finding your spotlight

Perhaps you have just finished your studies, you have graduated or completed a course in your craft, and you are left to wander into the arms of the big wide world.

To yourself, you know that you are a writer. It’s what you do either in your spare time, freelance or full-time profession. But starting out, it’s not particularly easy to get yourself out there as a writer. Personally, I found this to especially be the case due to my part-time job.

set up a professional EMAIL

The best place to start, is creating a professional profile purely for your craft. First on the list, it would probably be best to start with making an email address directly for client/freelance focused criteria. Anything related to your profession; filter them into here. Saves vital emails getting lost amongst the details of your recent eBay orders…

Once the email address is in place, it’ll be ready to go on your self-promotional merchandise (i.e- business cards.)

create a logo or brand for yourself

Next up would perhaps be the creation of a logo. Something simple but distinct for your writing services to be recognised for. If you’re not the most creative and have absolutely no idea where to start when it comes to the logo, there’s always the option to pass the task onto a graphic designer.

OR

Just bear in mind that with logos are meant to be small and simple. Even just your initials and an image relevant to writing would do the trick!

If you do decide to tackle a logo yourself, I recommend Canva Pro. This is a free website which allows creative design including logos. Have a play around on here, remember that a logo should be simple and relevant to you and your craft in some way, and see what you conjure up! No harm in trying.

However, if everything you create just isn’t to your taste- find a graphic designer. Don’t have a logo you can’t stand attached to your writer recognition for the rest of your career!

BUSINESS CARD - ( very important for networking)

Following your logo comes a business card. Now, a business card only really consists of your name, email address (which you’ve already set up for business emails), your logo (again, ticked off the list), contact number, and website URL (I’ll come to that…). If you have extra profiles relevant to your writing then feel free to add these too- more platforms for businesses to look at!

Again, if you’re not the most creative or struggle with design- leave it to a graphic designer so that you get a product you’re happy with.

Once the business card designs are complete, if you head over to Vistaprint, 250 of these can be printed for £9.99!

set up your own website

Now all of the above is in place, the next step for your recognition as a writer is to create a website. When networking, the process is made simpler if at hand you have your business card. Even if it’s a short interaction with an industry professional, as long as they can access your website from the URL on the business card- they’re able to know all they need to.

A website tends to include, on the homepage, a professional image of yourself and a short biography. In the biography try to include: Age, Location and brief information about your writing style.

There can be several pages to your website, such as Experience. In this page, you can display your previous writing work, with perhaps posters if created, and a premise of the pieces.

Other pages can focus primarily how to contact you, when, what method of contact would be preferable. Qualifications can make up another page, do you have a degree in your craft? A Master’s? Anything that makes you more qualified or connotes that you know what you’re talking about- add!

A website should also clearly display your skill set you have to offer. Don’t sell yourself short!

If you are not confident with creating a website yourself, again, there are services that exist to build a website for you, to your desire. However, if you are eager to try it yourself, you can use:

Google Drive, Wix, Squarespace… there’s a ridiculous amount to choose from.

Once the website’s done and dusted, the FINAL stage is the purchase of your own customised URL. These can be purchased from 123reg.com, Godaddy.com… again, a ridiculous amount of choice. But I’d shop around for ranges of prices!

get on LINKEDIN

Another way to get yourself recognised as a writer is through the professional job posting organisation- LinkedIn. This allows you to create a profile where you are visible to other industry professionals. It focuses primarily on job searching while giving you notifications of jobs that seem to be of your interest, or best suit your skill set.

LinkedIn allows you to connect with as many people as you wish, once connected, you can message them privately.

It’s a great way to explore opportunities!

become a member of the WRITER’S GUILD

If you are going to be recognised as a writer, you should have recognition of your rights as a writer. (Tongue-twister… well done if you can read it over and over and keep your sh*t together…) For instance, if you are unaware of the minimum rates to charge for your writing services, it’s all provided here!

https://writersguild.org.uk

Visit, and wrack your brains with the wisdom. For just £30 a year, students can join and make use of their services. If you’re ever in doubt of anything script/writing related, the Writers Guild should be your go-to call. There are consultants that are available to call as and when they are needed!

Take their help while it’s there, and hold it like a safety blanket.