Expose Yourself. Day 24 of the Total Writer Transformation
Stripping down to your birthday suit and letting those images "leak" might get you a few million new fans- just ask any of the Hollywood types who went from B status to A after raunchy photos went viral. However, this tactic proves fleeting and not what I'm telling you to do :)
Writers need exposure. In order to accomplish this and gain a following, you need to expose yourself.
Who is going to read your work? You should have a clear idea of who your audience is and what they look like as far as tastes, style, and demographics like age and hobbies. Your audience might be like you in many ways; they may have the same reading list, social status and education. Whoever your reader is, you need to find them and bring your writing to their awareness. It is true that many readers find favorite authors by searching for them, but most fans of a writer found them by stumbling upon them.
Go where your audience goes.
If your subject is Costochondritis in Teenagers you want to find where your readers are already hanging out, and in this case- their parents as well, as the parents are the ones who decide medical treatment for their offspring. Join forums where people discuss the disease and treatment. Comment on posts- you already wrote about it so you can offer a lot of advice and support. Do not sell your work directly from your comment posts! That is against most forum TOS and will get your account banned. And even when it's not, linking directly to what you are selling right there in your comments is pushy and unsavory. If you post well written, helpful advice, the audience will see you as an expert and click to view your profile. That is where you will have a link to your work.
If you write about high fashion for dogs, go where your audience is already spending their time. Join groups and forums for small dog lovers and answer questions, offer advice on brands that hold up well for active critters, and get to know everyone. They are your future customers, after all.
By exposing yourself and putting yourself out there where your audience hangs out, you will accomplish several things. You will learn what their wants and needs are which will help you with topics for future books and articles, you will grow your audience organically because you are all there for the same purpose as like-minded souls, and you will gain loyal followers who will help grow your reach by sharing your work to their social networks.
Today's Challenge
If you haven't already, take some time to define your audience. Who are they? What do they like? What do they need? Get specific- age, financial demographics, education, family status, etc. The clearer you are with this step the easier it will be to market your work and expose yourself in the correct places. Then decide what you offer- what questions do you answer or advice can you give? What do you have that they need?
Now that you have defined your reader, figure out where they gather. Then make your presence known.
Make yourself valuable and position yourself as an authority.
Images via Pixabay and Creative Commons
Be a Better Writer in Just One Month! Join the 31 Day Writing Challenge to transform your writing and your life!
Day 1 The Truth About Making Time For Writing
Day 2 How to Incorporate Ideas From Life in Your Writing
Day 3 Master the Art of Captivating Your Readers
Day 4 Banishing Distractions
Day 5 Get Your Writing Noticed!
Day 6 The Importance of Morning Pages
Day 7 Why You Should Write Even if You're Not a Writer
Day 8 How to Personify an Object
Day 9 How to Use Writing Prompts to Improve Your Skills
Day 10 Why You Need an Email List
Day 11 There is a Best Time to Write!
Day 12 Your Future Path
Day 13 Do You Know How to Eat an Elephant?
Day 14 Soliloquy Speaking: Bring Depth to Your Characters
Day 15 The Red String- You and Your Readers are Connected
Day 16 Pardon Me, What Did You Say?
Day 17 Make Dialogue Work For You
Day 18 Actions Speak
Day 19 Connect the Dots
Day 20 Begin with the End
Day 21 You Don't Need the Money!
Day 22 Lessons for Writers from Kurt Vonnegut
Day 23 from Mundane to Marvelous
I appreciate your support :)
❤
If you find this article after day 7, please consider upvoting a recent article.
here we go - on YouTube now :)
Woohoo! Yay! I can see it :) Sweet, thank again hun <3
You know, some of what you write in here goes with a dream I had the other day. There was a spider with her sac of eggs in the bathroom and she went off to hide somewhere. So obviously she appeared in my dream, but then there was a loud pop, after she followed me and positioned herself right above my head on the veiling (in the dream) and her sac exploded. My native friends tells me that it means spider wants me to be a mother and to nurture an abundance that is coming my way, be it ideas, friends, new subscribers, all of those. Being a mother is to be an authority in a nurturing manner, and I think that applies a lot when you're a writer. You show up and you guide, you provide and you lead, and yet you also follow a bit and adapt.
Wow, thanks for sharing that! On a side note, have you read any of Sun Bears work? Specifically The Medicine Wheel?
I feel what you're saying, and a lot of what a writer does is the same as what a mother does.
I'll have to check that out. Sounds similar to a book my mom has on native animal guides in dreams.
Yes, do! It is pretty sure on- it told me why I do the things I do!
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Very beautiful post Thanks for the sharing post
Thank you for reading! I hope you found inspiration <3
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