I frequently talk about networking on this blog. I believe it’s just as vital to success as the craft of writing (skill) and talent.
Many people view networking as something you do. Okay, language purists, networking is a verb and therefore, an action, literally speaking. But it’s not an action with a definitive start and end point, like washing the dishes. You shouldn’t put it on your to-do list and set aside time to complete it. (It’s actually a lot more fun than washing dishes, and not a chore to dread).
I’m reminded of a cartoon in which a writer is walking around his office with a coffee cup. A colleague asks him what he’s doing and he replies, “Writing.” Networking is just like that. You can – and should – do it anytime, any place. If you’re doing it well, people won’t even realize you’re doing it.
For me, networking is what I do when I’m procrastinating writing. It helps me justify – to some degree – the time I spend on Twitter and Facebook. But I understand not everyone feels that way. The good news is, you have opportunities to network all around you.
- When you read blogs and leave an insightful comment because the writer impressed you -- that's networking.
- When you go to a party, with some friends you know and some people you don't, introduce yourself and tell them what you do -- that's a first step toward networking. Ideally, you’ll build on this to create relationships with some of the people you meet.
- When you IM or call an acquaintance, not someone you speak to every day, and ask what they're up to, that's networking. (Some pros call this "pinging" people.)
- I went to a comedy club Friday night with a friend I hadn't seen in months. Not only did I introduce myself to the people at the table behind us, I'm writing about the comedian and I found out my friend wants to start a home business... you guessed it – I was networking (and drinking wine -- what could be better?)
Most importantly, networking should take place wherever you are, at any time -- ALL THE TIME, even.
I'm not saying to be shmoozy or sleazy or always looking out for your interests. In fact, networking really is just taking a GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHER PEOPLE AND THINKING OF WAYS YOU CAN HELP EACH OTHER.
Probably the only time a successful writer shouldn't be networking is when they're actually *writing*. And both are equally important to success. Do you agree?
Showing posts with label twitter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label twitter. Show all posts
Finding Expert Sources to Enhance Your Articles
Many writers today find everything they need on the Internet to put together an article. But expert sources add validity to your points and professionalism to your story. If I find myself stuck on beginning an article, it’s often because I don’t know enough about the topic, or I don’t have enough information in front of me to find that perfect lead or –if it’s a longer article -- to outline the story from beginning to end.
How do professional freelance writers network with expert sources? Several ways.
Find experts.
Social networking makes it easier than ever before to find expert sources. Peter Shankman’s popular “HARO” network connects reporters to PR people who can connect you with experts or even experts themselves. Tweeting a query on Twitter will also connect you with people, or try Facebook. Perhaps a friend of a friend is an expert in the area you need.
You can find experts on message boards and forums, but people may be turned off if you just sign in announcing that you’re a writer and asking questions. Spend some time lurking on the forum, learn the rules of the land, and connect with the regulars. How long does this take? There’s no rule. You should know when you feel comfortable enough to start approaching members with questions for your article. You might do this through private messaging or, if you feel comfortable enough, start a thread asking for comments.
Finally, you can often find experts by doing a Google search on your topic and looking over the more popular blogs. Contact experts who write blogs via e-mail if you can’t find a phone number. Again, it helps to become an active member of their community, by reading and commenting on their blog, but chances are good they will want the positive publicity a reporter can offer, so they might be more than happy to speak with you even if you are a new reader.
Collect experts.
Keep a file in your computer, listing the names of different expert sources. As this file grows, you may want to break it up into several categories—public officials, technical directors, teachers, historians, or whatever categories best suit your needs.
List the person’s name, when you first spoke to them, and regarding what, their area of expertise, and any personal details that will help jog your memory so you can connect with them on a personal level. You may want to add a JPG to their file, too, because some editors request headshots of interview subjects.
Ping your sources.
As your writing experience grows, so will your file. Keep in touch with your expert sources on a regular basis, asking them what’s new in their industry. Soon, you’ll be the first one to hear about ground breaking news. “Pings” don’t take long. Simple notes on Twitter, Facebook or an e-mail once a month works. Some people prefer phone calls. Make a note in their file of each expert’s preferred contact method so you don’t intrude. You can also include special notes about the best times to reach them, like “always reachable by cell,” or “works from home Mondays and Wednesdays.”
Of course, these are just the basics. If you trust in synchronicity and the law of attraction, experts will come your way when you need them. These tips help that process along. If you would like to learn more about how I've been using the Law of Attraction to help in my writing career, please check out The Secret Abundance Files.
Writers: What’s the oddest way you ever found an expert source for an article?
How do professional freelance writers network with expert sources? Several ways.
Find experts.
Social networking makes it easier than ever before to find expert sources. Peter Shankman’s popular “HARO” network connects reporters to PR people who can connect you with experts or even experts themselves. Tweeting a query on Twitter will also connect you with people, or try Facebook. Perhaps a friend of a friend is an expert in the area you need.
You can find experts on message boards and forums, but people may be turned off if you just sign in announcing that you’re a writer and asking questions. Spend some time lurking on the forum, learn the rules of the land, and connect with the regulars. How long does this take? There’s no rule. You should know when you feel comfortable enough to start approaching members with questions for your article. You might do this through private messaging or, if you feel comfortable enough, start a thread asking for comments.
Finally, you can often find experts by doing a Google search on your topic and looking over the more popular blogs. Contact experts who write blogs via e-mail if you can’t find a phone number. Again, it helps to become an active member of their community, by reading and commenting on their blog, but chances are good they will want the positive publicity a reporter can offer, so they might be more than happy to speak with you even if you are a new reader.
Collect experts.
Keep a file in your computer, listing the names of different expert sources. As this file grows, you may want to break it up into several categories—public officials, technical directors, teachers, historians, or whatever categories best suit your needs.
List the person’s name, when you first spoke to them, and regarding what, their area of expertise, and any personal details that will help jog your memory so you can connect with them on a personal level. You may want to add a JPG to their file, too, because some editors request headshots of interview subjects.
Ping your sources.
As your writing experience grows, so will your file. Keep in touch with your expert sources on a regular basis, asking them what’s new in their industry. Soon, you’ll be the first one to hear about ground breaking news. “Pings” don’t take long. Simple notes on Twitter, Facebook or an e-mail once a month works. Some people prefer phone calls. Make a note in their file of each expert’s preferred contact method so you don’t intrude. You can also include special notes about the best times to reach them, like “always reachable by cell,” or “works from home Mondays and Wednesdays.”
Of course, these are just the basics. If you trust in synchronicity and the law of attraction, experts will come your way when you need them. These tips help that process along. If you would like to learn more about how I've been using the Law of Attraction to help in my writing career, please check out The Secret Abundance Files.
Writers: What’s the oddest way you ever found an expert source for an article?
90 Minutes in the Morning
“Not enough time” is also a common reason people give for not marketing themselves or their business properly, and for not taking advantage of all the networking tools available today. (The other reason is not being tech-savvy, which we will address later).
I haven’t managed to get my social networking down to eight minutes, but through effective time management techniques, speed-reading, and a very targeted plan, I can get a lot accomplished in just an hour-and-a-half at the start of my day. If you can find a way to incorporate your morning exercises into your Web surfing, let me know!
So, how do I do it?
First, I check my e-mail, possibly using this to compile the rest of my to-do list. Then I visit three forums and make the rounds of my favorite SM sites, including Twitter, Plurk, Facebook and Myspace. By visiting these sites, and these sites *only*, I keep myself from getting bogged down in mindless surfing. If a link or a forum thread catches my attention, I click on it, read and comment. There are others I want to add to the list, including LinkedIn, but I’m still new to this and don’t want to overwhelm myself yet!
One habit I fell into previously is, after making my rounds, I’d start back at home base and check my e-mail again. It was an endless cycle and before I knew it, I’d have five conversations going on five different sites, but no real work accomplished. Don’t do this! Check a site, and move on! If you really feel a need, you can make your rounds again in the evening, and I definitely recommend checking e-mail at least one more time during the day, preferably after lunch.
Timothy Ferriss, author of the Four-Hour Workweek, recommends checking e-mail and voice mail once at noon and once at 4 PM. But I can’t start my morning without two things: Strong coffee and e-mail.
Before I get started on my assignments for the day, I visit blogs. I don’t visit every one that I like every single day, but I try not to get backed up, either. Choose a selection of blogs to check on Mondays, then different ones on Tuesdays, and again on Wednesday. Rotate every three or four days… once a week isn’t enough and you’ll find yourself getting backed up. When you read, comment on at least one post from each blogger, then and there.
If you’re like me, you’re a “response” junkie and need to find out when people comment on your comments. Set up a separate e-mail address, and enter that address when blogs ask for an e-mail to notify you when someone has replied to your comment. You can also use this e-mail on forums and social networking sites, to notify you when you have private messages, comments, or someone has replied to a certain thread. Check this e-mail address once in the morning, and, if you really can’t wait, again at lunch. That’s it. Do not check it compulsively. If there’s something you want to reply to, do it and move on.
Finally, set up a separate e-mail account for newsletters. Check this once or twice a week, and take some time when you really need a break to sit back and enjoy your favorite newsletters.
By keeping separate e-mails, I find I never miss anything important (like an assignment from an editor) and can check “non-time-sensitive” information at my own leisure, without feeling pressure over having 2,564 unread messages in my mailbox.
This may sound like it’s very regimented, taking a lot of the fun of following link-after-link in that way Web junkies love. Take time to do that, but don’t take the time out of your workday. Enjoy that for what it is: time-wasting fun. In the morning, you have a goal to accomplish--to stay in touch with your network.
Don’t forget, however…social networking can be superficial, with people posting tweets and plurks and comments. If you have extra time when you’re done with your rounds, strike up a conversation with someone in your network. Share ideas. Participate in a chat. They will certainly understand when your 90 minutes (or 60, or however many you decide you need) is up and you say that you have to get to work.
I love SM sites for many reasons, but I also crave deeper connections with my, well…connections. After all, we do this because we love people (and to make money, yeah… but we’d find another way to do that if we didn’t love people!) Use tweets to stay in touch day-to-day, but don’t neglect the relationships behind those short notes.
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