforms for communication, advertising, education, and many other aspects of day-to-day life has led to an increased need for writers. Businesses want authors who can effectively use the written word to communicate, write under tight deadlines with little guidance, and proofread their work to the point that an editor is barely even necessary.

But with more volume comes more noise. There are so many people clambering to be heard on the web, and so many writers struggling to find work, that it can be extremely challenging to stand out in a crowded pool of talent. Whether you work as a writer or even if you fall in the niche of Freelance Book Designers, you need to be able to make yourself noticed.

To help yourself stand out from the crowd, and attract the sort of clients that will recognize your talent as a wordsmith, consider the following three methods to better market yourself as a professional writer.

1. Tailor Your Portfolio to Your Intended Market

The first thing that anyone is going to look at when they’re considering hiring you as a writer will be your portfolio, so it has to make an outstanding first impression.

Portfolios for Industry

When you’re considering what pieces to include in your portfolio before you even consider the quality of the pieces themselves, ask yourself: who do I want to work for? The answer could be industry specific – you may want to focus on finding writing in the healthcare or construction fields.

Portfolios for Style

It could be that you’re looking for an employer with a particular “style” or approach to writing that falls in line with your own. Do you want an employer who requires technical, extensively researched guides for equipment or systems? Perhaps you want to work for a business that values natural, conversational pieces that truly feel like the author is speaking to the audience face-to-face?

Whatever the case is, identify what market or niche you want to fit in, and build your portfolio with pieces that match those areas. A feel-good piece you wrote for your local newspaper about Yosef the Yorkie taking first place in the dog show is fairly worthless to a pharmaceutical marketing director. However, your popular blog post about the growing trend of infectious diseases in America, and the need for more prescriptions to combat them will go a long way in getting you the job you want.

2. Build a Personal Website that Speaks to Who You Are as a Professional Writer

Just as businesses rely on their websites to attract their ideal customers, you need your own website that speaks to who you are as a writer and why employers should hire you.

Just like with your portfolio, think about who you are as a writer, as well as what the particular market or audience you want to connect with values in written pieces. Only then can you tailor your website’s content to match. Be direct in what you’re looking for – the first thing your employers should see is a strong mission statement that summarizes who you are, what you can do, and what you want, in three to five sentences.

Craft Your Website in the Image of Your Clients

From there, carefully craft your content so that the image you present matches that demographic. If your target field is a professional, global market, use professional language, incorporate industry-specific terms, and avoid abbreviations or specify what they mean. By contrast, if you’re looking to work for a popular magazine that appeals to teens and young adults, you can be informal in your phrasing, more conversational, and use slang to your heart’s content.

Finally, choose a professional domain that will make you easy to find through an online search. “Bestwriter4u.com” looks and sounds amateur, and won’t create a strong impression. Even just using your name as your domain can be effective. Whatever you choose, keep it professional, and keep it simple when you register your domain.

3. Actively Write, Even While You Job Hunt

Though it may be tempting to take it easy, catch up on your favorite TV shows, books, or video games while you’re job hunting, it’s career suicide if you’re not also devoting time to write while you look for work.

Doctors, engineers, and marketers have to stay up-to-date on the developments of their industries and need continuing, formal education to keep up with the times. Writers are no different. You still need to be aware of what’s going on in your chosen field, and in the world of writing, to give you an edge. More than anything, you need recent content if you hope to stay relevant to employers.

Many of us got our degrees in journalism, or creative writing, and then didn’t do anything with it for a long time. Maybe you took a job at Best Buy, got promoted to store manager, and stayed there awhile. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if your most recent piece was written five years ago while you were in college, how accurate and relevant do you think you’ll seem to an employer today?

Staying Relevant in an Ever-Changing World

To combat this, you need to continue writing, even if you’re in between jobs. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to do exactly that:

• Start your own blog, preferably in relation to the industry or market you want to hire into.
• Contribute guest posts to blogs and websites to refine your craft, strengthen your portfolio, and get your name out there.
• Do some freelance work to help you keep up with your bills while beefing up your resume and professional references at the same time.
• Choose two to three clients that you’d like to write for, even if you haven’t pitched to them yet, and build a sample piece for each. It’s good practice and will help your portfolio make a better impression.

I’m not saying that you need to put in a full eight hours a day of writing if you’re unemployed. You’ve still got to surf for job openings, fill out applications, refine your resume, network with professionals in your market, and, quite frankly, enjoy a break from the grind of working life. I get it, and these are the most important things you can do to actively get a job. But you still need to devote a few hours to writing each day.

Whatever method you use to continue writing, the important thing is that you continue to hone your craft, publish your work, enrich your portfolio, and stay relevant in today’s competitive job market.