Writers write.

Want more money? Then memorize this phrase: "Writers promote."

Think you do not have time to organizemarketing plan for yourself, your books, your website? Try this six-week plan tosustained program of self-promotion and you, too, will find new friends who will help you, editors who approach you, and readers who will follow you throughout your writing career.

Week One: Focus on online message boards and lists. Yahoo, MSN, Topica and Smartgroups all have online discussion lists that you can search by topic. Sign up, read past messages, then decide whether you'll stay withlist or move on. Some lists have nothing but spam messages; others are packed with information. Register with message boards that focus on writing. Dosame with these as you didlists. Choose at least five to participate in. Choose two daysweek, atminimum, on which you will send messages to the lists. Be aware than many ofsame writers will be on more than one list so do not just writecanned message and send it to all. Show that you've read previous messages - answerquestion, ask a question, sharevaluable link. Once inwhile you can mention a favorable review or"Hurray, I gotassignment" message.

Week Two: Keep up your week one efforts. Study local newspapers, both daily and weekly. Investigate any magazines published for local readers. Keeprunning list of local media contacts. Some of the things you should note: who is writing about food, what type of stories are turned into juicy features, what kinds of announcements run inbusiness section, how many food articles are syndicated from another source? This list of media contacts will save you time when you havearticle you want to write or you are seeking an article to be written about you, your business or your book.

Week Three: Weeks one and two plustrip tooffice supply store. Buy some great paper - matte, two-sided coated paper, color or white. Writebrochure for yourself. Don't feel it's appropriate for what you are writing about? Then designbusiness card and print it up. Or askgraphic designer to createunique look for your business card. I was atbusiness fair, manningtable for my employer attime (a college), and I realized that I could have networked my own writing business if I'd only hadbusiness card to hand over toadvertising and web design businesses. Get some business cards.

Week Four: This isweek when you take your writing business on the road. Go tolocal Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours event. Chat with people, and hand overbrochure or business card when you meet someone who can hire you, or who can connect you withpublisher or editor. Keep posting on those message boards and lists; have fun with them.

Week Five: Writepress release about your recent success. Did you publisharticle, finishworkshop, winaward, or open for business? Write your press release in third person as if you are writingarticle. Send it to someone - your discussion list buddies forcritique,local weekly that runs news releases unedited to fill innews holes, post it on your website (do not havewebsite – that's what you can do on week seven). Need help? Visit prwire.com for advice on writing press releases.

Week Six: Two tasks this week: This isweek you make contact with three new editors. Calllocal food editor or features editor and take him or her out to lunch. Emailmagazine editor witharticle pitch. Contactonline newsletter editor and see if you can trade ad space forarticle you'd love to write for him. Your second task is to subscribe to online newsletters for writers - www.writesuccess.com, and www.fundsforwriters.com are only two that consistently provide essential information for writers.

Throughout these weeks, you should also be writing, researching markets for publication, and submitting your work. Keep up with the list discussions. A great one for information and markets is workforwriters@yahoogroups.com.

Keep upgood work - network with writers online and potential clients and editors in person to sell yourself and your writing.

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This article was posted on December onefour, twozerozerofive