Vibrant Nation

The only way to find out is to do it.  You may be surprised how Open minded people can be.  I would definitely look forward to reading more.

As you know, I struggle with this one all the time so I'm so glad you posed the question!  I like FancyFrancie's answer re wording the request in such a way that the person doesn't feel pressured. 

I think it's fine to share info with others who are genuinely interested in your success, but it's hard to find the line sometimes, isn't it?  This has been an ongoing issue for me with my handcrafted jewelry business.  If friends and family sign up for my newsletter or they happen to see new items on my Facebook page, that's one thing.  But it bugs me when some of my crafty friends repeatedly push me to comment on their newest item or register on their blog.  The keyword here is REPEATEDLY.   I actually 'unfriended' someone on my Twitter page recently because of this!  I don't care for Twitter at all actually but I check my page occasionally and in this case, the entire first page and half of the next one was filled with entries from this one particular crafter.  She did this type of posting on a regular basis and it just got to be too much.

It's hard to find the line sometimes.  Sigh.

I’m a professional writer.  I don’t want to show off my work.  I want to be paid for it.  I think if you want your writing career to take off, you have to take your writing seriously. 

Write and submit over and over and over again.  If you’re lucky, you’ll get the editorial feedback you’re looking for.  Value it because it’s an indication that you have something of interest to the people in the publishing community.  And the very least that will happen is you will improve your writing.

Connect with writing communities online.  You will find that writers are, for the most part, generous with their time and information.  Find the sites that suit you, subscribe to their feeds, and get involved. 

If you can afford it, join a professional writing association as an associate member (or as full member if you qualify).  It will give you an opportunity to meet professional writers, to learn from them, and to take advantage of the professional development events they provide on a regular basis.

I would be reluctant ask a friend or family member to review my work unless they are a professional in the field who can give honest and constructive feedback. 

Learn as much as you can about the use of plain language and how to keep the clutter out of your work.  Make every word count.

I would not write for any of the content mills.  They invest nothing in helping writers improve their craft and they pay starvation wages.  I’m certainly not telling you what to do but I personally would not get involved in a system that devalues my profession.

You know, Fran, there are so many things you can do to improve your skills if you’re serious about writing.     

Good luck and contact me if there’s anything I can do to help.  Take care.

Claudia

When I first decided to go "independent through freelance" I bothered my friends to buy this and buy that and do this and do that.  After a while they started avoiding me and I realized the reason was because I was ALWAYS approaching them to increase my business.  I stopped networking with them (because I WANT TO KEEP MY FRIENDS) and stopped selling products that I had to buy and couldn't sell and was stuck with.  I then decided to do virtual assistance/personal assistance work.  I was also Blessed to find a low-paying job with a gentleman who is sooooo successful independently that he offered to show me some of the tricks of the trade and connect me with some of his clients if I would work with him.  I found out that one of the things I DEFINITELY need to do (and am doing now) is marketing, marketing, marketing. I couldn't afford to have business cards made up so I found some through Avery.  I made up business cards, flyers, posters, etc.  My best friend saw how determined I was and offered to give out flyers for me - along with her ex-husband and my brother has also utilized my services.  My Dad - who knows how hard it is to start a business as he was a businessman when he retired offered to give out my flyers and such to his former customers and friends in his neighborhood.  My Mom is still unsupportive - but that's ok, I don't expect much from her anyway.   I have advertised on Craigslist, Facebook, SpiderBiz, Tweeter and this website through my bio page.  And I'm still not finished - I hope to be able to advertise in our local newspapers before the Spring comes in.  I have mailed flyers, business cards and posters - along with pens, candy, stick-ups and such with my company name and logo to potential clients.   I even had a stamp pad made up through Vista with my company name and logo on it.  I found that if I keep myself out there - eventually people will notice. 

Now  Fran, I will tell you, there is no shame in my game.  If I think there's an opportunity to do business with someone I don't hesitate to let them know.  The most that can be said is No - but guess what?  My name is now something that will stick in their minds in case someone needs my service in the future.   I am not successful by a long shot (as a matter of fact, aside from the gentleman I am working with I only have one other ongoing client).  But I know that if I keep at it I will be sucessful sooner than later.  As I said I am a virtual assistant, my website is posted on my bio page.  Not only can I do business with you - but I have soooooo many cancer  stories that I am willing to share it's mind boggling.  I need someone to get my story out (as I had tried writing about my experiences) just as you need contacts.  There is nothing to be ashamed of in marketing.  Like I said the most that can be said is NO.  Please visit my website.  If you think we can work togther, please feel free to contact me.  If not, I hope I've given you some good advice on how to get started.