recommended reading

Whatever you may think of his bestselling novels, Stephen King turned out a must-read in his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Part autobiography, part textbook, On Writing makes the case for clear, concise and engaging storytelling, which should be the ultimate aim of every writer, from fiction authors to investigative journalists.

pick me, pick me!

A few notes from the seminar on Self Promotion for Freelancers, held Wed., May 16, 2007, by the Toronto chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC). Panel members were Nate Hendley, John Watkis and Paul Lima.

To paraphrase Paul:

• Define your business vision: Who are you? What exactly do you want to do? Where and when? Who do you do it for? Why? Defining yourself and your business in this way helps you determine who your target market is. You're not just a writer who will write anything. Can you write political speeches? Pharmaceutical texts? Can you work in Columbia or Italy? No writer can write anything anywhere.

To paraphrase Nate:

• Do the hustle. Press the flesh. Actively promote yourself by attending networking events, not only magazine industry events, but any event where potential business sources may be. When at an event, introduce yourself to people, hand out your business card and ask lots of questions.

To paraphrase John:

• Networking is like dating: you don't necessarily have to sell yourself right away, you just need to convince them to see you again.