Writers Helping Writers

The way I got into the freelance writing business was by identifying some mentors and following them around via what I like to call blog stalking.

I’m happy to say almost 2 years later that this resulted in a full time career, a few clips and a
and nice little writing business where I’m now even subbing out work to other writers which is a nice little symbiotic relationship. This industry I’ve stumbled into is the most supportive and helpful business I’ve found. Most would expect that if someone found a way to make serious coin online, they’d keep it hushed to themselves but in this business I continually run across other writers and internet marketers who are more than willing to share the wealth through advice, leads, tips, warnings and freebies.

By getting into a little clique online, you can find insider secrets, get news before it hits the general public and can also become known as a maven in your craft. There’s a real sense of community among freelance writers and if you can get yourself a crowd of online friends/colleagues you can truly benefit as well as help someone else.

Having online writing friends has allowed me to learn of new leads, get help with my overflow, get advice when I’m having a problem, get a sanity check if I need to know if I’m off my rocker or not (which occasionally happens!) and more. I can even get a laugh from someone who knows just what it's like to work as a writer. Sometimes you need to have someone who understands what it's like to live the writer's life.

Just yesterday I sat through a chat with other writers and learned a whole new slew of editing tricks as well as learned a lot about what publishers are looking for from novel writers. The person that was there could have just pointed me to www.lulu.com to buy her book but instead she took time out of her schedule to help others in the field. Sure, she’ll benefit from it through book sales, word of mouth and link love but she sure helped the crowd of writers who were listening to her words!

Support your online colleagues by doing things to help them in their writing career and if they do the same for you, you’ll find that the opportunities increase and it can be very much a team mentality where you can have tour guides and study buddies rather than you feeling like you are lost and alone in the vast metropolis that is cyberspace.

Three Things To Support Friends’ Writing Careers

Here are three things you can do to support your writing friends. Hopefully they will take notice and do the same thing for you:

-Reply on their blogs. Contribute to the conversation. This helps you both really as you’ll get more attention to your blog as well.

-Show some link love. Feature your friends’ blogs, articles or mention their new book on a blog entry. Put their link on your website as well.

-Send them an email with a lead in it if you see a great job listing that’s in their niche

-Support their online presence by social book marking their posts. When they write something awesome, Stumble and Digg it!

Writer Networking
Not sure how to get into a writer network? One of my mentors recently started a networking site called Diva Networking where people with similar goals and objectives work together to help support one another’s writing careers. We spend a couple of hours a month helping our team members (and they help you too) and it can help all our writing careers in the long run.

If you don’t have a group of writing friends, get a group! Start networking and make some freelance writing friends on wahm or writing forums or through online chats like the ones on Friday nights (7:pm EST) in the www.inspiredauthor.com chat room.