If you're a writer, creating a wide network of other professional writers will enhance your own career.
You'll be able to share information and other resources with people who all have at least one thing in common—they love to write.
Here are 21 ways to broaden your professional network.
1. Join listservs and online forums for writers.
Here are a few to try:
Absolute Writer Water Cooler
This forum welcome writers of all genres.
It is a well-moderated community and very active.
Writers Digest Forum
This forum is from the publishers of Writer’s Digest Magazine.
You’ll find all sorts of writing related topics covered in this active forum for writers.
Writing Forums
Opportunities for writers to exchange tips, engage in discussions about techniques, and grow in their craft.
Writers can also participate in forum competitions.
2. Join social networking sites such as twitter, facebook, linkedin, and jacketflap.com.
The key to these sites is you should be an active member and not just someone who reads the posts of other writers.
Reading and then sharing the posts of other writers on these social media sites helps these writers get to know you, and they will usually start sharing your posts with their followers, too.
3. Visit other writers' blogs and leave a meaningful comment along with a link to your writer's blog or website.
I welcome helpful comments at www.writebythesea.com, for example.
And I like to return the favor by visiting the sites of everyone who comments at my site and leaving a comment.
Over time, this is a great way to add other writers to your professional network.
4. Host an Internet radio show for writers.
There are many Internet Radio networks.
Listen to some of the shows on various networks before you decide to start your own show.
You'll find shows at:
Blogtalkradio.com
InternetRadio
5. Sign up for online writers' workshops.
You’ll find all sorts of online workshops for writers.
Check out sites like writersdigest.com, Wow! Women on Writing, and even my site, WritebytheSea for lists of upcoming or ongoing workshops you might enjoy and learn from.
6. Start your own blog for writers.
Note, however that a blog for readers should be somewhat different from a blog for writers.
Visit several blogs for writers and see what type of content these sites tend to post.
7. Start your own networking group for writers.
You can do this either online or offline.
Meetup.com is a good place to go online to help get an in-person writer’s group started.
It does cost something each month to have your group on the meetup.com site, however.
But simply charge a $3.00 or so fee at each meeting and you should be able to more than cover the monthly meetup.com charge.
8. Host other writers on virtual book tours.
If you have a new book to promote, you can take turns hosting each other’s blog tours.
9. Guest post on other writers' blogs.
If you follow my blog at writebythesea.com or read my Morning Nudge, you know that guest blogging is something I’m helping my clients and readers focus on right now.
That’s because guest blogging is not only a great way to network with other writers, it’s a great way to build your own creadibility and online visiblity as a writer.
10. Start a free newsletter for writers.
I started The Morning Nudge in 2006, and have been publishing this free email every weekday morning since then.
It gives me a great way to connect with other writers, many of whom turn into clients and customers as well as good friends.
Why not start your own newsletter for writers?
You don't have to publish it as often as my Morning Nudge.
Just once a month would be good to start.
11. Teach online workshops for writers or start your own offline workshops for writers.
I’ve been teaching online workshops for years.
Recently I added offline workshops here on the Treasure Coast in Florida where I live.
It’s always fun to connect with writers all across the planet via online workshops, but it’s also fun meeting people face-to-face each week at an offline venue.
12. Host your own teleseminar series for writers.
You can even charge for this.
You’ll need some sort of service so you can reach many callers at once.
Try:
www.freeconferences.com
Instant Teleseminar
13. Use articles from other writers on your site(s) that you find on online directories such as www.ezinearticles.com.
The authors of these articles will drive traffic to your site if they know you're featuring one of their articles there.
And you can start networking with these authors on a regular basis once you've featured one or more of their articles on your site.
14. Became a guest on Internet Radio Shows about writing.
To find radio shows for this, check out http://www.radioguestlist.com
15. Start a mailing list so you can stay in regular contact with other writers who join your list.
You don't need a newsletter to start a mailing list.
Simply send out an email "broadcast" each time you post something new to your blog.
Everyone on your list will get this email and many will go to your site to read your new post there.
When they do, if they leave comments, you'll know who they are, so you can make a point of visiting their sites and commenting, too.
16. Create a coaching program to coach other writers.
What is your area of writing expertise?
Use your knowledge and expertise to not only network with other writers but to profit from it as well.
You'll be able to reach out to writers everywhere with something that can really help them.
17. Interview other writers and post the interviews at your site.
You can do written interviews, audio interviews, or even videos that feature interviews.
18. Form joint ventures with other writers.
You can turn those interviews into audios you sell to other writers, for example.
You can also help other writers set up teleseminars or create online workshops, which you promote jointly and both profit from.
19. Introduce writers you know to each other (via email, for example).
I've met many professional writers this way.
Some of them even gave me tips for finding assignments, including editors names, etc.
20. Start a blogchain or meme for writers.
This is a good way for a group of writers to grow their online following.
With a blog chain, everyone in the chain tries to visit all the blogs on the chain and leave a comment.
Each blog in the chain also includes a link to the next blog on the chain, so it's a great way to increase your following.
You'll meet all sorts of writers when you either create your own blogchain for writers or you join someone else's chain.
21. Sign up for other writers' online newsletters.
You'll get some great writing tips and other resources. You'll also get to know more about these writers, so eventually you'll know who to approach for joint ventures, etc.
Now...I'm sure you have additional ways you network with other writers.
Care to share?
Just leave a comment to let everyone know how you network with other writers.
Try it!
She lives and writes by the sea in Jensen Beach, Florida.
Learn more about her books and her coaching services at www.writebythesea.com and sign up for her free email, The Morning Nudge, with tips and resources for writers delivered to your mailbox every weekday morning.
