Using Linkedin To Build a Referral Market

Today the WritersView Community is discussing networking. As writers, we live sometimes very solitary lives. I am at home alone right now speaking to a keyboard. You can become accustomed to this lifestyle. But to be prolific, to be about Kingdom Building your writing has to go beyond this keyboard. You will have to meet people. Wouldn't it be better to meet people who have the power to bring more people to your words? Here are my five tips. Please add more in comments.

5 Networking Tips for Writers

1. Join Civic Groups.
I joined the Atlanta Jaycees and the Junior League in my twenties. Those two organizations still help even now and I've been disabled/retired from architecture for seven years. I joined the Atlanta Press Club and the Association of Black Journalists a few years back. My suggestion is to find an organization within your community that shares some common threads and become active.

2. Write for a local publication.
The best networking tool I've used as a writer was becoming a local staff writer for a Christian newspaper(Rejoice Atlanta) and (Atlanta Christian Family) magazine. All of my first clients came from them contacting me after reading my columns. Now I run on referrals via those first clients.

3. Build a Yellow Market of Referrals via Social Networks.
My clients now are referral based. I obtain referrals after every writing gig. The best way to get them is to ask or have a letter printed with your invoice requesting a referral. A good social network that can help you catalog referrals as well as showcase them is LinkedIn.

4. Network Your Blog
If you have a blog, this year spend more time blogging quality content and commenting on other blogs, then blogging for the sake of blogging. Put value in your blogging time.

5. Host a Reading Event
I have hosted two summer event series in Atlanta, which combined authors, musicians, poets at new coffeehouses. It helps drive traffic to the coffeehouse, it helps your community realize that you're not just some salesperson, and its great free publicity.